Feb 01, 2025 | 4 min read

Introducing Archlet eAuctions

Written by

The Archlet Team

eAuctions for modern sourcing teams

Archlet's eAuctions bring a powerful capability to procurement teams looking to drive savings and increase competitiveness across categories.

Developed in collaboration with eAuction expert Jacob Larsen, the tool seamlessly integrates into existing RFx workflows, providing intelligent recommendations that help users identify the most valuable opportunities and select the optimal auction types. Early customer adoption in 2025 demonstrated strong results, with successful auctions proving that ease of use leads to better outcomes.

Types of eAuctions in Archlet (and when to use each)

Archlet supports English, Dutch, and Japanese auctions, allowing teams to match the auction format to category strategy, market dynamics, and negotiation objectives.

English auction (competitive bidding)

Best when you want to create strong competitive tension and suppliers can actively respond to live market feedback. English auctions work well when multiple qualified suppliers participate and teams want to compress negotiation cycles into a single, real-time event.

Dutch auction (fast price discovery)

Best suited for time-sensitive sourcing scenarios where speed is critical. Dutch auctions help quickly identify suppliers’ willingness to supply and move efficiently toward clear award decisions, making them effective for tactical or urgent buys.

Japanese auction (structured, stepwise bidding)

Best when a controlled pace and disciplined bidding behavior are important. Japanese auctions guide suppliers through predefined price steps, helping teams maintain structure and predictability while still benefiting from competition.

Each auction format supports different sourcing strategies, and choosing the right auction type for a sourcing event often comes down to understanding how English, Dutch, and Japanese auctions differ in practice.

When should you use eAuctions?

eAuctions are most effective when competition and transparency can meaningfully improve outcomes. They work particularly well in situations where:

You want to increase competitive tension after suppliers have been qualified through an RFx
Categories benefit from real-time price discovery and transparent market feedback
Negotiations would otherwise require multiple manual rounds to reach a competitive outcome
Teams need faster, more defensible award decisions with a clear audit trail

When used in the right context, eAuctions help procurement teams move from static comparisons to dynamic, market-driven decisions without adding complexity to the sourcing process - especially when common eAuction pitfalls are understood and avoided.

About Archlet

Archlet is an AI-powered, user-friendly SaaS platform for eSourcing, Bid Analytics, and advanced sourcing events such as eAuctions. At Archlet, we make it easy for Procurement teams to gather, store, and analyze their data. With Archlet, strategic sourcing managers can use automated bid optimization and analytics to quickly gain insights, boosting negotiation power and freeing up time for more strategic tasks. Global enterprises trust Archlet to eliminate inefficiencies in their sourcing process and make faster, better decisions.