Growing up, our television was always turned to my mom’s favorite show, “Law and Order.” If you’re not familiar, it’s an American legal drama very loosely based on real-life events.
In contrast, “Paperwork and Process” is what a TV show based on the actual drama in my life would be called.
It’s not a sexy title, but most of us can relate to the struggle. Paperwork and process, two of the three Ps of Procurement, impact every part of an organization. What that looks like at one company versus another might vary, but the bottom line is that procurement is an essential function.
In 2021, Forbes published an article outlining how procurement teams can “deliver tangible value,” “create a competitive advantage,” and “increase revenue.” One key thing successful leaders do, according to Forbes, is invest in digital solutions that help measure and deliver Procurement Value.
No-Code’s Flexibility for Procurement
Building a custom digital solution used to be nearly impossible due to the high cost and time it took to create and deploy. That is no longer the case, thanks to modern no-code platforms like Neota. Neota solutions are designed using visual tools, not code. This allows business users to create digital procurement workflows in much less time than a traditional development process takes.
Neota solutions are also infinitely easier to update and maintain. For example, when a global media company chose Neota to build their vendor onboarding solution, it was partly due to the flexibility of no-code development. They were looking for an intuitive development platform that didn’t require its users to have massive amounts of training and accreditations.
Flexible technology is especially beneficial in procurement since strategies and objectives frequently change. Let’s imagine that your company is launching a new diversity initiative. To capture diversity metrics about your vendors, you could add fields to one of your existing digital solutions or create a survey using our prototyping tool, Canvas. Both options are fast and straightforward in Neota, but these actions could take several months to implement in a traditional development model.
Process and Data Insights
When I consult prospective clients, I’m often surprised by the number of people who don’t understand how long certain processes take. It’s never because they lack experience or business knowledge. People lack insight into their company’s procurement processes because they don’t have the necessary data or correct tools for efficient process management.
Neota workflows capture data from the user experience, so there’s automatically an audit trail. This data can provide unexpected insights, which stakeholders may want to include in one of Neota’s custom reports. Workflows also automate the tasks that unintentionally eat up most of your time, like generating documents and sending notification emails and reminders.
Procurement Solutions
In addition to immediate time savings, there are other advantages to digital workflow management, such as more efficient communication with internal stakeholders and vendors. If this article has piqued your interest in procurement solutions or no-code in general, watch a recording of our recent webinar, “Why Procurement Teams Love Neota.”
Sticking with the theme of television dramas, I’d say the dangerous duo of Paperwork and Process has finally met its match, No-code.