Procurement software plays a central role in the smooth running of a company. Beyond the simple act of ordering products or services, it lies at the heart of financial performance, meeting deadlines and controlling risks. The challenges are many: negotiating the best pricing conditions, reducing errors, digitizing and automating to speed up the creation and approval of purchase requisitions and orders, centralizing and tracking vendor contracts, etc.
In the past, implementing Procurement software required a great deal of technical resources… Today, with the emergence of technology, it has never been easier to set up such software. Indeed, Procurement platforms have become simple to set up, while remaining powerful and useful, and all without requiring IT development skills. This change has made it possible for companies of all sizes, and especially SMEs, to equip themselves for rapid returns on investment.
In this article, we’ll look at why it’s important to choose the right tool, what the key features are, and how to make an informed choice from among the many solutions available?
What is Procurement software?
Procurement software definition
Procurement software is a tool that centralizes and structures an organization’s entire Procurement process. It can go by many names: Procure to Pay software, Source to Pay software, purchasing and supply management software, e-procurement or the Procurement module in an ERP system.
Its aim: to guarantee the fluidity and traceability of every stage, from purchase requisition, supplier selection and order placement, to delivery tracking and payment.
- Management of the complete Procurement process: Procurement software generally covers the entire purchasing cycle, i.e. from expression of need (purchase requisition) to vendor payment. This includes internal approvals, purchase order creation, receiving, supplier-invoice control and payment.
- Centralization and automation: centralize information (orders, invoices, vendor files, framework contracts, order histories, etc.) and offer automation features to free your teams from non-value-added tasks (allocation, notification, follow-up, updating existing software, etc.).
- Collaboration engine: It fosters collaboration between the various stakeholders: employees, finance department, Procurement department, field managers, accounting, general management, etc.
Procurement software vs. traditional office tools
Many small and medium-sized businesses still manage their Procurement with Excel spreadsheets, e-mails and paper printouts. This method generates a great deal of friction:
- More and more incompatible Excel spreadsheets
- Information retrieval and traceability difficulties
- Risk of input errors, incorrect reminders or late payment
- Lack of overall visibility (no real-time reporting)
Procurement software resolves these shortcomings and simplifies monitoring, reducing (or even eliminating) the need for repetitive manual intervention.
Why is Procurement software important for your company?
Control costs and gain visibility
The first challenge in Procurement is to control expenditure. By automating some of the controls and integrating management dashboards, Procurement software enables you to quickly analyze where the main costs or anomalies lie:
- Additional logistics costs due to delivery delays.
- Budget overrun due to lack of follow-up.
- Contracts not used or little used (even though they offer better rates).
Optimizing these different areas has a direct impact on the company’s profitability.
Reduce errors and avoid disputes
Thanks to digitalization and workflow features, Procurement software imposes approval rules (double validation above a certain amount, consultation of several vendors, etc.). Data entry errors, duplicate orders and late approvals are drastically reduced.
What’s more, the solution facilitates the management of disputes (complaints, non-conformity), as it records all stages (inquiry, order, delivery, receipt, invoice). The Procurement department then has objective evidence to quickly resolve any disputes.
Optimizing employee time
In many companies, department managers and operational staff spend a considerable amount of time going back and forth by email or telephone to approve a purchase. Procurement software streamlines this process:
- Applications are submitted via an online form.
- Automatic notifications alert managers.
- Managers approve (or reject) the request with a single click.
- The requester receives confirmation, edits the order form and launches the order.
The result: time savings, fewer errors, less stress, and much clearer follow-up for everyone involved.
Compliance and traceability
Procurement software is also an asset for compliance with internal standards (budgets, signatures, approval thresholds) and external standards (legal, tax, environmental obligations, etc.). Documents are centralized, and proof of approval is traced, facilitating audits and preventing fraud or corruption.
Main features of Procurement software
Purchase requisition and approval circuit management
- Request form: Allows field teams (direct needs) to specify nature, quantity, budget and deadline.
- Approval workflow: conditional validation paths (e.g. validation by manager if < €5000, then validation by Procurement department if > €5000).
Purchase order and order management
- Easy creation of purchase orders from validated requisitions.
- Status tracking (sent to supplier, awaiting delivery, partially delivered, etc.).
- Possibility of e-signature to formalize certain orders or contracts.
Reception, control and management of disputes
- Receiving module: Entry of incoming goods, conformity control of products or services.
- Automatic recording of disputes (quality problems, missing quantities, etc.).
- Dispute processing workflow to automatically notify the vendor and team concerned.
Billing and reconciliation
- Electronic invoice management: check for consistency with purchase order or delivery note
- Invoice reconciliation to prevent fraud and billing errors.
- Update accounting system (ERP, accounting module or HRIS) to prepare for payment.
Vendor management
- Centralized supplier database (contact details, pricing conditions, contracts).
- Vendor evaluation
- Comparison of offers for certain internal tenders.
Budget monitoring and reporting
- Dashboard to view real-time status of spends, orders, pending invoices, etc.
- Performance indicators (KPIs): processing times, error rates, adherence to budgets, purchasing volume by family, etc.
- Automatic alerts if budgets are exceeded or if delivery times are too long.
Integration and automation
- APIs or native connectors to plug into ERP, HRIS, CRM or third-party software.
- Automate tasks (pre-fill a purchase order from a validated request, send a reminder email, update stock, etc.).
Criteria for comparing and selecting Procurement software
Before choosing Procurement software, it’s essential to define a few clear criteria.
1- Features coverage
Some solutions specialize in requisitioning and ordering (request, order, delivery, invoice), others in tendering and sourcing. Some tools cover the whole spectrum.
Ask yourself: What are the steps in my Procurement process that I want to digitize and automate as a priority?
2- Ease of use (ergonomics)
Software that is too complex is likely to discourage teams. The interface should be intuitive and easy to learn. It’s advisable to test a demo or trial version before committing yourself, to evaluate the user experience.
A non-intuitive interface requires training of varying lengths, and therefore a real change management process. Ergonomic software, on the other hand, offers simple, guided experiences for all users.
3- Customization options Procurement software
Every company has its own organization, purchasing processes and approval rules. Procurement software must be customizable (ideally in no-code and without the support of an IT manager) to adapt to your specific needs. Otherwise, you run the risk of continuing to create Excel spreadsheets or paper procedures on the side.
4- Integrating Procurement software with ERP or other accounting applications
If you use ERP or accounting software, make sure your Procurement software can be easily connected to it. This will enable you to avoid multiple re-entries and circulate data in real time (inventories, invoices, customers, etc.). And it will facilitate adoption by your teams, who will see real added value in the Procurement software.
5- Cost and pricing model of Procurement software
Some solutions charge by the number of users, others by the transaction, or as an unlimited monthly subscription. Don’t forget to take indirect costs (training, configuration, maintenance, integration) into account, and compare several vendors.
The Top 9 best Procurement software in 2025
Lapala, 100% customizable Procurement software
From €39/month for the whole company
Ergonomics :
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No-code :
✅
Customers :
SMES
Lapala is a Procurement software that stands out for its ease of use by teams and its simplicity of implementation, while at the same time being a powerful, high-performance tool for SMEs. Thanks to its various features, it can centralize all purchase requisitions, create highly efficient approval circuits and simply automate part of the purchasing and ordering process.
What’s more, it incorporates automation features that free your teams from tedious, non-value-added tasks. In terms of team comfort, it’s also important to note that its intuitive interfaces don’t require complex user training. Lapala’s Procurement software is quickly adopted by the whole company.
Lapala key elements:
– Simple and no-code.
– High level of personalization.
– Low prices.
Want to know in 30 minutes if Lapala is right for you?
Tradogram, complete Procurement software for SMEs
From $198 /month
Ergonomics :
⭐⭐⭐
No-code :
✅
Customers :
SMES
Tradogram is a Procurement platform designed to facilitate the processes of requisitioning, approving and placing orders. Aimed more at SMEs, this Procurement software offers features coverage focused on ordering and spends control.
Tradogram key elements:
– Suitable for SMEs
– Competitively priced
– Comprehensive tool but with customization that may require more resources
Coupa, historical Procurement software
On quotation, from $2,500/month
Ergonomics :
⭐⭐
No-code :
❌
Customers :
SMEs, large companies
Coupa provides unified management of procurements, invoicing and payments, all on a user-friendly cloud platform. Its intuitive interface and real-time indicators make it a popular choice for many financial departments.
User settings are available, but large-scale integration may require technical expertise. Coupa is therefore recommended for SMEs with an IT department.
Coupa summary:
– Historic player
– High level of price, project complexity and skills required
– Very complete tool
Procurify, ergonomic Procurement software for SMEs
From $23/month per user
Ergonomics :
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No-code
✅ Partial
Customers :
SMES
Procurify is a user-friendly Procurement software. It focuses on automating indirect purchasing, budget management and improving spends control. Procurify is designed for fast-growing SMEs and medium-sized companies wishing to centralize their purchase requests and make their approval circuits more transparent.
The software is partially no-code, so some advanced settings may require more technical intervention.
Procurify key elements:
– Suitable for large SMEs
– Easy to use
– Comprehensive tool
Pipefy, flexible, no-code Procurement software
From $24/month per user
Ergonomics :
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No-code :
✅
Customers :
SMES
Pipefy is first and foremost a no-code process and workflow management platform (lightweight BPM), which can be used for a wide range of applications, including Procurement. It is aimed at any organization wishing to digitize and automate its operational workflows (purchasing, invoicing, HR, etc.).
Pipefy key elements:
– Suitable for SMEs
– High flexibility
– Freedom of use
Precoro, powerful Procurement software for SMEs
From $499 /month
Ergonomics :
⭐⭐⭐⭐
No-code
✅ Partial
Customers :
SMES
Procurement and purchase order management software, aimed at SMEs. Key differentiators: Great simplicity, streamlined interface, focus on reducing requisition processing time. More limited features in advanced procurement, may require additional connectors to integrate with specific ERPs.
Key elements of Precoro:
– Suitable for SMEs
– Very ergonomic
– Lots of features
Order, an all-in-one Procurement software
From $300 /month
Ergonomics :
⭐⭐⭐⭐
No-code
✅ Partial
Customers :
SMES
Order.co is a Procurement software designed to simplify the placing and consolidation of orders. It centralizes all supplier purchases on a single interface, enabling easy invoice reconciliation. It is ideal for SMEs and SMIs managing large volumes of orders from multiple vendors (including e-commerce).
The interface simplifies the configuration of order and reconciliation workflows, but some more advanced customizations may require technical support.
Order key elements:
– Simplicity
– Competitive price
– Very complete
Ivalua a comprehensive and historical Procurement software
On quotation, from €3,000/month
Ergonomics :
⭐⭐
No-code :
❌
Customers :
Large companies
Ivalua is a French software publisher, recognized worldwide for its end-to-end spend management and Procurement digitalization solutions. Ivalua offers a modular suite covering both Source to Pay and vendors Relationship Management (SRM). Various modules can be activated or deactivated (e-sourcing, e-procurement, contract management, electronic invoicing, etc.).
Ivalua’s Procurement software is aimed at large companies and SMEs looking for a unified platform for all their spends (direct, indirect, CAPEX, services, etc.).
Key elements of Ivalua:
– A long-standing player
– Advanced features to meet complex needs
– Highly comprehensive
SAP ARIBA, the rolls of Procurement software
On quotation, from €8000/month
Ergonomics :
⭐⭐
No-code :
❌
Customers :
Large companies
SAP Ariba is one of the long-standing leaders in e-procurement and supply chain management solutions. It is a pillar of the SAP group, well known for its ERP. SAP Ariba also covers the entire Source to Pay cycle: sourcing, negotiation, catalog, order, invoice, supplier management, etc.
Large groups and SMEs already in the SAP ecosystem or looking for an extremely comprehensive solution integrated with an ERP environment.
Key elements of SAP Ariba:
– Historical player
– Extensive integration with SAP ERP
– Very comprehensive
How to successfully deploy Procurement software?
1- Depending on your level of maturity, define your specifications
Depending on how your Procurement is organized, it may be appropriate to draw up specifications, particularly if you already have Procurement processes in place. If there is little in place, then there’s no need for specifications. Discussions with the various software players will enable you to build the Procurement strategy best suited to your technologies and requirements.
If you want to write a specification, take the time to gather your operational, features and technical requirements. You can draw on a set of formalized specifications:
- Your current Procurement processes
- Your order/invoice/vendor volumes
- Your internal approval rules
- Your IS environment (ERP, CRM, HRIS, etc.)
- Your budget constraints
2- Involving stakeholders
The success of a Procurement software deployment project depends on the involvement of all players:
- Departments (finance, logistics, IT, etc.)
- Operational managers
- End users (employees entering purchase requisitions, accountants, etc.)
Organize presentation workshops, produce a prototype if possible, and communicate regularly on progress. You can, of course, include the Procurement software publisher in these workshops, to get as close to reality as possible.
3- Preparing data and migration
The implementation of Procurement software is an opportunity to clean up your vendor database, item database, old purchase orders, etc. Clean up duplicates and check the integrity of information. Clean up duplicates, check the integrity of information. This will facilitate migration to the new solution.
Of course, the Procurement software publisher will share best practices with you to avoid unnecessary work.
4- Training and change management
Even though it’s a simple, intuitive tool, a minimum of awareness-raising is essential to ensure that users understand the benefits of the software, how it works and best practices. Internal referents can be trained first, then relay the training to other teams.
As detailed above, the duration of training courses depends greatly on the software chosen. This can range from minutes to weeks for the most complex software.
5- Measure and adjust
Once the Procurement software is in place, track a few key indicators (KPIs), for example :
- Average time to validate a request
- Rate of errors or disputes
- Number of orders placed outside solution (bypass)
- Respecting budgets
You can then adjust certain workflow rules, add new automations, reinforce training, and so on.
Find all the best practices for procurement management by reading this article: 11 Procurement Best Practices in 2025.
Digitalization and automation case study with Lapala
To illustrate in concrete terms the implementation of Procurement software or an equivalent platform, here’s a fictitious case study of a 90-strong industrial SME.
Initial situation
- Purchase requisitions are managed by email, sometimes by phone calls, and recorded in an obsolete Excel spreadsheet.
- There are procedures to follow, but they are often omitted and different versions circulate within the company.
- Managers sometimes receive incomplete or late requests, resulting in uncontrolled emergency purchases.
- Budget monitoring is sometimes non-existent, and management becomes aware of budget overruns too late.
- There’s a lot of re-keying, which generates errors and tension.
Quick to set up and configure
Lapala’s Procurement software takes just a few weeks to set up, and is configured by Lapala’s teams in coordination with the company’s stakeholders. Company specificities and know-how are taken into account during workshops.
Bricks such as purchase requisitions, order management, invoice management and supplier management are gradually submitted to the teams as they go along. This agile construction makes it easier for teams to adopt the system, and saves time and efficiency.
The company’s existing software (ERP, e-mail, accounting software) is connected to free teams from non-value-added tasks.
Results and benefits
- 30% reduction in time spent managing requisitions
- Fewer errors and greater team satisfaction (fewer emails, everything tracked in a single tool)
- Better anticipation of needs thanks to visibility for management
- Real-time reporting on spends, orders in progress, etc.
Procurement software market trends
Automation and AI
Publishers are increasingly integrating Artificial Intelligence features to detect invoice anomalies, suggest the best budget category or simplify reconciliations. Some solutions also feature a chatbot to guide employees when drafting purchase requisitions.
The importance of cell phones and SaaS
Solutions in SaaS mode (online software, accessible via the browser) clearly dominate the market, as they enable continuous updating and access from anywhere. What’s more, support via smartphone or tablet is becoming increasingly widespread, enabling managers to validate a request while on the move, for example.
Risk management and CSR
As supply chains become increasingly complex, many companies are turning their attention to risk management and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). Procurement software can integrate features to assess vendor compliance (ethical, environmental, financial criteria) and reinforce transparency.
Beyond digitization – Towards full automation of the Procurement process?
As we have seen, Procurement software digitizes the process, eliminates paper, centralizes data and automates some of the data entry. But broader automation may gradually take on an important role in Procurement processes over the next few years.
What does it mean to fully automate a Procurement process?
It’s no longer just a question of replacing paper forms with an online interface. We’re talking about ensuring that the majority of non-value-added tasks (reminders, multiple entries, invoice reconciliations, budget controls…) are carried out by software robots or intelligent workflows.
Here are a few concrete examples:
- Automatic creation of a draft purchase requisition as soon as stock reaches a critical threshold.
- Automatic supplier notification and real-time update of delivery times.
- Trigger an additional validation step if expenditure exceeds a certain threshold or if vendor risk is high.
- Automatic merging of information (invoice, purchase order, goods receipt) to check conformity and trigger payment.
The benefits of Procurement automation
- Fewer errors: all manual data entry, copy and paste and tedious reconciliation are now automatic.
- Time savings: teams can concentrate on higher value-added tasks (vendor negotiation, analysis, etc.).
- Closer budget tracking: Alerts are triggered as soon as an overrun is imminent, and budget data is updated in real time.
Prerequisites for successful automation
- Data quality: An automated system can’t work if your supplier data, product repositories or budgeting rules are incomplete or erroneous.
- Governance: Clearly define who is responsible for validations (RACI), who is consulted, who is informed, etc.
- Scalability and customization: Your tool must be capable of adapting workflows to changes in your organization (growth, new departments, changes in Procurement policy, etc.).
Conclusion – Procurement software
Procurement software is much more than a simple data entry tool: it’s a strategic lever for controlling costs, making orders more reliable and boosting efficiency. Whether you’re an SME or a fast-growing compagnies looking to modernize, digitizing your Procurement processes will provide you with a clearer vision, improved collaboration and finer budgetary control.
- Dare to formalize and digitalize your Procurement processes.
- Involve your teams, train them and demonstrate their added value.
- Customize your solution to fit perfectly with your ERP, CRM, HRIS and other specific requirements.
- Automate as much as possible to free up your staff’s time and reduce errors.
Procurement software is no longer a simple asset, but a must-have in a world where competitiveness and responsiveness are crucial. It’s time to take the plunge and position the Procurement activities as a key driver of performance and digital transformation for your organization.
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