Research from Probrand, the IT procurement platform, shows that 20% of IT managers are spending more than five days every month on manual procurement processes which is distracting them from higher value activities.
In addition, 63% of all buyers still rely on laborious manual processes to access basic information, such as prices, stock availability and product comparisons. Many also shared that they are wasting time fielding sales calls with some saying they receive as many as 40 unsolicited reseller calls every day.
While purchasing IT is a vital task, slow, outdated processes are holding IT managers back from performing valuable tasks that require their skilled input, such as network management, line management, design work, systems administration and technical engineering, according to the study, which included 100 IT buyers in UK organisations.
Ian Nethercot MCIPS, supply chain director at Probrand, said: “The multi-tasking IT manager is already having to wear multiple hats and juggle an ever-increasing workload due to an industry-wide skills shortage. So, if they are having to rely on outdated manual processes, when digital alternatives are available, it’s wasting the time of people who are already stretched.
“When you also consider that we see up to 30,000 price changes a day, and those prices can fluctuate by as much as 60%, no amount of manual research could ever keep up anyway. What’s surprising is that 75% of IT buyers are unaware of the scale of those changes, so they often don’t appreciate how futile a task they face. In reality, the multi-tiered complexity of the IT market means that it’s almost impossible to achieve full transparency over prices and stock level using manual ways of working. All you are really doing is burning time.
“It seems that most IT buyers know they don’t always achieve the best deal, however. Just 30% of IT buyers think they get good value all of the time. If IT buyers had access to digital tools providing instant visibility, however, their job would become much easier and quicker.
Ian adds: “We are on a mission to give all IT buyers transparency and efficiency by openly connecting them with distributors and vendors on one easy to use digital platform. We’ve created a marketplace that allows users to see market changes as they happen and make their purchases in a fairer and more equitable way.”