Why Involving Non-Procurement Employees in Purchasing Can Benefit Your Organization

Most medium- and large-sized businesses already have dedicated procurement departments responsible for everything from paperwork to spare parts for production maintenance. So why should other employees be involved in the purchasing process?

Let’s explore the benefits, potential risks, and how to mitigate them.

Why Non-Procurement Employees Should Participate

Allowing non-procurement staff to be directly involved in the purchasing process offers several advantages:

1. Improve procurement efficiency
Procurement teams are often inundated with questions from other departments about order status, delivery dates, and change requests. Involving non-procurement employees can reduce time spent on repetitive, low-value tasks. Even when orders require procurement approval, direct involvement speeds up processing and minimizes repeated follow-ups or redundant data entry.

2. Smarter purchasing decisions
Employees who actually use the products or services know better which models or brands are durable and suitable. This reduces mistakes and prevents costly rework.

3. Reduce miscommunication and errors
Errors often occur when purchase information passes through multiple departments before reaching suppliers. Allowing end-users to place orders directly improves accuracy and ensures they receive exactly what they need.

4. Better supplier relationships
Direct involvement enables non-procurement staff to communicate with suppliers firsthand, giving clearer feedback on product performance and potential improvements.

Potential Risks of Direct Purchasing

Despite the benefits, there are concerns:

1. Risk of uncontrolled spending
More participants can lead to policy violations, budget overspending, and inconsistent purchasing practices.

2. Distraction from core responsibilities
Non-procurement staff may spend too much time on purchasing activities instead of their primary roles.

Fortunately, these risks can be mitigated with the right tools.

Solving the Problem with a Procurement Portal

A modern procurement portal can deliver benefits while minimizing risks by integrating supplier functions with internal purchasing software to ensure smooth, controlled processes.

Control purchasing
Electronic procurement portals allow centralized, efficient purchasing with workflows aligned to company policies. Features include:

– Access only to approved suppliers

– Purchase limits and pre-defined terms

– Role-based access for employees, departments, and locations

– Approval workflows for all or specific purchases (e.g., over-budget orders)

– Suppliers see only approved orders

– Notifications for overspending sent to procurement and finance

User-friendly, intuitive environment
Modern portals are designed to be easy to use, requiring minimal effort, time, or training.

Final Thoughts

Allowing employees to participate directly in organizational purchasing can enhance procurement and supply chain efficiency. Procurement portals are an effective tool to enforce company policies, streamline workflows, and provide clear visibility into departmental needs, reducing duplicated work.

This does not replace the procurement department. Rather, it enables procurement teams to organize and control processes while freeing up time for strategic sourcing and higher-value tasks, avoiding technical bottlenecks and redundant order management.