The Virtual Procurement Department
Posted on 14th February 2018 at 13:53
The Virtual Procurement Department
Sheryl Sandberg (COO Facebook) writes in her book Lean In about how “the traditional practice of judging employees by face time rather than results unfortunately persists”. She talks about how focus should be shifted away from having that bottom on a seat to helping employees to achieve their goals and, as a result, making companies more efficient and competitive.
This thought process can also be applied to working with a company that offers a service on a virtual basis. There are businesses that do this already for administration and call answering services.
Outsourcing the procurement function provides the same opportunities for businesses. Identification of a company’s core capabilities allows a business leader to work out how it gains its position in the market and maintains its competitive advantage. A small business, as it develops, needs to have the right people in place to drive its growth. In the early stages, procurement is usually carried out by one of the directors who may not have procurement expertise or knowledge of procurement principles. There may not be enough cash to fund a buyer that has the appropriate experience or qualifications to help drive the business’s procurement strategy in the right direction to support the strategic development of the business. This can be where dealing with a Virtual Procurement Company can provide advantages.
By outsourcing the procurement function, a developing business can obtain a more qualified candidate for a role that they otherwise would not be able to afford. Getting ‘more bang for your buck’ means that a business who may only be able to afford a junior member of staff could be able to obtain the services of a qualified buyer on a part time virtual basis. Technology now does not limit an employee to be physically in the office.
Pro-Outsourcing does just that – we use VPN lines, agreed Procurement Processes and Delegation of Authority to manage your purchasing. Our CIPS qualified staff apply their knowledge to manage spend and ask questions that a more junior buyer may not know to ask. Having worked in a number of different industries, we are able to use that experience to manage your suppliers as if we were one of your employees.
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