Skip to main content
Also known as: purchasing, vendor management, sourcing

Procurement

ConceptualSalesOperations

Definition

Procurement: Procurement is the department or process responsible for purchasing goods and services on behalf of an organization. In enterprise sales, procurement teams manage vendor onboarding, negotiate contracts, ensure compliance, and may run competitive bidding processes. Engaging procurement early and understanding their requirements smooths the path to close.

Example Usage

“Procurement required 3 competitive quotes and a security questionnaire, adding 6 weeks to our sales cycle.”

Common Misconceptions

Procurement just slows things down. They protect the organization; work with them, not around them.
Procurement decides on value. They focus on process and cost; your champion sells value internally.
Skip procurement if possible. They'll appear eventually; engage early to prevent surprises.

Explore More Resources

Browse Tools

Discover 100+ vetted tools for every stage of your startup journey

Explore all tools

Build Your Stack

Take our personalized quiz to get tool recommendations for your startup

Start the checklist

Recommended Reading

Curated books to help you learn, grow, and succeed as a founder

View book recommendations

Listen & Learn

Top podcasts covering startups, product, growth, and entrepreneurship

Discover podcasts

Help us improve this definition

See something that could be clearer or more accurate? Let us know.

Help us improve this page

Found an error or have a suggestion? We'd love to hear from you.