The procurement technology landscape is getting more exciting–and more confusing. In this series of guides, we take you through common areas of procurement being tackled by new solution providers.
Read on to learn about procurement orchestration: what it is, what problems it solves, and how it applies to common use cases.
What Is Procurement Orchestration
Procurement orchestration is the automated coordination of teams, systems, and processes to achieve well-defined procurement-related business outcomes.
Most procurement-related use cases require a criss-crossing of work and information exchange across different teams using different tools. A procurement orchestration platform understands how your particular use cases need to run from start to finish, according to your policies and rules. It then does the background work of triggering the right processes in the right systems, with a seamless flow of data and a user-forward experience.
Procurement orchestration provides a holistic approach to managing procurement activities. Key components include:
User experience
Provide a simple one-stop experience for end users to request suppliers, approve purchases, or review contracts—no matter the complexity behind the scenes.
Process orchestration
Use no-code tools to build your own workflows and coordinate any procurement process across any number of systems.
Data integration and analytics
Centralize data from various sources, enabling real-time data flow and visibility.
AI and machine learning
Detect the business user's intent, and deliver relevant, proactive insights that improve decision-making and reduce procurement risk.
A procurement orchestration platform understands how your particular use cases need to run from start to finish.
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The Current State of Procurement Orchestration
Enterprise procurement teams are struggling with the fallout from disconnected systems and a lack of cohesion between workflows. Common challenges with the status quo include:
Too many tools
Even with attempts to integrate the tools with each other, the reality is that disparate systems don't communicate effectively. Enterprise procurement teams spend hours rectifying data inconsistencies.
Too many manual tasks
Gaps in automation leave procurement teams with many repetitive, low-value activities to conduct manually, just to keep a process moving along–let alone to create reports and analytics.
Too many sources of truth
It's challenging to gain a comprehensive view of procurement activities and performance when data and processes are splintered amongst multiple systems.
Teams that rely on surface-level integration and manual process management will experience higher operational costs, overlooked cost-savings opportunities, and reduced productivity.
Procurement orchestration addresses these issues by providing a comprehensive framework for coordinating and optimizing procurement activities across the entire organization.
Symptoms of Procurement without Orchestration
Procurement Team
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Entire Organization
Enterprise procurement teams are struggling with the fallout from disconnected systems and a lack of cohesion between workflows.
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Benefits of Procurement Orchestration
Faster cycle times
Speed up processes with intuitive workflows that drive user adoption and reduce manual work.
Scaled compliance and risk management
Ensure adherence to regulations and internal guidelines with automated policy enforcement.
Increased adaptability
Respond quickly to changing business needs and market conditions with flexible, no-code workflows and real-time insights.
Enhanced visibility and control
Provide users with a single pane of glass for seeing data from multiple systems. Get a command-central view of procurement tasks, request status, and performance, all in one place.
Better supplier relationships and collaboration
Strengthen partnerships with suppliers through improved communication and coordination. Use performance management tools to make data-driven supplier evaluations.
Data-driven strategic procurement
Leverage advanced analytics for deeper spend analysis and strategic category management. Predictive insights enable proactive procurement planning and forecasting.
Tips for Implementing a Procurement Orchestration Solution
Do’s
Don’ts
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Procurement Orchestration Use Cases
To illustrate the impact of procurement orchestration, consider these scenarios.
Intake management
Simplify the entire request process from intake to insights with natural language intake, GenAI catalog-based buying channel guidance, and self-serve visibility for end users.
Supplier onboarding and maintenance
Provide a guided, orchestrated onboarding experience for business users and suppliers. Unify collaboration across procurement, finance, and risk for seamless end-to-end supplier management.
Risk orchestration
Consolidate risk scoring and assessments. Automatically trigger assessment workflows in response to threshold violations. Orchestrate bank fraud detection and prevention processes.
Supplier validation and fraud prevention
Configure an integrated, complex risk assessment process across different systems, teams, and regions.
That’s a Wrap
With the advancement of technology for no-code, artificial intelligence, and data analytics, you can now automate the orchestration of any procurement use case.
Procurement orchestration represents a paradigm shift in how enterprises elevate their user experience, reduce process cycle times, and adapt quickly to changing compliance requirements.
We encourage procurement professionals to explore implementation options, stay informed about evolving procurement technologies, and consider how procurement orchestration can drive value within their organizations. The future of procurement is here, and it's orchestrated.
With the advancement of technology for no-code, artificial intelligence, and data analytics, you can now automate the orchestration of any procurement use case.
