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With the Internet, the purchase function now has many services at its disposal with which to manage effectively and at lower cost the management of the global supply chain. Today, in addition to the establishment of exchange relations, a marketplace provides spaces of negotiation where companies can conduct their strategic and non-strategic sourcing via electronic reverse auctions. We first deal in detail with the phenomenon of electronic reverse auctions organized within marketplaces as a new tool in the service of the supply chain. Second, we examine the assets that can transform the supply chain environment.