How NEC Laboratories America Modernized R&D Procurement with Eyvo
Client: NEC Laboratories America (NECLA)
Industry: High-Tech Research & Development
Solution: Eyvo eBuyerAssist (P2P Suite)
NEC Laboratories America is the US Research arm of NEC Corporation. With world-class scientists in Princeton and San Jose, they lead the industry in machine learning, data science, system security, media analytics, optical networking, and sensing. In a high-speed research environment, procurement must move at the "speed of thought" to ensure researchers have the tools they need without administrative friction.
Before partnering with Eyvo, the purchasing team at NECLA struggled with a system that was increasingly out of step with their sophisticated needs.
Reporting Gaps: The previous solution lacked the robust, granular reporting features required to track research spend across complex project codes.
User Friction: A "less user-friendly" interface created a barrier to entry for the busy operations team, leading to inefficiencies and a higher administrative burden on the purchasing department.
Visibility Barriers: Without intuitive dashboards, gaining a clear picture of the procurement lifecycle was a manual, time-consuming task.
NECLA transitioned to Eyvo eBuyerAssist to create a more agile, transparent, and user-centric procurement environment. By focusing on a platform that the team actually want to use, they turned a back-office hurdle into a streamlined workflow
Advanced Reporting: Eyvo provided the deep-dive analytics NECLA needed to report on departmental spending and project-based budgets accurately.
Intuitive Interface: By prioritizing a "user-friendly" experience, the system reduced the learning curve for staff and accelerated the adoption rate across the organization.
Reliability: In a lab environment where downtime can delay research projects, the "Excellent" reliability of the Eyvo platform became a cornerstone of their operations.
While many eProcurement platforms force a company to change its culture to fit the software, NEC Laboratories America partnered with Eyvo to do the opposite. To achieve 10/10 user satisfaction, the system had to "wrap tightly" around the unique complexities of NECLA’s research environment.
NECLA’s procurement team worked closely with Eyvo to ensure the platform spoke the "language of science." By customizing specific fields, approval hierarchies, and reporting parameters, they eliminated the friction often found in generic ERP modules.
Precision Tooling: The platform was refined to handle the specialized categorization of high-performance computing assets and lab-specific consumables.
User-Centric Architecture: By stripping away unnecessary "bloat" and focusing on the features their researchers actually needed, NECLA achieved a "Reliable and User-Friendly" status that is rare in enterprise software.
Total Business Integration: Rather than a standalone tool, Eyvo acts as a tailored extension of NECLA’s operational arm, ensuring that 100% of the user base—from PhDs to Purchasing Supervisors—has a seamless, intuitive experience.
The "Tight Wrap" approach meant that by the time the system was fully deployed, it didn't feel like a new burden—it felt like the missing piece of their operational puzzle. This level of customization is precisely why NECLA’s procurement leadership considers the platform "Excellent" and is "Extremely Likely" to recommend it to their peers in the technology sector.
The shift to Eyvo has redefined the purchasing function at NECLA from a manual oversight role to a strategic, data-driven department.
Seamless User Adoption: The transition to a "user-friendly" system has minimized friction for the team placing orders, keeping the focus on innovation.
"Excellent" Performance: The purchasing team characterizes the platform’s performance and the resulting workflow as a significant upgrade over their previous tools.
10/10 Recommendation: Based on the platform’s reliability and the quality of the partnership, NECLA’s procurement leadership is Extremely Likely to recommend Eyvo to other high-tech organizations.
“....... fabulous support staff – they are a great asset!”
Reliable, user-friendly, and excellent."
Key quotes and takeaways from the NEC Laboratories America Purchasing TeamOverall Experience Rating: ★★★★★ (10/10)
