SRM is a part of the supply chain and the PLM process. The use of supporting technology provides an advanced infrastructure of information for the management of acquisitions and stocks, and for the decrease of costs.
The SRM handles the entire purchase process, from the demand stage through the building of the RFx, sending it to the supplier, receiving the replies, negotiating, creating a contract and managing the performance of the selected supplier. In each stage, the company engages in dialogue with the suppliers using the internet.