Purchasing refers to the transactional activities involved in acquiring goods and services. It’s the day-to-day process of buying what your company needs, ensuring you get the right quantity, quality, at the right price, delivered at the right time, to the right location. This includes tasks like creating purchase orders, negotiating with vendors, receiving deliveries, and processing payments.

Purchasing a subscription might seem like a simple transaction, especially when it comes to self-serve SaaS. Procurement, on the other hand, is the broader strategic function that encompasses the entire lifecycle of acquiring and managing these cloud-based solutions. It starts with identifying a specific business need and then progresses through several key stages.

What are the key distinctions between purchasing and procurement?

While purchasing and procurement both contribute to the acquisition of goods and services, they approach the process from fundamentally different perspectives.

How does a SaaS Management Platform help with procurement and purchasing?

Businesses are increasingly turning to SaaS Management Platforms (SMPs) to streamline and optimize both their procurement and purchasing processes. These cloud-based solutions offer a range of functionalities that empower organizations to gain greater control over their spending and achieve strategic sourcing goals.