LevaData: Vendor Analysis — Direct materials sourcing solution overview, competitors, tech selection tips, analyst summary

In this Spend Matters PRO Vendor Analysis we give an update of LevaData, a solution built to support the sourcing process for direct materials. LevaData is an Al-powered supply management platform that enables customers to improve the way they launch new products and manage existing ones by allowing them to optimize for cost and risk. It belongs to a new type of suite: the “alt” suite. More precisely, LevaData focuses on Design-for-Supply (DFS).

The past few years have put the word “supply chain” in the headlines as so-called supply chain disruptions and shortages have impacted everybody. The impact of Covid-19 on demand, the opening and closing of borders, factories and ports, the obstruction of the Suez canal and the war in Ukraine have created a nightmare scenario for supply chain and procurement professionals. Even now, supply chains are far from being back to “normal.” The root causes of these disruptions haven’t disappeared, and climate-related incidents are increasing and will continue to do so until we have our GHG emissions under control.

We still have much to learn. For example, the pain points revealed by the chip shortages in the automotive industry apply to more than just the electronics category. DFS is about taking into account the many parameters, constraints and trade-offs to ensure that a product will reach customers, be profitable and minimize negative impacts on the ecosystem. In other words, procurement technology that aims to support direct materials must be supply-centric and not just supplier-centric. That is what LevaData’s supply management platform is all about.

Here’s why LevaData matters:

• To the market — LevaData is an established and recognized player in a narrow market (direct materials sourcing enhanced by materials analytics) that is getting a lot of attention from potential customers owing to the current situation with supply chains and the need to develop better insights and alternatives at material level to balance cost and risk.
• To customers — LevaData enables customers to enhance their direct sourcing processes (NPI and negotiations) by enabling them to minimize money left on the table, mitigate supply risks and automate process steps.
• To potential buyers — LevaData is a valuable sourcing solution for companies looking for a tool that supports BoMs and material-level analytics while providing market insights, especially for categories like electronics, for better decision making during the NPI process and after production begins.

This Spend Matters PRO Vendor Analysis explains what differentiates this vendor, gives an overview of its capabilities and competitors, provides tech selection tips and closes with key analyst takeaways.