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Why SMEs benefit from a specialist procurement partner – building long term relationships

by | April 14, 2022

Over the last 2 years more and more mid-market companies are taking the step to transform their procurement by implementing a Purchase to Pay/Source to Pay solution. This trend follows a desire to remain competitive and agile whilst optimising their procurement functions and still deliver savings.

Additionally, it is becoming more apparent that although we don’t actually need paper invoices and handwritten signatures any more, we do need to still manage supply chain disruptions, have a clear overview of our supplier base and be able to run efficient and compliant procurement processes.

Choosing the right implementation partner for mid-market businesses

There are many particularities that differentiate mid-market companies from big enterprises when it comes to needs, challenges, budget and having the right people and skills. Therefore, many software providers now offer customised procurement solutions to fit their requirements.

But choosing the right solution for your business is not enough. You need an implementation partner with the right methodology, expertise and culture to ensure a smooth implementation. In this case, specialist procurement consultancies might be the best option to help you through your procurement project.

In our experience of completing more than 700 implementation projects and having worked with many mid-market companies across all industries, we have gained direct feedback which is built into our methodology. We truly understand the needs of mid-market businesses that have chosen to work us.

As a specialist procurement partner, and part of a global system integrator, we continue to provide a best in class service to all of our clients through our experts who live and breathe the world of procurement.

From the conversations we have had with our customer, we identified the top 7 reasons why mid-market companies choose a specialist procurement partner such as Xoomworks for their procurement implementation project. You can find more information about each one of these in our new eBook ‘The best of both worlds’:

  1. Specialists bring procurement experience to the party
  2. Long term relationships really do make a difference
  3. Faster and more agile
  4. Global capability and global presence
  5. Continuous improvement through lessons learnt
  6. Reduce your project risk
  7. Time to transform your procurement function

Building long term relationships

Here we focus on building long term relationships that really do make a difference and believe this is one of the core values for a successful collaboration. Focusing on building these long-term relationships means less business risk for your organisation and faster delivery time for your future projects.

Specialists typically have a lower turnover of staff meaning skill levels are more predictable and consistent. Within specialist consulting practices it is easier to establish and maintain a positive culture, and easier for each individual to see how they contribute to that culture.

At Xoomworks, we strive to implement our One Team approach when working on projects, which means our resources are embedded into your business, working alongside your own staff. We believe this is especially important for mid-market companies where relationships matter, are more personal and cut across functional boundaries.

One important aspect to building these relationships with your procurement implementation partner is avoiding a culture of blame and finger pointing. In this context goals, risks and issues are all owned by the single team. At Xoomworks, this mid-market approach makes it easier to offer innovative solutions that extend beyond the end of a project. For examples, we provide six monthly project reviews after go-live to ensure the investment you’ve made continues to provide the benefits envisaged well after go-live.

If you want to learn more about the importance of building a long term relationship with your procurement implementation partner, download our eBook.

Want to find out if mid market specialist Xoomworks Procurement, part of Accenture, is the right fit for your business needs? Send your questions to our procurement experts at [email protected].