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ERP · head to head

GEP SMART vs Periscope Holdings

GEP SMART logo

GEP SMART

ERP

Enterprise source-to-pay from a vendor that also sells the consulting and the outsourced procurement team

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Periscope Holdings logo

Periscope Holdings

Government

Statewide e-procurement systems and supplier networks for large public agencies

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GEP SMART gEP sells the software, the consulting and the outsourced procurement team, so the vendor measuring the savings is often the vendor delivering them, which makes independent verification difficult.; Periscope Holdings it is scaled and priced for statewide programmes, so a single city or county typically finds both the implementation effort and the cost out of proportion to its needs.
  • They diverge on capability: GEP SMART covers Unified source-to-pay, Periscope Holdings covers Sealed bid solicitation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GEP SMART and Periscope Holdings actually diverge.

Attributes where GEP SMART and Periscope Holdings differ
AttributeGEP SMARTPeriscope Holdings
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
CategoryERPGovernment

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in GEP SMART

  • Unified source-to-pay
  • Spend and category analytics
  • Savings tracking
  • Supplier risk management
  • GEP QUANTUM
  • Managed services attachment

Only in Periscope Holdings

  • Sealed bid solicitation
  • Supplier registration network
  • Contract catalogues
  • Cooperative purchasing
  • Spend and compliance reporting
  • Supplier diversity tracking

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

GEP SMART

  • An enterprise that needs category expertise as well as software and would otherwise run two procurement processesnot Periscope Holdings
  • A company outsourcing tactical sourcing while retaining strategic categories, using one platform across bothnot Periscope Holdings
  • A multinational consolidating regional procurement systems onto one spend taxonomynot Periscope Holdings
  • An organisation that needs savings tracked and reconciled against realised spend rather than claimed in a spreadsheetnot Periscope Holdings

Periscope Holdings

  • A state building a central procurement portal serving many agencies and local entitiesnot GEP SMART
  • A large agency needing statutory sealed bidding with a public opening recordnot GEP SMART
  • A purchasing programme that must report spend and supplier diversity across entitiesnot GEP SMART
  • A state wanting local governments to buy from its awarded cooperative contractsnot GEP SMART

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

GEP SMART

  • GEP sells the software, the consulting and the outsourced procurement team, so the vendor measuring the savings is often the vendor delivering them, which makes independent verification difficult.
  • Nothing is published and reported entry points around half a million US dollars a year exclude implementation, which GEP typically delivers itself rather than through a competing integrator.
  • Implementation being delivered by the vendor limits the pool of independent consultants who can advise you during the project or take over afterwards.
  • Combined software and services engagements are difficult to unwind, because replacing the platform also means rebuilding procurement capability the outsourcer was providing.
  • The platform is scoped for very large enterprises, so mid-market organisations face both a price and a complexity floor that no module selection brings down.

Periscope Holdings

  • It is scaled and priced for statewide programmes, so a single city or county typically finds both the implementation effort and the cost out of proportion to its needs.
  • The interface reflects the age and regulatory weight of the platform, and suppliers routinely describe registration and bidding as harder than on newer portals, which can suppress bid response.
  • Ownership has changed twice since 2021, from independent to mdf commerce to KKR, so roadmap and support continuity should be written into the contract rather than assumed.
  • Sibling products inside mdf commerce cover adjacent procurement ground, which means an apparently competitive shortlist may contain two products with the same owner.
  • Statewide implementations are multi year projects with heavy configuration and change management, and the professional services cost commonly exceeds the software over the contract term.

Pricing, plan by plan

GEP SMART

On request
  • GEP SMART$undefined/year
    • Scaled by managed spend volume, modules and user count
    • Third parties report deployments starting around 500,000 USD per year
    • Frequently bundled with GEP consulting or managed services

Periscope Holdings

On request
  • BuySpeed$undefined/year
    • Quoted per programme, scaled to entities served and transaction volume
    • Multi year statewide contracts with implementation priced separately
    • Supplier side registration fees form part of the commercial model on some programmes

Which should you pick?

Choose GEP SMART if

  • You need unified source-to-pay.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want spend and category analytics.
GEP SMART review

Choose Periscope Holdings if

  • You need sealed bid solicitation.
  • You also want supplier registration network.
Periscope Holdings review

Questions people ask

Is GEP SMART or Periscope Holdings better?
Neither clearly leads. GEP SMART starts at On request and Periscope Holdings at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GEP SMART or Periscope Holdings?
GEP SMART starts at On request and Periscope Holdings at On request.
Does GEP SMART or Periscope Holdings run on more platforms?
GEP SMART runs on Web, iOS, Android. Periscope Holdings runs on Web.
What is GEP SMART best used for?
GEP SMART is most often used for an enterprise that needs category expertise as well as software and would otherwise run two procurement processes, a company outsourcing tactical sourcing while retaining strategic categories, using one platform across both, a multinational consolidating regional procurement systems onto one spend taxonomy, an organisation that needs savings tracked and reconciled against realised spend rather than claimed in a spreadsheet. Of those, an enterprise that needs category expertise as well as software and would otherwise run two procurement processes and a company outsourcing tactical sourcing while retaining strategic categories, using one platform across both are not what Periscope Holdings is typically brought in for.
What can GEP SMART do that Periscope Holdings cannot?
GEP SMART covers Unified source-to-pay, Spend and category analytics, Savings tracking, Supplier risk management. Periscope Holdings covers Sealed bid solicitation, Supplier registration network, Contract catalogues, Cooperative purchasing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GEP SMART: Is GEP just a software company?

No. It sells procurement software, procurement consulting and outsourced procurement operations, and deals often combine all three.

Periscope Holdings: Who owns Periscope Holdings?

mdf commerce acquired it in 2021, and mdf commerce was itself acquired by KKR in 2024.

GEP SMART: What does GEP SMART cost?

Not published. Third parties report deployments from around 500,000 USD a year, scaled by managed spend, modules and users.

Periscope Holdings: Is it suitable for a single city?

Usually not. It is built and priced for statewide or very large agency programmes.

GEP SMART: Who implements it?

GEP typically does, which shortens the project but reduces independent advice during and after it.

Periscope Holdings: What is BuySpeed?

The e-procurement platform behind its statewide deployments, covering solicitation through catalogue ordering and reporting.

GEP SMART: How does it compare with Ivalua?

Both are single-platform enterprise source-to-pay. GEP adds consulting and managed services; Ivalua is software only and stronger on direct materials.

Periscope Holdings: Can we see what a state paid?

Yes. State procurement awards are public records and typically disclose the full multi year contract value.

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