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ERP · head to head

GEP SMART vs Quartzy

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
Quartzy logo

Quartzy

Inventory

Lab inventory and ordering software funded by the supply marketplace attached to it

From
$50/month
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.; Quartzy the vendor earns margin on supplies bought through its own Shop, so the recommended purchasing path is not necessarily the cheapest one for a university that already holds negotiated supplier contracts.
  • They diverge on capability: GEP SMART covers Unified source-to-pay, Quartzy covers Inventory tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GEP SMART and Quartzy actually diverge.

Attributes where GEP SMART and Quartzy differ
AttributeGEP SMARTQuartzy
Starting priceOn request$50/month
Pricing modelquotePer month by user tier
CategoryERPInventory

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Quartzy

  • Inventory tracking
  • Request and approval
  • Quartzy Shop
  • Order tracking
  • Spend reporting
  • Barcode scanning
  • PunchOut
  • Vendor catalogues

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 Quartzy
  • A company outsourcing tactical sourcing while retaining strategic categories, using one platform across bothnot Quartzy
  • A multinational consolidating regional procurement systems onto one spend taxonomynot Quartzy
  • An organisation that needs savings tracked and reconciled against realised spend rather than claimed in a spreadsheetnot Quartzy

Quartzy

  • An academic lab of three postdocs replacing a shared freezer spreadsheet that nobody updates after a reagent runs outnot GEP SMART
  • A small biotech that wants requests approved by a lab manager before any money is committednot GEP SMART
  • A principal investigator tracking consumable spend against separate grant codes for reportingnot GEP SMART
  • A growing company standardising ordering across two lab sites so duplicate reagent purchases stopnot 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.

Quartzy

  • The vendor earns margin on supplies bought through its own Shop, so the recommended purchasing path is not necessarily the cheapest one for a university that already holds negotiated supplier contracts.
  • Seat limits are tight, at three users on Academia and five on Industry, and exceeding them pushes you into a quoted Enterprise contract rather than a predictable per seat increment.
  • It is not a LIMS: there is no sample workflow, instrument integration, electronic lab notebook or 21 CFR Part 11 audit trail, so a lab moving toward regulated work will need a second system.
  • Prices are billed annually, so the USD 250 Industry plan is a USD 3,000 upfront commitment for a five-person team, which is significant for an early-stage company.
  • Supplier catalogue coverage and pricing accuracy vary by region, and labs outside the United States frequently find their usual distributors missing or their contract pricing not reflected.

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

Quartzy

$50/month
  • Academia$50/month
    • Billed annually
    • Up to 3 users
    • Inventory tracking and request workflow
  • Industry$250/month
    • Billed annually
    • Up to 5 users
    • Everything in Academia
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • PunchOut integration with institutional procurement

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 Quartzy if

  • You need inventory tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want request and approval.
Quartzy review

Questions people ask

Is GEP SMART or Quartzy better?
Neither clearly leads. GEP SMART starts at On request and Quartzy at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GEP SMART or Quartzy?
GEP SMART starts at On request and Quartzy at $50/month.
Does GEP SMART or Quartzy run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Quartzy is typically brought in for.
What can GEP SMART do that Quartzy cannot?
GEP SMART covers Unified source-to-pay, Spend and category analytics, Savings tracking, Supplier risk management. Quartzy covers Inventory tracking, Request and approval, Quartzy Shop, Order tracking.

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.

Quartzy: How much does Quartzy cost?

USD 50 per month billed annually for up to three users on Academia, USD 250 per month for up to five users on Industry, and quoted pricing for unlimited users on Enterprise.

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.

Quartzy: Do I have to buy supplies through Quartzy?

No, you can record orders placed elsewhere. But the Shop is how Quartzy earns beyond the subscription, and supplier credits are tied to it.

GEP SMART: Who implements it?

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

Quartzy: Is Quartzy a LIMS?

No. It handles inventory and purchasing. It does not do sample workflow, instrument data or regulated electronic records.

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.

Quartzy: What happens when we exceed the user limit?

You move to Enterprise, which is quoted rather than listed, so budget for a step change rather than an extra seat charge.

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