Why Procurement Decisions Should Not Be Made by Purchasing Alone
When specifications are correct, but real problems remain on the shop floor
In most organizations, the role of purchasing is clear and well defined:
follow company standards, control costs, secure supply, and complete the order.
From a process perspective, these decisions are often technically correct.
Yet in daily operations, a different message is frequently heard from the shop floor:
“The specifications are correct — but it’s not easy to use.”
This gap is especially common with components such as casters, carts, and material-handling equipment, where real usability cannot be fully captured on a specification sheet.
1. Why “Correct Specifications” Do Not Always Solve Real Problems
In many cases, purchasing decisions meet all formal requirements:
-
The load capacity is sufficient
-
Dimensions are correct
-
Materials comply with company standards
-
Pricing fits the budget
However, operators may still experience issues such as:
-
High push force
-
Poor maneuverability
-
Operator fatigue during repeated use
The reason is simple:
Specifications describe whether a product can be used.
Operators experience whether it is easy and practical to use.
These two perspectives are not the same.
2. The Distance Between Purchasing and End Users Is a Structural Issue
In many global organizations, purchasing teams and end users:
-
Are located in different plants
-
Operate in different countries
-
May not even share the same time zone
Operators rarely escalate complaints about “minor” components like casters.
Purchasing teams, meanwhile, have limited visibility into real operational experience.
The result is familiar:
-
Purchasing completes the task
-
The company spends the budget
-
The original problem remains unresolved
This is not an individual failure — it is a process design gap.
3. Why Casters Are Especially Prone to This Problem
Casters share three characteristics that make them difficult to evaluate through specifications alone:
-
They are highly dependent on real user experience (push force, start-up effort, turning resistance)
-
Performance differences are not fully reflected in data sheets
-
Problems often appear only after extended use
Unlike motors or electronic components, casters cannot be judged by numbers alone.
Many critical differences are only revealed through actual use.
4. The Real Risk of Procurement Decisions Made in Isolation
When procurement decisions are made without cross-functional input, risks accumulate quietly:
-
Reduced operational efficiency
-
Increased physical strain on operators
-
Equipment is underutilized or informally avoided
-
Costly redesigns or replacement requests later
These hidden costs often exceed the original savings achieved during purchasing.
5. A More Effective Approach: Procurement as an Integrator
In more mature procurement processes, purchasing is not a standalone decision-maker, but a coordinator.
A more effective model looks like this:
-
Purchasing manages cost, standards, and supplier reliability
-
Engineering and operations provide usage context and feedback
-
Suppliers help translate real needs into practical technical solutions
This approach does not slow down procurement —
It prevents downstream problems before they occur.
6. Three Simple Questions That Improve Cross-Functional Decisions
Before finalizing purchases for casters or material-handling components, asking these questions can make a significant difference:
-
Who is using it? (manual operation or machine-driven?)
-
How is it used? (frequency, distance, repeated start/stop?)
-
Where is it used? (floor condition, slope, environment?)
These questions may not appear on a specification sheet,
but they often determine whether a product truly fits its application.
Conclusion: Good Procurement Decisions Solve Real Problems
The value of procurement is not only measured by cost control or compliance.
It is measured by whether purchased products actually improve operations.
When procurement decisions incorporate input from engineering and end users,
the outcome is no longer just “specification compliant” —
It becomes practically effective.