What if the biggest problems in procurement are the ones teams already know but still struggle to fix? In 2026, companies continue to deal with slow processes, poor data, supplier risks, and lack of visibility. These challenges make buying difficult, delay decisions, and increase costs.
Teams can only move forward when they understand these challenges clearly.
Here are the core issues you must solve now:
- Too many manual steps and delays
- Poor data and low visibility
- Supplier risks and weak performance tracking
- Slow approvals and disconnected systems
- Difficulty adopting the right technology
Let’s understand procurement challenges step by step.
Table of Contents
1. Manual Processes Slow Down Procurement Work
Most teams still use emails, spreadsheets, and phone calls. This slows everything down and creates errors. a. Too Much Paperwork
- Teams spend hours doing basic tasks by hand.
- Mistakes happen because the process is not standard.
- Time is wasted instead of used for better planning.
b. Slow Communication
- Approvals get stuck because people miss emails.
- There is no clear tracking of who must do what next.
- This delays buying and increases frustration.
c. No Standard Process
- Every department buys differently.
- This makes it hard to follow rules or see spend patterns.
- Errors happen often because nothing is consistent.
d. Hard to Track Orders
- Teams cannot see where an order is in the process.
- People keep asking for updates, causing more delays.
- There is no clear timeline.
Source: houzz.com
e. Need for simple e-procurement software
- A digital tool removes many manual steps.
- It makes buying easier, faster, and clearer.
- Teams work with one system instead of many emails.
The lack of the best procurement software creates problems everywhere. Now let’s look at the next challenge: lack of visibility.
2. Poor Visibility Makes Decision-Making Difficult
Low visibility is a serious challenge because teams cannot see clear data about spend, suppliers, or performance.
a. No Clear Spend Overview
- Teams don’t know where money is going.
- It becomes hard to control budgets.
- Surprise costs appear often.
b. Hidden Risks
- Without visibility, supplier issues stay unnoticed.
- Teams find problems only after they grow big.
- This hurts performance and timelines.
c. Missing Real-Time Data
- Teams work with outdated information.
- Decisions become slow or wrong.
- People rely on guessing instead of facts.
d. Difficulty Tracking Purchases
- With poor visibility, no one knows who bought what.
- Duplicate purchases happen easily.
- This wastes money.
e. A good step in procurement transformation
- Improving visibility is key to modern procurement.
- When data becomes clear, teams make better decisions.
- It sets the base for faster and smarter work.
When visibility improves, teams can tackle the next big problem: supplier risks.
Source: mavenvista.com
3. Supplier Risks Need More Attention
According to the page, supplier-related issues are some of the biggest procurement challenges today.
a. Unreliable Suppliers
- Some suppliers delay delivery.
- Others send low-quality goods.
- Both hurt business operations.
b. No Performance Tracking
- Without tracking, teams cannot see supplier patterns.
- They keep working with poor performers.
- This increases long-term risk.
c. Lack of Backup Suppliers
- Many companies depend on a single supplier.
- If that supplier fails, the whole process stops.
- This creates huge vulnerability.
d. Poor Communication
- Misunderstandings happen when communication is not clear.
- This delays orders and increases confusion.
- It weakens supplier relationships.
e. Risk control improves the next processes
- Better supplier management supports faster approvals.
- It also improves accuracy in future sourcing decisions.
- Strong suppliers help procurement move smoothly.
Good supplier management leads to smoother processes, but approvals remain a big challenge too.
4. Slow Approvals and Disconnected Systems Delay Work
Slow approval flows and disconnected tools as major blockers.
a. Long Approval Chains
- Too many people must approve each request.
- Requests get stuck for days.
- Buying becomes slow and frustrating.
Source: riudl.org
b. No Clear Responsibility
- Team members don’t know who must approve next.
- Everyone waits for someone else to act.
- This increases delays.
c. Many Tools, No Connection
- Teams use many systems that don’t talk to each other.
- Data becomes scattered everywhere.
- People waste time searching for information.
d. Difficult Tracking
- Without one system, tracking an order is almost impossible.
- This causes confusion and duplicate work.
- Teams lose confidence in the process.
e. Fixing this requires the right system next
- When tools connect smoothly, approvals move faster.
- Tracking becomes simple and reliable.
- This supports better technology adoption later.
Which brings us to the last major challenge: adopting new tools.
5. Adopting Technology Is Still Hard for Many Teams
Poor adoption of modern tools slows procurement progress.
a. Fear of Change
- Teams are used to old ways.
- They worry new tools might be hard to learn.
- This slows transformation.
b. Lack of Training
- People don’t always know how to use new systems.
- Without training, adoption fails quickly.
- Confidence becomes low.
Source: gep.com
c. Confusing Tools
- Some tools are complex and not user-friendly.
- Teams avoid using them.
- Work returns to manual methods.
d. No Clear Technology Plan
- Companies try many tools without a strategy.
- This creates chaos instead of improvement.
- Work becomes harder, not easier.
e. The right e-procurement software solves this
- A simple tool is easy to use and adopt.
- It supports automation, visibility, and faster buying.
- It becomes a long-term solution.
Strong technology adoption leads directly into the need for digital-first procurement improvements, which the final section will summarise.
Final Thoughts
Procurement teams in 2026 face many challenges, slow processes, low visibility, supplier risks, long approvals, and difficulty adopting new tools. Solving these problems is necessary for faster, smarter, and safer procurement. With the right steps and the right digital approach, procurement becomes strong, informed, and efficient. For teams looking to solve these challenges with modern tools, Procol offers a powerful platform designed to make procurement faster, easier, and more transparent.
