Yes, its really free!  There are no membership fees, way we keep the lights on are by way of administrative fees that are paid to us by the suppliers. 

As Beanstalk members continue to use our contracts – that are being constantly managed by Beanstalk – value increases for both our members and suppliers. 

More member spend means more spend flowing through our agreements, which allows us to negotiate even deeper discounts and continue to improve terms and conditions with suppliers.  And as these supplier relationships mature, Beanstalk can further mitigate risk by engaging multiple people at various levels throughout supplier organizations. 

While it’s true that this level of engagement saves all Beanstalk members money, time and resources, we go beyond those impressive benefits to produce sustainable value.  This is because even as savings diminish over time, we will be constantly looking for new ways to enhance agreements and supplier performance.  

Suppliers who engage at this deeper level will also see sustainable value.  The large, diverse portfolio of members they get access to, the long-term relationships they build, the collaborative engagement they see and the in-depth industry knowledge they receive will continue to pay dividends. 

Suppliers partner with us because as we continue to grow, so do our suppliers.  As the number of members joining Beanstalk increases, we give our suppliers the opportunity to earn more business.  We extend our suppliers’ sales operations and provide a collaborative environment that they rely on. 

Our portfolio does include these types of products, but we also do cover many more core spend categories as well, including direct and indirect materials, value-added services like Transportation, IT & Telecom, Payment Processing, and many more.  Our portfolio of solutions continuously evolves to ensure an array of non-standard categories are always available to our members. 

Once you join us we will become an extension of your procurement team, not a substitution.  Strategic Sourcing is still done in-house by your company or organization and Beanstalk does not in any way assume the role of the purchasing department.  We serve as an additional resource for sourcing teams to increase productivity and efficiency.  By joining Beanstalk, your company’s procurement function actually expands its scope of control, as well as enhances its strategic relevance to the organization.  

Great Question!  In the engagement process, new members determine which pre-negotiated agreements they want to participate in.  There’s no requirement or obligations for a member to partake in any given agreement.  Our suppliers are all treated in an “a la carte” manner. This means you can choose to use just one or two programs, that fit your specific needs, or you can choose to use as many supplier programs as you can. It is entirely up to each member’s preferences. However, we are a resource that creates value for its members in many ways beyond just cost savings. 

Beanstalk Members always have complete autonomy to purchase from any supplier they choose.  There’s no obligation and no minimum purchasing requirements.  Members have the choice to opt in or opt out of each pre-negotiated supplier offering.  This motivates suppliers to create attractive programs to provide additional value.  Members can leverage category offerings and other resources based on their unique needs where they find the most value can be driven. 

Our agreements are:

• Vetted by similar organizations for a common goal.
• Act as an extension of the organization to manage categories in the best interest of their members.
• Allow for configuration to support unique requirements.
• Have terms and condition to stay within market pricing throughout the duration of the agreement.

We serve businesses and organizations of all sizes.  Remember, we’re all in this together. 

Beanstalk members save on average 26% through our purchasing power.