If the IT department and purchasing department don't sit down at the same table, it gets expensive. And not just in euros, but also in lost time, nerves and innovative strength. Because modern IT procurement is no longer an order form, it is a strategic success factor.
Modern working environments, hybrid models and security requirements demand investment in high-performance, scalable IT equipment. The choice of partners, financing models and processes has long-term effects.
IT procurement in the company must therefore be considered holistically and with foresight. And the process only works if technical expertise and an economic perspective work together.
The reality? Unfortunately, it often looks different. Different departments, different goals, different languages. Yet so much more is possible if you work together earlier and better.
TL;DR - What you should take with you
- Changing requirements in the world of work and IT security require investment in the company's IT equipment.
- IT and purchasing often pursue different goals and rarely talk to each other.
- Early collaboration prevents incorrect purchases, saves money and optimizes processes.
- Device as a Service can act as a bridge between the two teams.
Clear role allocation and common standards make all the difference.
1. why cooperation between IT and purchasing often fails
IT department and procurement: two departments, two perspectives. While IT focuses on high-performance, scalable and future-proof systems, procurement wants low prices, clean contract terms and reliable budgets. Both perspectives are absolutely legitimate. Unfortunately, they are often not coordinated.
In many companies, cooperation between IT and procurement is pro forma, but fails in practice. Typical hurdles for the IT department often involving other departments, especially purchasing, in the procurement process at a late stage are:
Lack of expertise
A frequently cited reason for the late involvement of IT is the prejudice that purchasing has too little technical understanding. However, this image is changing: more and more purchasing departments are actively dealing with technical requirements and building bridges to IT.
Fear of delay
Especially in dynamic or fast-growing companies, there is concern that additional coordination will slow down processes. But the opposite is true: those who get together at an early stage save time and trouble later on.
Too strong a focus on costs
A frequent criticism of procurement is that it focuses too much on price and too little on technical requirements. For fear of friction, the procurement team is therefore often only brought on board once the technical decision has long been made. The result: renegotiations, misunderstandings, unnecessary frictional losses. And in the end, the entire project loses speed and quality.
2. why real collaboration pays off
There is a lot at stake for IT managers: systems and equipment must perform, be secure and scalable and at the same time run smoothly within the company. At the same time, costs must not get out of hand. All of this can only be achieved if IT does not make decisions alone, but works together with procurement at an early stage. This is because the combination of technical expertise and an economic perspective creates real added value, both strategically and operationally.
Avoid wrong decisions
IT knows what is needed. Purchasing knows how to compare offers, secure contracts and make optimum use of budgets. When both bring their strengths together, solutions are created that fit both technically and economically. If coordination is neglected, there is a risk of oversized devices, unsuitable license models or service levels that do not deliver what they promise in an emergency. This can have expensive consequences.
Reduce friction losses
If everyone works on their own, double loops, misunderstandings and gaps in responsibility arise. This can become a risk, especially with larger rollouts. IT plans the infrastructure, purchasing ensures procurement. Only together can implementation, support and updates be managed efficiently.
Reduce costs through smart planning
Studies show: Early demand planning and clear purchasing processes can save up to 15% of IT procurement costs. For IT managers, this means more budgetary leeway for innovations, less hassle with spontaneous repeat orders or long delivery times.
Procurement as a driver of innovation
Properly organized, the procurement process becomes a strategic strength. With procurement as a partner, processes can be standardized, providers can be retained in the long term and flexible models such as Device as a Service can be established. These are all things that help IT to scale quickly and efficiently.
| Source of error | Cost per device (€) | Total costs (100 devices, €) |
|---|---|---|
| Unclear contractual conditions | 90 | 9.000 |
| Expensive individual orders instead of a framework agreement | 70 | 7.000 |
| Delays due to lack of delivery planning | 80 | 8.000 |
| Total costs | 24.000 |
When the purchase comes too late: a calculation example
A rollout of 100 devices is pending. IT has specified everything, but purchasing is only involved at a late stage. These are possible consequences:
Source of error: Unclear contract conditions
If procurement is involved late or not at all, there are often no clear regulations on support, returns, SLAs or warranty services. The result: IT has to renegotiate later or book more expensive service packages to cover failures.
Costs due to e.g. extended support contracts, subsequent protection or legal advice (approx. €50-130) per device are realistic, depending on the scope.
Additional costs per device: € 90
Additional costs for 100 devices: € 9,000
Source of error: Expensive individual orders instead of framework agreements and unused volume discounts
Without a purchasing strategy or volume bundling, IT may order directly from the manufacturer or via individual suppliers. This is often done without a volume discount, with higher prices and worse conditions.
Compared to a framework agreement, central tenders or volume discounts, this quickly results in 5-10% additional costs per device. For devices costing €700-1,000, this amounts to around €70.
Additional costs per device: € 70
Additional costs for 100 devices: € 7,000
Source of error: Delays due to lack of delivery planning
Without early coordination, delivery bottlenecks or uncoordinated rollout schedules occur. IT waits for devices, projects are delayed and employees are unable to work.
Loss of working hours, productivity losses and project delays lead to indirect costs of €80 per device - conservatively calculated.
Additional costs per device: € 80
Additional costs for 100 devices: € 8,000
| Source of error | Cost per device (€) | Total costs (100 devices, €) |
|---|---|---|
| Unclear contractual conditions | 90 | 9.000 |
| Expensive individual orders instead of a framework agreement | 70 | 7.000 |
| Delays due to lack of delivery planning | 80 | 8.000 |
| Total costs | 24.000 |
→ 24,000 in unnecessary costs because the purchasing department was involved too late and important potential remained untapped.
Excursus: How Device as a Service brings purchasing and IT together
In IT procurement, the focus is no longer just on the purchase price of equipment. This is no longer stable or even falling. On the contrary: rising prices for components, global supply chain problems and geopolitical uncertainties are ensuring that hardware costs remain high at present.
This means that if you really want to make savings today, you have to start elsewhere - namely with processes, administration and support. This is precisely where Device as a Service (DaaS) comes into its own. The rental model supplies laptops, smartphones and other IT equipment including rollout, support and return - and thus relieves the burden on IT and purchasing at the same time.
What makes DaaS special is that it harmonizes the perspectives of both departments - and creates a holistic procurement approach.
| Perspective | Challenge | How DaaS supports |
|---|---|---|
| IT | Requires scalable, standardized hardware, smooth rollouts and efficient administration | DaaS delivers preconfigured devices, handles rollout & return, offers integrated support |
| Purchasing | Wants predictable costs, low capital commitment and lean processes | DaaS offers monthly installments (OPEX), reduces CAPEX and saves administrative effort |
| IT & Purchasing | Must manage security, GDPR and lifecycle properly | DaaS providers handle GDPR-compliant offboarding and certified data erasure |
Instead of complex coordination between IT, procurement, HR and finance, DaaS provides a central, reliable service partner. For growing organizations, this not only makes IT procurement more flexible, but also future-proof.
➡️ You can find out more about the benefits of IT rental in our article: Buying, leasing or renting IT equipment: what's really worth it?
Best practices: How to make collaboration work
How does cooperation actually work? It takes more than good intentions. If you really want to dovetail IT and procurement processes, you need to take a structured approach with clear responsibilities, established standards and shared data. These best practices will help you to take collaboration to a new level:
- Form interdisciplinary project teams: Involve IT, purchasing and, if necessary, HR together from the outset.
- Define standard processes: IT catalogs, central guidelines, fixed selection processes.
- Managing the lifecycle together: thinking together from demand to return.
- Clearly assign roles:
- IT: Technical specifications, compatibility, security requirements.
- Purchasing: supplier evaluation, contract design, cost control.
- Sharing data: Evaluate asset data, usage and service levels centrally.
Conclusion: Better IT procurement starts with better collaboration
Today, IT procurement is much more than an operational ordering process. It is a strategic lever for efficiency, security and growth. And the demands on processes, selection decisions and responsibilities are correspondingly high.
IT and procurement must go down this path together. Only if both departments work closely together can technological requirements, economic goals and regulatory framework conditions be met in equal measure.
However, reality shows that this collaboration is often implemented too late or only superficially, with noticeable consequences for costs, speed and quality.
If you want to be future-proof, you need:
- Early involvement of all stakeholders
- Clear roles and responsibilities
- Standardized, scalable processes
- A strategic view of total cost of ownership
A model such as Device as a Service (DaaS) can play a decisive role, especially in dynamic companies. It reduces complexity, relieves internal resources and creates a common denominator for IT, purchasing and management: efficient, flexible and plannable.
Find out how DaaS can help you accelerate rollouts, make budgets predictable and finally bring IT and procurement together.
