Software procurement is the process of selecting, acquiring, and managing software products and services for an organization. It involves identifying the software needs of the organization, researching and evaluating potential solutions, negotiating contracts and pricing, and deploying and managing the selected software products.
The software procurement process
The software procurement process typically involves three main stages:
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Request: During this step, the users submit their request to the IT department. The technical department will analyze the need of the end users through a technical questionnaire/document to explain their needs.
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Review: The IT department will analyze the request to see if yes or no the required software is needed. If yes, they check if there is already a similar demand with the procurement department to make an official request. The procurement department will check the budget availability and approve the purchase.
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Purchase: When the purchase is approved, a requisition is approved and a Payment Order (PO) is generated. The procurement team will evaluate the supplier's quotations to determine which supplier will be the best fit to fulfill the existing need. They will then select a vendor and start a contract negotiation to finalize the purchase process.
Sometimes, deployment/integration as well as maintenance and support may be part of the process.
RoI (Return on Investment)
ROI stands for Return on Investment. It is a financial metric used to measure the profitability of an investment, typically expressed as a percentage. ROI is used to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the software purchase, and to compare different investment opportunities and competing vendor offerings.
Total cost of ownership
TCO stands for Total Cost of Ownership. It is a financial metric that is used to calculate the total cost of owning and operating a product or service over its entire lifecycle. TCO takes into account not only the initial purchase price of the product, but also the ongoing costs associated with maintenance, support, upgrades, and disposal.
When talking about procurement, we immediately see purchases but it's also important to look to reduce the costs (planning a budget, finding a supplier, etc). It's important to evaluate the type of contract when acquiring a service as a long-term contract can cost more than a short-term contract, it depends on the terms. The taxes may also vary depending on where you buy the services, the same go for the shipping services. Some companies use technologies to automate the purchase requisition process and reduce direct costs.
Effective software procurement is essential for organizations to optimize their software investments and ensure that they have the right tools and systems to support their business objectives. It requires careful planning, research, and evaluation, as well as ongoing management and support to ensure that the software continues to meet the needs of the organization over time.
Read more:
- Package management at the edge
- Effective IT project management
- The business manager's guide to software package management
