There are six main types of e-procurement:

• Web-based ERP (Electronic Resource Planning): Creating and approving purchasing requisitions, placing purchase orders and receiving goods and services by using a software system based on Internet technology
• e-MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operating): The same as web-based ERP except that the goods and services ordered are non-product related MRO supplies
• e-sourcing: Identifying new suppliers for a specific category of purchasing requirements using Internet technology
• e-tendering: Sending requests for information and prices to suppliers and receiving the responses of suppliers using Internet technology
• e-reverse auctioning: Using Internet technology to buy goods and services from a number of known or unknown suppliers
• e-informing: Gathering and distributing purchasing information both from and to internal and external parties using Internet technology

The e-procurement value chain consists of Indent Management, eTendering, eAuctioning, Vendor Management, Catalogue Management, and Contract Management. Indent Management is the workflow involved in the preparation of tenders. This part of the value chain is optional, with individual procuring departments defining their indenting process. In works procurement, administrative approval and technical sanction are obtained in electronic format. In goods procurement, indent generation activity is done online. The end result of the stage is taken as inputs for issuing the NIT.

Elements of e-procurement include Request For Information, Request For Proposal, Request for Quotation, RFx (the previous three together), and eRFx (software for managing RFx projects).