Supplier management software built for European SMBs
Every supplier, contract, certificate, evaluation and purchase order in one system — with the checks European companies actually need built in: EU VAT validation via VIES, EU sanctions screening and EU data hosting. Live in minutes, from €29/month, unlimited users.
In short: NexSource is a supplier management system for European companies with 20–250 employees. It combines supplier master data, certificate expiry tracking, contracts, documents, supplier evaluation, purchase orders with an approval workflow and a supplier portal — plus EU VAT (VIES) and EU/UN/OFAC sanctions screening — with no implementation project.
Why "built for Europe" matters
Most supplier management tools are built for the US market and treat European requirements as add-ons. For a company buying from suppliers across the EU, three things are part of everyday onboarding, not extras:
| European requirement | Typical US-built tool | NexSource |
|---|---|---|
| EU VAT ID validation (VIES) | add-on or manual | built into supplier discovery |
| EU sanctions list screening | often OFAC-only | EU, UN and OFAC |
| EU data residency, GDPR | varies, often US hosting | EU-hosted |
| Pricing | per seat, often USD | EUR, unlimited users |
Supplier information management (SIM)
Supplier information management is the part of supplier management that keeps supplier data complete, current and trustworthy: legal entity and VAT ID, contacts, bank details, certificates and their expiry dates, contracts, and the results of every check. NexSource covers SIM end to end — and the supplier portal lets suppliers maintain their own data, with every change subject to your approval, which is the only way supplier information stays current over time.
Why spreadsheets stop working
Almost every mid-sized company starts with a spreadsheet, and that works — right up to the point where more than one person uses it. After that the failures are remarkably predictable:
- Nobody knows the current state. There is a "suppliers_final_v3_QA.xlsx" and three variants of it in different inboxes.
- Certificates expire unnoticed. An ISO or IFS certificate valid until March surfaces during the June audit — too late to request a renewal.
- Orders go out without documented approval. Who signed off on the €14,000 order? The answer is in an email thread nobody can find.
- Knowledge is tied to people. When the buyer leaves, part of the supplier relationship leaves with them.
- Evidence is missing at audit. Customer audits and certifications require proof of supplier checks. A spreadsheet has no history of who checked what, and when.
A procurement team spending 6 hours a month chasing and reconciling supplier paperwork burns roughly €3,240 a year at €45 fully loaded cost per hour — before a single expired certificate or mis-ordered delivery is counted.
What the software has to cover
| Capability | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Central supplier record | One record per supplier: addresses, contacts, VAT ID, payment terms, status — searchable instead of scattered. |
| Certificate & deadline tracking | Automatic alerts before expiry (90/60/30 days) is the single most valuable feature — it prevents audit findings. |
| Contract & document storage | Framework agreements, quality assurance agreements and price lists per supplier, not on a shared drive. |
| Supplier evaluation | Objective, repeatable criteria instead of gut feel — the basis for supplier development or de-listing. |
| Purchase orders with approval | Internal sign-off before anything is sent, plus a complete status history through to payment. |
| Supplier portal | Suppliers maintain their own data. It is the only way master data stays current over time. |
The NexSource modules
Supplier master data
One central database for contacts, addresses, VAT IDs, payment terms and status — searchable and filterable in seconds, with roles (owner, manager, member) controlling who can do what.
Certificates and contracts with expiry tracking
Store ISO 9001, IFS Food, BRC, organic certificates or quality assurance agreements with validity windows. NexSource warns you 90, 60 and 30 days before expiry — early enough to chase the supplier.
AI supplier discovery with automated vetting
Describe what you need in one sentence. NexSource searches the web, proposes matching suppliers and vets each one: VAT ID validation through the EU VIES system, screening against EU, OFAC and UN sanctions lists, plus other trust signals — condensed into a trust score from 0–100.
Supplier evaluation
Rate communication, reliability, flexibility, cooperation and problem-solving with an overall score per supplier. See supplier evaluation for criteria and a free calculator.
Purchase orders and approvals
Orders get sequential numbers per organisation (ORD-2026-0042), pass through internal approval and are tracked to payment with a full status history. See procurement software for SMBs.
Supplier portal
Suppliers update master data and confirm orders through a secure link — no account required. Every change reaches you as an approval request. See supplier portal.
How to choose
- Pricing model. Per-seat pricing scales against you the moment quality, finance and management need access. Seat-independent pricing is almost always cheaper for SMBs.
- Time to value. Can you start on your own? If the answer is "kickoff workshop", plan for months.
- Data residency. EU hosting and a data processing agreement are non-negotiable for GDPR compliance.
- Supplier side. Can suppliers contribute, or does your team retype everything? Without a portal, master data decays within a year.
- Auditability. Is there an immutable history of who checked or approved what, and when?
- Exit. Can you export your data and cancel monthly?
What supplier management software costs
| Plan | Price | Suppliers | Users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | €29/month | up to 25 | unlimited |
| Pro | €89/month | up to 150 | unlimited |
| Scale | €199/month | unlimited | unlimited |
All prices excl. VAT. 14-day free trial, no credit card required, cancel anytime. See full pricing.
Frequently asked questions
What is supplier management software?
Supplier management software (also called SRM software) centralises everything about your suppliers: master data, contacts, contracts, certificates, evaluations, documents and purchase orders. Instead of spreadsheets, inboxes and shared folders, procurement, quality and management work from one current data set.
When is it worth it for a small company?
From roughly 20 active suppliers, or from the moment more than one person maintains supplier data. That is when the hidden cost of spreadsheets appears: duplicate records, expired certificates, orders without documented approval and knowledge locked in one person’s head.
How long does implementation take?
Minutes, not months. Sign up, create your organisation, invite your team and add suppliers manually or through AI supplier discovery. There is no implementation project, no consultants and no server to install.
Do you charge per user?
No. Plans are limited by the number of suppliers you manage, not by seats. Every plan includes unlimited users with roles — which is what makes it realistic to involve quality, finance and management.
Where is our data hosted?
NexSource runs on EU infrastructure including object storage for files, and is GDPR-compliant. All connections are encrypted in transit.
Bring order to your procurement.
Find, vet, manage and order from suppliers — in one platform. 14 days free, live in minutes.