27 Oct
Supplier management software helps businesses organize supplier information, coordinate purchasing activities, monitor supplier performance, and maintain better visibility across their supply chains. For Philippine companies that rely on multiple suppliers, distributors, manufacturers, or service providers, managing these relationships through spreadsheets, email threads, and manual follow-ups can become increasingly difficult as operations grow.
A delayed delivery can affect inventory availability. An incomplete purchase order can create confusion between procurement and suppliers. An unrecorded price change can affect purchasing budgets, while inconsistent supplier records can make it harder to determine which vendors consistently meet the company’s requirements.
These problems may appear to be isolated administrative issues, but they often share the same underlying cause: supplier information and purchasing workflows are scattered across different systems.
The right supplier management software helps address these gaps by creating a more structured way to maintain supplier records, track purchasing transactions, review supplier performance, and coordinate activities with other departments. However, not every platform offers the same capabilities. Some focus on supplier databases and performance evaluation, while others connect supplier management with purchasing, inventory, and broader enterprise resource planning (ERP) processes.
For Philippine businesses, choosing the right solution means understanding how suppliers affect daily operations, what information needs to be tracked, and how supplier-related workflows should connect with purchasing, inventory, and finance.
This guide explains what supplier management software does, which features matter most, how businesses can improve supplier performance, and how to evaluate solutions that fit their operational requirements.
What Is Supplier Management Software?
Supplier management software is a digital system used to organize supplier information and manage activities throughout the supplier relationship lifecycle. Depending on the platform, it may support supplier registration, document collection, approval workflows, purchasing coordination, performance monitoring, risk reviews, and reporting.
The goal is to give authorized employees a more consistent way to access supplier information and manage related business processes.
Without a dedicated system, supplier details may be spread across spreadsheets, shared folders, purchasing records, and individual employees’ email accounts. One employee might maintain the supplier’s contact information, another might track pricing, and a third might keep the latest delivery records. When these records are not connected, the business may struggle to establish a complete picture of the supplier relationship.
Supplier management software can centralize relevant information and standardize how employees create, update, review, and use supplier records.
For example, a distributor purchasing goods from several suppliers may need to track supplier contact details, product availability, purchase orders, delivery dates, received quantities, and outstanding issues. A structured supplier management process helps the purchasing team connect these details rather than treat every transaction as an unrelated activity.
Depending on the solution, supplier management may be offered as a standalone platform or as part of a larger procurement or ERP system.
A standalone platform may be suitable when supplier onboarding, risk assessment, contract tracking, or performance scorecards are the primary requirements. An ERP purchasing module may be more appropriate when the main challenge involves connecting suppliers with purchase requests, purchase orders, goods receipts, inventory records, and other operational workflows.
The distinction matters because supplier management is not only about storing supplier information. It is about making supplier-related decisions and transactions easier to coordinate, monitor, and improve.
Why Supplier Management Matters for Philippine Businesses
Suppliers influence more than purchasing costs. Their delivery reliability, product quality, communication, and ability to meet agreed requirements can affect inventory availability, production schedules, customer fulfillment, and operating expenses.
For businesses in the Philippines, these relationships can become particularly complex when operations involve multiple branches, warehouses, islands, delivery schedules, and supplier locations.
A retailer may depend on suppliers to replenish fast-moving products. A manufacturer may need raw materials delivered according to production requirements. A construction company may coordinate several suppliers to keep a project moving. A service business may rely on external providers for equipment, technology, or operational support.
In each situation, supplier-related problems can affect other departments.
Supplier delays can disrupt operations
When a supplier delivers late, the purchasing team may need to follow up, the warehouse may need to revise receiving plans, and operations may have to adjust schedules.
If the business does not have a clear record of expected delivery dates and outstanding orders, identifying which purchases need attention can take longer than necessary.
A structured system can help employees track purchase orders and delivery status, making overdue or incomplete transactions easier to identify when the necessary tracking features are available.
Poor supplier visibility makes purchasing decisions harder
Businesses may continue ordering from familiar suppliers without regularly reviewing their performance, pricing, or reliability.
Over time, this can limit opportunities to identify recurring delivery problems, inconsistent product quality, or alternative suppliers that better meet operational requirements.
Supplier records and performance reviews help businesses make decisions using documented information rather than relying entirely on memory or informal feedback.
Disconnected purchasing and inventory records create uncertainty
Purchasing decisions depend on knowing what the business needs, what has already been ordered, and what has actually arrived.
If inventory records are updated late or purchase orders are tracked separately, employees may order products that are already available or fail to replenish items before they run out.
Connecting supplier-related purchasing transactions with inventory records can help teams coordinate incoming stock and avoid unnecessary duplication.
Manual processes make accountability difficult
When a supplier issue occurs, the business may need to determine who approved the purchase, which price was agreed upon, what quantity was ordered, and what was received.
If these details are scattered across messages and spreadsheets, reviewing the transaction can take considerable time.
Standardized workflows and transaction records help establish a clearer history of purchasing decisions and supplier interactions.
Supplier relationships need consistent evaluation
A supplier may offer attractive pricing but frequently deliver late. Another may charge more but consistently meet delivery schedules and quality requirements.
Comparing suppliers only by unit price can overlook costs associated with delays, defects, emergency purchases, and additional administrative work.
A structured supplier evaluation process helps businesses consider multiple performance factors before deciding which suppliers to retain, develop, or replace.
Key Features to Look for in Supplier Management Software
The best supplier management software depends on the company’s requirements. A business managing a small number of local suppliers may not need the same capabilities as a manufacturer working with hundreds of vendors across multiple locations.
Before comparing products, identify the supplier-related problems that need to be solved. Then evaluate whether each system supports the necessary workflows.
1. Centralized supplier information
A supplier database provides a structured place to maintain information such as supplier names, business addresses, contact persons, communication details, product or service categories, and relevant commercial information.
Depending on the business, records may also include tax information, registration documents, accreditation details, payment terms, and approved supplier status.
Centralization helps employees locate the information they need without searching multiple files or asking different departments for the latest version.
However, a database is only useful when its information remains accurate. The system should support clear ownership of supplier records, controlled updates, and appropriate access permissions.
2. Supplier onboarding and approval workflows
Supplier onboarding establishes the information and checks required before a company begins working with a new vendor.
A structured onboarding process may include collecting supplier details, reviewing required documents, checking business requirements, obtaining internal approvals, and creating an approved supplier record.
The software should help the organization define which steps apply to different supplier categories and who is responsible for each review.
For example, a supplier providing routine office materials may follow a simpler approval process than a supplier handling sensitive information or providing critical production materials.
Not every platform automates onboarding. Businesses should verify whether the shortlisted solution supports document collection, approval routing, notifications, and supplier self-service where required.
3. Purchase request and purchase order tracking
Supplier management becomes more useful when supplier records connect with purchasing activities.
Purchase requests identify goods or services that a department needs. After the request is reviewed and approved, the purchasing team can create a purchase order specifying the items, quantities, agreed prices, delivery details, and other relevant terms.
A system that connects these records helps employees trace a purchasing requirement from its original request through the order and delivery stages.
It also makes it easier to identify which purchases are awaiting approval, which orders have been issued, and which deliveries still need to be received.
4. Goods receipt and delivery tracking
A purchase order records what the business intends to buy. A goods receipt records what was actually delivered and accepted through the relevant receiving process.
These records should not be treated as interchangeable.
A supplier may deliver fewer items than ordered, provide a substitute product, or deliver goods that do not meet the agreed specifications. The receiving team needs a way to document the discrepancy and communicate it to purchasing.
Supplier management software with appropriate receiving and exception-tracking capabilities can help businesses compare ordered and received quantities, record delivery issues, and coordinate follow-up actions.
The exact level of tracking varies by platform, so confirm whether it supports partial deliveries, returns, rejected goods, and other scenarios relevant to your operation.
5. Supplier performance monitoring
Supplier performance monitoring helps businesses assess whether vendors meet agreed requirements over time.
Useful indicators may include:
- On-time delivery rate.
- Order fulfillment accuracy.
- Product or service quality.
- Frequency of shortages or defects.
- Responsiveness to inquiries and issues.
- Compliance with agreed specifications.
- Price consistency and cost competitiveness.
- Resolution time for supplier-related problems.
The most useful metrics depend on the supplier’s role. A supplier of critical production materials may need stricter quality and delivery measures than a provider of occasional office supplies.
A performance scorecard can make reviews more consistent, provided that the business defines its metrics clearly and uses reliable data.
6. Document and contract management
Supplier relationships may involve quotations, purchase agreements, service contracts, accreditation documents, certifications, product specifications, and other records.
Keeping these documents in separate folders can make it difficult to identify the latest approved version or determine whether a document needs renewal.
Where supported, supplier management software can associate documents with supplier records and provide reminders for upcoming expiry or renewal dates.
Businesses should also consider document permissions, version history, retention requirements, and the process for archiving records when a supplier relationship ends.
7. Supplier risk assessment
Supplier risk management involves identifying issues that could affect the organization’s ability to obtain goods or services reliably and responsibly.
Potential risks include financial instability, repeated delivery failures, quality problems, inadequate documentation, cybersecurity concerns, dependence on a single supplier, or exposure to operational disruptions.
Software may support risk questionnaires, document checks, risk classifications, review schedules, and corrective-action tracking.
However, a system cannot eliminate supplier risk by itself. Businesses still need suitable evaluation criteria, responsible reviewers, and procedures for responding when a risk is identified.
8. Reporting and analytics
Supplier-related reports help management understand purchasing activity and identify patterns that may not be obvious from individual transactions.
Depending on the platform and available data, useful reports may show purchasing volume by supplier, overdue orders, delivery performance, recurring discrepancies, price changes, or outstanding supplier issues.
These reports can help purchasing teams prioritize follow-ups and prepare supplier reviews.
The quality of the analysis depends on the quality of the underlying records. If employees do not consistently record delivery dates, discrepancies, or approval outcomes, the resulting reports may be incomplete or misleading.
9. Integration with inventory, purchasing, and finance
Supplier management software becomes more valuable when it connects with the systems that depend on supplier information.
For example, purchasing records can inform inventory planning, receiving transactions can update stock records, and approved supplier bills can support finance workflows when the relevant integrations are available.
Without integration, employees may need to re-enter information into multiple applications, increasing the chance of inconsistencies.
During evaluation, ask whether the proposed system uses shared records, supports direct integration, or requires additional development. Confirm exactly which information moves between systems and when updates occur.
Supplier Management Software vs. Manual Supplier Tracking
Spreadsheets, email, and shared folders can work for businesses with a small number of suppliers and limited purchasing activity. They are familiar, inexpensive, and easy to adapt.
The challenge emerges when the number of suppliers, transactions, employees, or locations grows beyond what the manual process can reliably support.
Area | Manual supplier tracking | Supplier management software |
Supplier information | Often spread across multiple files | Can centralize records |
Purchase order tracking | Depends on manual updates and follow-ups | Can provide structured order status tracking |
Supplier approvals | May rely on email or paper forms | Can support defined approval workflows |
Delivery discrepancies | May be recorded in separate logs | Can associate issues with relevant orders when supported |
Performance reviews | Often prepared periodically by hand | Can support consistent metrics and reports |
Document monitoring | Depends on employees remembering deadlines | May provide reminders and document status tracking |
Cross-department visibility | Requires manual communication | Can connect relevant records across departments |
Auditability | Can be difficult to reconstruct if records are incomplete | May provide transaction histories and audit trails |
Scalability | Requires increasing manual coordination | Can standardize workflows as activity grows |
The purpose is not to eliminate spreadsheets simply because they are spreadsheets. A small business with predictable purchasing and only a handful of suppliers may manage effectively with manual tools.
The more important question is whether the current process gives the business enough visibility, control, and consistency for its operational complexity.
How Supplier Management Software Connects with ERP Purchasing
Supplier management and purchasing management are closely related, but they are not identical.
Supplier management focuses on maintaining supplier information, assessing relationships, monitoring performance, and managing the broader supplier lifecycle.
Purchasing management focuses on the transactions through which the business requests, approves, orders, receives, and accounts for goods or services.
An ERP purchasing system may include supplier management functions while also connecting purchasing activities with inventory and other business processes.
Consider a distributor that needs to replenish a fast-moving product.
First, the inventory team identifies a stock requirement. Purchasing reviews the requirement and checks the appropriate supplier information. After approval, a purchase order is created and sent to the supplier. When the goods arrive, the receiving team records the delivery and checks the quantity against the order. Inventory records are then updated through the system’s receiving workflow.
If the supplier delivers fewer units than ordered, the discrepancy can be recorded and followed up. The purchasing team can review the issue and consider it during future supplier evaluations.
This creates a more traceable process than maintaining supplier details, purchase orders, delivery notes, and inventory adjustments in unrelated files.
For businesses with complex supplier qualification, contract, and risk requirements, a dedicated supplier relationship management platform may still be necessary. For businesses whose main challenge is connecting supplier transactions with purchasing and inventory, an integrated ERP purchasing module may address more of the operational problem.
How to Improve Supplier Management in the Philippines
Software works best when the organization has clear supplier management practices. Before implementing a new system, Philippine businesses should review how they select suppliers, approve purchases, record deliveries, and evaluate performance.
1. Establish a consistent supplier approval process
Define the information and documentation required before a supplier can be approved.
The requirements should reflect the nature of the goods or services, the risks involved, and the company’s internal controls. Avoid collecting unnecessary information simply because it is easy to add another field to a form.
Assign responsibility for reviewing supplier details and approving the relationship. Where appropriate, separate supplier creation from purchase approval and payment authorization to strengthen internal controls.
2. Maintain accurate supplier master data
Supplier records should have clear ownership and update procedures.
When contact information, payment terms, delivery arrangements, or other important details change, the business should know who is authorized to make the update and how the change will be verified.
This is especially important when supplier information affects purchasing and payment processes. Unverified changes to sensitive information can create operational and financial risks.
3. Define supplier performance standards
A company should communicate what it expects from its suppliers.
Depending on the arrangement, these expectations may cover delivery schedules, quality specifications, packaging, documentation, communication, and issue resolution.
Use consistent measures when comparing suppliers within the same category. A supplier providing a critical production component may need different performance criteria from a vendor providing occasional services.
4. Review recurring supplier problems
A single delayed delivery may not indicate a serious problem. Repeated delays, however, may suggest that the supplier’s capacity, communication, or planning does not match the business’s requirements.
Review patterns instead of treating every incident separately.
Document the issue, discuss the cause with the supplier when appropriate, agree on corrective actions, and monitor whether the problem improves.
5. Connect purchasing decisions with actual inventory needs
Purchasing teams should have access to reliable information about stock availability, incoming orders, and outstanding requirements.
When inventory and purchasing are disconnected, employees may order items that are already on the way or overlook products that need replenishment.
A connected system can help teams make purchasing decisions using more complete information, subject to the accuracy of the records and the capabilities of the implementation.
6. Maintain clear purchasing and approval controls
Establish who can submit requests, approve purchases, select suppliers, issue purchase orders, receive goods, and authorize payments.
The appropriate approval levels may depend on transaction value, product category, budget, or business risk.
Clear controls reduce ambiguity and help the company understand how purchasing decisions were made. They also make it easier to investigate unusual transactions or resolve disputes.
7. Review supplier performance regularly
Supplier reviews should follow a schedule appropriate to the supplier’s importance and risk.
For critical suppliers, the company may need more frequent reviews, documented performance measures, and contingency plans. For lower-risk suppliers, a lighter process may be sufficient.
Use the review to discuss delivery reliability, quality, cost, communication, recurring issues, and opportunities to improve the working relationship.
What Most Philippine Businesses Overlook About Supplier Management
Supplier management is often treated as a procurement task. In practice, it affects several departments, and its value depends on how well supplier information connects with the rest of the business.
Supplier performance affects inventory accuracy
Inventory discrepancies are not always caused by warehouse counting errors. They can also result from incorrect deliveries, partial shipments, unrecorded returns, or differences between ordered and received quantities.
If supplier delivery records are disconnected from inventory transactions, it may take longer to identify the source of the problem.
A more connected process makes it easier to compare the purchase order, delivery, receiving record, and resulting stock balance.
The cheapest supplier may not deliver the lowest overall cost
Unit price is an important consideration, but it does not tell the whole story.
A supplier with a lower quoted price may generate additional costs through late deliveries, defective goods, emergency shipping, rework, or repeated administrative follow-ups.
Supplier evaluation should consider the factors that affect the business’s total cost and operational reliability, not just the purchase price.
Supplier information needs an owner
Centralizing supplier data does not automatically make it accurate.
If several employees can change supplier details without a clear process, the company may still end up with duplicate records, outdated contacts, or inconsistent terms.
Assigning ownership, defining update rules, and reviewing critical records help keep supplier information reliable.
Procurement data becomes more useful when connected to other systems
Centralizing supplier data does not automatically make it accurate.
If several employees can change supplier details without a clear process, the company may still end up with duplicate records, outdated contacts, or inconsistent terms.
Assigning ownership, defining update rules, and reviewing critical records help keep supplier information reliable.
How Decode Technologies Supports Supplier and Purchasing Management
For businesses whose supplier-related challenges are closely connected to purchasing, inventory, and operational coordination, Decode Technologies’ Empowered Enterprise Suite (EES) provides a broader ERP approach.
EES includes a Purchasing Management System that supports purchasing workflows such as purchase requests, purchase orders, goods receipts, goods returns, bills, and purchasing information. The broader suite also includes Inventory Management, Sales Management, and other business applications.
This can be relevant when a company wants to manage supplier transactions as part of a connected operational process rather than maintain supplier-related records entirely separately.
Organize purchasing requests and orders
A structured purchasing workflow helps employees document what the business needs, review the request, and create the corresponding purchase order.
This provides a clearer transaction history and makes it easier for authorized personnel to review outstanding purchasing activities.
Coordinate suppliers with receiving and inventory
Purchasing decisions affect incoming stock, while receiving records show what the supplier actually delivered.
Connecting purchasing and inventory workflows helps businesses maintain a more consistent view of ordered goods and received quantities. It can also make delivery discrepancies easier to investigate when the relevant records are maintained properly.
Improve visibility into purchasing activity
Structured purchasing records can help management review orders, purchasing information, and related activity more consistently than scattered files.
The actual reporting available depends on the configured system and its supported capabilities. Businesses should request a demonstration using their own purchasing scenarios before making a decision.
Build a connected business process
The broader EES platform includes inventory, purchasing, sales, and production applications, among other modules. This gives businesses an option to evaluate how supplier-related purchasing activities may fit into their wider operational workflows.
For organizations that need dedicated supplier onboarding portals, advanced risk scoring, complex contract lifecycle management, or specialized supplier scorecards, the available capabilities should be verified carefully. A purchasing module should not automatically be assumed to provide every advanced supplier relationship management feature.
To learn more, explore Decode Technologies’ ERP Purchasing System in the Philippines and the Empowered Enterprise Suite.
You can also review Decode’s guide to an ERP system in the Philippines to understand how purchasing connects with inventory and other business functions.
The goal is to select a solution that matches the company’s actual requirements. For some businesses, an integrated ERP purchasing system may be the right starting point. Others may need a dedicated supplier management platform alongside their existing ERP.
How to Choose the Right Supplier Management Software
Once the business understands its supplier management requirements, it can compare available systems more effectively.
Step 1: Identify your current supplier management problems
Start by documenting the issues employees encounter today.
Are supplier details difficult to find? Are purchase orders frequently delayed? Do employees struggle to identify overdue deliveries? Are supplier documents expiring without notice? Is management unable to compare supplier performance consistently?
Prioritize the problems that have the greatest effect on cost, continuity, quality, or administrative workload.
Step 2: Determine the features you actually need
Separate essential requirements from optional features.
A business with a small supplier base may prioritize centralized records, purchase order tracking, and receiving. A manufacturer with critical materials may need more advanced quality, risk, and performance monitoring. A large organization may require supplier portals, contract management, audit trails, and multiple approval levels.
Avoid paying for complex features that the business is not prepared to use, but do not overlook requirements that could become important as the company grows.
Step 3: Decide between standalone software and an ERP module
If supplier qualification, contract renewals, risk reviews, and detailed performance scorecards are the main priorities, a dedicated supplier lifecycle management platform may be worth considering.
If the main challenge is coordinating supplier orders with purchasing, receiving, inventory, and finance, an ERP purchasing module may provide a more direct solution.
Some organizations may need both. In that case, confirm how supplier records will be synchronized and which system will serve as the authoritative source for each type of information.
Step 4: Test realistic workflows
Ask vendors to demonstrate scenarios relevant to your operation.
For example, test how the system handles a new supplier, a purchase request, an approved purchase order, a partial delivery, a supplier return, and a recurring delivery problem.
Observe how information is recorded, which approvals are required, what reports can be generated, and which steps still require manual work.
Step 6: Evaluate total cost and implementation support
Consider software fees, implementation, data migration, training, integration, support, and future expansion.
Ask the provider to define the implementation scope, project responsibilities, support arrangements, and any features that require additional configuration or development.
A well-supported implementation is often more valuable than a system with an impressive feature list but an unclear deployment plan.
Better Supplier Management Starts With Better Visibility
Supplier management software helps businesses organize supplier information, coordinate purchasing, monitor performance, and improve the consistency of supplier-related decisions. Its value becomes clearer when supplier records connect with the purchasing and inventory workflows that depend on them.
For Philippine businesses, the right solution should reflect the company’s supplier base, industry, operational complexity, risk requirements, and existing systems. A standalone supplier management platform may be appropriate for organizations that need advanced supplier lifecycle capabilities, while an ERP purchasing system may better address businesses whose main challenge is connecting supplier transactions with inventory and other operations.
Before choosing a solution, identify the problems you need to solve, define the required features, test real workflows, and verify integration, security, implementation, and support arrangements.
For businesses looking to connect purchasing with inventory and other operational functions, Decode Technologies’ Empowered Enterprise Suite offers a purchasing module within a broader ERP environment.
Ready to improve supplier coordination and purchasing visibility? Explore Decode Technologies’ ERP Purchasing System to learn how a more structured purchasing process can support your business operations.
Important note: Supplier management software capabilities vary by provider, edition, and configuration. Confirm specific features, integrations, security controls, and compliance requirements directly with the vendor and your relevant professional advisers before implementation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is supplier management software?
Supplier management software is a digital system that helps businesses organize supplier information and manage supplier-related workflows. Depending on the product, it may support onboarding, document management, purchasing coordination, supplier performance reviews, risk assessment, and reporting. Some tools specialize in supplier lifecycle management, while others provide supplier-related functions within an ERP purchasing system. The right option depends on the company's supplier management needs and operational complexity.
What are the main benefits of supplier management software?
Supplier management software can help centralize supplier records, standardize approvals, improve visibility into purchasing activity, and make supplier performance easier to evaluate. When integrated with purchasing and inventory, it can also help employees coordinate orders and deliveries more consistently. The benefits depend on the system's capabilities, the accuracy of the data, and whether employees follow the defined workflows. Software should support a well-designed supplier management process rather than replace it.
Is supplier management software the same as procurement software?
Not exactly. Supplier management focuses on supplier records, onboarding, relationships, performance, and risk, while procurement software focuses more broadly on sourcing, purchasing requests, approvals, purchase orders, and related transactions. The two areas overlap, and some platforms provide both capabilities. Businesses should compare the actual features rather than rely only on how a vendor categorizes its product.
Can supplier management software integrate with an ERP system?
Many supplier management solutions can integrate with ERP or procurement systems, but the available integrations vary by provider. Integration may allow supplier records, purchase orders, receiving information, or other relevant data to move between applications. Businesses should verify which fields synchronize, how updates are handled, and whether additional development is required. If the company already has an ERP system, integration requirements should be part of the selection process from the beginning.
What features should Philippine businesses look for in supplier management software?
Start with centralized supplier records, onboarding and approval workflows, purchase order tracking, receiving records, document management, and supplier performance reporting. Depending on the business, additional requirements may include risk assessment, contract renewal reminders, supplier portals, access controls, and ERP integration. Companies should also review data security, record retention, and applicable accounting or tax recordkeeping requirements. The best feature set is the one that addresses the organization's actual workflows without unnecessary complexity.
How does supplier management software help reduce purchasing problems?
A structured system can make it easier to track orders, identify overdue deliveries, compare ordered and received quantities, and document supplier issues. This helps employees follow up on discrepancies and gives management better information for future supplier decisions. Integration with inventory can also improve visibility into incoming stock and outstanding requirements. However, results depend on accurate records, appropriate approval controls, and consistent use of the system.
Can an ERP purchasing system replace dedicated supplier management software?
It depends on the organization's requirements. An ERP purchasing system may be sufficient when the main needs are supplier-related purchasing records, purchase requests, purchase orders, goods receipts, returns, and coordination with inventory. A dedicated supplier management platform may be necessary for more advanced onboarding, risk assessment, contract management, or supplier performance scorecards. Businesses should compare the actual capabilities of both options and determine whether a single system or an integrated combination offers the best fit.