Pre-pandemic , procurement was a cost-control centre with little perceived strategic importance . That has all changed , with CPOs having much more clout in the boardroom . As a result , procurement software has never been more important . Software solutions help automate the purchasing process and manage activities related to an organisation ' s expenditures . They can automate the process of resource acquisition and supplier relationship management . Plus , employees can easily create purchase orders subject to review and approval by managers . With software doing so much of the heavy lifting , procurement has more capacity to focus on being strategic . supplychaindigital . com 141