Procurement Process 

Introduction

The procurement process is a critical component of most businesses, yet it can often be complex and difficult to understand. A basic overview of the procurement process is provided in this guide, along with tips on how to streamline it.

When it comes to procurement, there are a few key points to remember. It is imperative to get the best value for your money when it comes to procurement. You must therefore conduct careful research to ensure you are purchasing a high-quality, reasonably priced product or service.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that procurement is a complex process, with many different steps and players involved. This can make it difficult to understand and manage, but there are a few key things that you can do to streamline the process.

This blog post will provide an overview of the procurement process and explain some of the key steps involved. 

What is Procurement?

Procurement is the act of acquiring goods or services. This can include everything from purchasing raw materials to hiring contractors. Procurement is most commonly associated with business-to-business transactions. Still, it can also be used in business-to-consumer transactions because companies must acquire materials and services to produce products or provide services. 

Procurement usually involves many stages, from identifying the need for a good or service to negotiating contracts and finally making the purchase. Procurement can be time-consuming and complicated, which is why many businesses use procurement software to automate and streamline the process. There are different types of procurement like direct procurement, indirect procurement, goods procurement, and services procurement.

What Is the Procurement Process?

The procurement process incorporates the planning and handling of interest and the end receipt and approval of payment. Comprehensively, this can include purchase planning, standards, specifications determination, supplier research, selection, financing, price negotiation, and inventory control. The procurement process is beneficial because it provides the framework for how a business will go about obtaining the products and services it needs to operate. Procurement is also crucial because it helps companies to manage risk by ensuring they only buy from reputable vendors who can meet their quality and delivery requirements. 

Why Is Procurement Important?

Procurement is important because it helps businesses save money. By carefully planning procurement processes and comparing prices, businesses can get the best value for their money. This is especially important in industries where margins are tight and every penny counts.

In addition to saving money, procurement can also help businesses improve the quality of the goods and services they purchase. By working with reputable vendors and comparing prices, businesses can ensure that they are getting the best possible product for their needs.

procurement can also help businesses save time. By automating procurement processes and using procurement software, businesses can streamline the process and make it more efficient.

Types of Procurement

The 3 P’s of Procurement

Procurement is often called the “3 P’s”: People, Process, and Product. Procurement is about more than just finding the right product at the best price. 

People 

The people involved in procurement include buyers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Procurement is about more than just finding the right product at the best price. It’s also about managing relationships with vendors and understanding procurement processes. 

Process 

The procurement process includes all the steps to find, select, and purchase products or services after the purchase requisition is approved. Businesses should have well-defined procurement processes to ensure they are getting the best possible value for their money. 

Product

The product procured can be either a good or service. When procuring products, businesses carefully consider the quality and price of the product.

Steps in the Procurement Process

A company’s procurement process refers to the steps taken to purchase goods and services. The procurement cycle can be divided into seven main stages:

Identify which goods and services the company needs

Businesses must identify their requirements before they can start the procurement process. This involves assessing the company’s needs and determining what goods or services would help it meet its goals. This step typically involves delving into the company’s business details and what the business needs, such as the specific products or services, the quantities needed, the quality required, and the timeframe for delivery.

Submit purchase request

After identifying its needs, the company can submit a purchase request to the procurement teams. The procurement team will then start the process of sourcing the goods or services. A purchase request notifies the company that a need exists, usually via department managers, as well as specifications such as price, quality, and delivery date.

Read about strategic sourcing here.

Assess and select vendors

The procurement department will assess potential vendors to see if they meet the company’s requirements. Vendor assessments should focus not only on cost but also on reputation, speed, quality, and reliability. After selecting a few potential vendors, the procurement department will send requests for proposals (RFPs).

Receive and inspect the delivered goods

Upon receiving the goods or services from the vendor, the company will inspect them to ensure they meet the requirements outlined in the purchase order. Carefully examine deliveries against the purchase order to ensure that the right products were delivered, that they are of the required quality, and that they were delivered on time. If the company is satisfied with the goods or services, it will pay the vendor according to the terms of the agreement.

Conduct three-way matching

In a three-way match, the company compares the purchase order, the vendor invoice, and the receiving report to ensure they all match. It is essential to take this step to ensure that a company pays only for goods and services it has received and meets the requirements in the purchase order.

Approve the invoice and arrange payment

After conducting a three-way match, the company will approve the vendor invoice for payment. To maintain good relationships with vendors, businesses should strive for timely invoicing and payment. The company will then arrange for payment, which is typically done via check or electronic transfer.

Recordkeeping

The procurement process generates a lot of documentation, such as purchase requests, RFPs, vendor proposals, purchase orders, invoices, receiving reports, and three-way match reports. Businesses need to keep these documents organized and easily accessible so that they can be referenced as needed. Good recordkeeping practices will help companies to keep track of spending, monitor vendor performance, and avoid disputes.

Optimizing Procurement Process

There are various ways that a company can optimize its procurement process. Some of the key ways to maximize procurement include:

Evaluate current procurement processes and procedures

Evaluate the current procurement processes and procedures to identify areas where improvements can be made. This can be done through interviews with stakeholders, surveys, focus groups, or other methods.

Define procurement strategy and objectives

The next step is to define procurement strategy and objectives. These objectives and goals should be aligned with the overall business strategy.

Read more about strategic procurement here.

Streamline procurement processes

Another way to optimize procurement is to streamline procurement processes. The process can be improved by eliminating unnecessary steps, automating repetitive tasks, and using technology to shorten the time to complete those tasks.

Improve communication and collaboration

Improved communication and collaboration between suppliers and buyers can also help optimize procurement. A procurement portal or another collaborative tool can be used to accomplish this.

Negotiate better deals with suppliers

Negotiating better deals with suppliers is a fundamental element of optimizing procurement. So, This can be done by leveraging spend data, conducting auctions, or using other negotiation strategies.

Measure and track procurement KPIs

The final step in optimization is to measure and track procurement KPIs. This will help businesses assess the success of procurement optimization efforts and identify areas where further improvements can be made.

Procurement KPIs that should be tracked include:

• Cost savings
• Supplier performance
• On-time delivery
• Quality of products or services
• Compliance with procurement policies and procedures.

Automating Procurement Process With a Software

Procurement software is a program or set of applications that allow a company to automate and manage its procurement process. It typically includes modules for supplier management, contract management, spend analysis, e-procurement, and procurement analytics. 

Procurement software can help procurement departments to save time and money by automating procurement processes and providing visibility into spending. Six simple steps for automating your procurement processes:

1. Model Your Current Procurement Process

It is imperative to model your current procurement process before you begin automating it. This will help you identify the steps that need to be automated and the data that needs to be captured. Business leaders believe that looking at procurement holistically is critical to improving efficiencies company-wide. Avoid skipping this step or automating your procurement process without understanding its current structure.

2. Audit This Process

After you have modelled your procurement process, the next step is to audit this process. You will be able to identify any bottlenecks or inefficiencies in the procurement process. Audit the process is especially beneficial if you are looking to automate procurement with software. As soon as you have mapped out all procurement tasks, you can begin to see how they can be optimized or automated.

3. Identify Key Areas for Automation

After auditing the procurement process, the next step is identifying key automation areas. First, you need to digitize all procurement-related data. This includes supplier information, contract data, and purchase order data. Once all of this data has been digitized, you can begin to automate procurement processes such as sourcing, contract management, and spend analysis. 

Consider using procurement software that offers pre-built procurement automation templates. These templates are easy to use so that you can start immediately. 

4. Choose the Right Procurement Automation Software

To automate your procurement processes, you’ll need to choose procurement automation software that fits the needs of your business. When choosing procurement software, consider the following factors: 

• Simple and intuitive to use: The software must be simple to use.
• Scalable: Software should be scalable as your business grows.
• Features: The software should offer the parts you need to automate your procurement process.
• Integrations: The software should integrate with other business applications such as accounting, CRM, and ERP.
• Cost: The software should be affordable and offer a good return on investment (ROI).

Some of the features that procurement software typically includes are: 

• A central repository for all procurement-related data
• Purchase orders can be created and managed
• A supplier management module
• A contract management module. 

5. Build Procurement Automation Workflows

To build out your procurement process flow, it’s crucial to pick the software that’s right for your business. Procurement automation software typically offers a drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to build procurement workflows. 

When building procurement workflows, consider the following: 

• What data needs to be captured? 
• What approval do processes need to be in place? 
• What triggers need to be set? 
• What notifications need to be sent? 
• What actions need to be taken?

6. Measure and Improve

Based on speed, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, how will you be able to tell if your automated process is more efficient? The answer is simple: you need to measure and improve. Procurement automation software typically offers built-in analytics that can help you track procurement KPIs such as spend, cycle time, and compliance. 

Use these metrics to compare your automated process with your manual process. This will help you identify areas of improvement so you can continue to optimize your procurement process.

With procurement automation, businesses can save time and money by automating procurement processes and providing visibility into spending. Your procurement process can be easily automated by above mentioned six simple steps.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

What is the procurement process?

The procurement process is the process of acquiring goods or services. The effective procurement process includes sourcing, negotiation, contracting, and procurement management.

Why is the procurement process necessary?

The procurement process is necessary to ensure that businesses: 

• Get the best possible price for goods and services
• Get the right quality of goods and services
• Get the correct quantity of goods and services.

How can the procurement process help?

• The procurement process can help businesses: 
• Efficiently manage procurement processes
• Negotiate better deals with suppliers
• Improve communication and collaboration between buyers and suppliers
• Measure and track procurement KPIs.

How does procurement work?

Procurement works by identifying office supplies, sourcing suppliers, negotiating prices, and contracting with the supplier. 

What’s the difference between purchasing, procurement, and supply chain?

Purchasing, and procurement, are all terms used to describe acquiring goods or services. Alternatively, supply chain management (SCM) covers the entire journey of a product or service, from source to customer.

• Purchasing involves the act of acquiring products or services. 
• The procurement process is responsible for purchasing goods and services. The entire procurement process includes sourcing, negotiation, contracting, and procurement management. 
• Supply chains consist of a network of suppliers who provide a company with goods and services. The supply chain includes procurement, manufacturing, logistics, and distribution.