Daily struggles in finance & procurement (part 1) - What if you lose oversight and control of your procurement?
Recognisable? You are not alone. Gaining control and overview in the purchasing process remains a daily challenge for many organisations. In (part 1 of) this blog, we delve deeper into the 3 biggest frustrations and how to finally put an end to them.
Struggle 1: the lost purchase request
"Where is that order request from last week? The one from the ICT team? Or was it facilities?"
This calls for a standardized request process. Requests are still made via email or even verbally. The consequence? As soon as the colleague who forwarded it is no longer available, no one knows what needs to be ordered – let alone why or from whom.
What happens then?
- Orders remain pending or are received twice.
- Departments become frustrated because ‘nothing happens’.
- Finance receives invoices without any formal request being made.
How can this be improved? A central system for requests with clear authorizations and visibility of ongoing requests. So that you as an organization know what is happening – and who is responsible for what.
Struggle 2: Everyone's own way of working
"That's how we always do it."
"We have a little Excel sheet."
"We simply send an email to procurement."
Without central agreements, fragmentation occurs. Each department has its own tricks, systems, or work procedures. And that might seem convenient, but it makes the process opaque and prone to errors.
What do you notice about this?
- Finance and procurement are constantly checking and correcting redundantly.
- New employees have to learn again how ‘things work here’ per department.
- Suppliers receive mixed messages and lose track.
How do you solve this? Ensure a single uniform method with a central application. This way, everyone works in the same way – with enough flexibility to offer customised solutions per department, but without chaos.
Struggle 3: Budget? No idea!
“What did the team office management spend last month?” “Eh… we need to find out.”
Why does it only become clear at the end of the month (or later) how much has been spent? Often by opening spreadsheets, reading emails, or exporting reports from different systems. You never gain real control this way.
What are the consequences?
- You fall behind the facts.
- Budget holders cannot make adjustments because they simply do not know what is happening.
- Finance spends more time explaining than forecasting.
How can you work more efficiently? Dashboards, budget controls, and automatic reports per department. With these, you can see at a glance where you stand, what is pending, and where you need to adjust. So that financial oversight truly delivers results again.
How to gain control of your procurement process?
Do you recognize these struggles? Then you know how frustrating it can be when you lack control over your processes. With a central system, real-time insights, and standardised procedures, you not only gain clarity but also peace of mind and confidence within your organisation.
Want to learn more about how we help organisations with oversight and control? Let's have a chat about it.
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