IT Procurement Services: Top 10 Companies, Evaluation Checklist & Buyer's Guide

IT procurement is tricky.

But it becomes even more chaotic when teams rely on spreadsheets, email threads and manual approvals.

Before you know it, you’re dealing with paperwork piled up, vendor back-and-forths, untraceable shipments, and unsanctioned SaaS auto-renewals.

Other problems, such as deployment mix-ups and configuration errors, also only show themselves after your orders arrive. These could force employees to use unauthorized devices.

The bigger issue is visibility, or the lack of it. You don't know what was ordered, where it is, who's using it or what it's costing you.

This loss of control comes at a huge cost. IBM’s research shows breaches involving shadow data cost organizations an average of $52.7 million annually, about 16.2% more than other security incidents.

No wonder teams are ditching the spreadsheets and turning to two main options: IT procurement services or software solutions.

Procurement software helps you to automate and track your procure-to-pay workflows, while an IT procurement service can handle everything from sourcing to asset lifecycle management.

This article breaks down the differences between these options. You'll also see comparisons of the top IT procurement services and software platforms you can choose from.

Let's get started!

TL;DR

• IT procurement services are third-party providers that handle the processes for acquiring and deploying a company's IT
• Procurement software solutions are tools that procurement teams deploy to automate their P2P workflows, track and manage suppliers, and generate invoices and financial documents
• Procurement software is ideal for teams that prefer to keep their buying process in-house, while procurement IT services are best for fast-growing businesses that want to scale, operate globally, and have highly complex purchasing demands
• Post-procurement problems, such as asset visibility, optimization, maintenance, and disposal, can also cause companies significant problems, including security risks and compliance audit failures
• Using providers like Workwize to handle procurement and IT asset lifecycle management is the best way to optimize procurement and significantly reduce security and other risks after orders arrive