6 Common Purchasing Problems and How to Fix Them Fast)

In an ideal world, purchasing is a straightforward process.

You see something you need, have the resources to buy it, and that's it…

Order delivered, move to the next thing.

In the business world?

Things are less than ideal 

If you or someone from the team wants to purchase a product to meet daily operations or as part of the manufacturing process, there are dozens of things to manage, sometimes simultaneously.

And if your company moves fast, well…let's just say purchasing becomes a serious pain in the back

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Below, some of the most common purchasing problems companies face…with their respective solutions, of course.

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Top 6 Purchasing Problems 

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Inconsistent Purchase Requisition Processes 

Processes have a reputation for being a tad boring, we all know that.

It doesn't mean however, they aren't fundamental for your business success.

Just imagine the chaos that would ensue if everyone and their pets within your company were requesting purchases at will, without any rules or clarity whatsoever.

Yeah, pretty messy indeed 

Without implementing purchasing standards, you literally don't have a real way to know who purchased what and when, let alone a control over the company's budget.

And if approvals aren't clearly defined, it only adds more delays,and frustration to the mix.

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How to fix it

No need to overcomplicate things here, you just need an outline for how your purchasing process should work.

Ideally, use a digital request form that captures key details like supplier, item, cost estimate, and justification. Set up automatic routing to the right approvers based on amount, department, or type of spend. Most of current procurement software solutions come with integrated notifications so everyone is on the same page right when it's needed.

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With a structured request process in place, you’ll eliminate confusion, speed things up, and make it way easier to track and manage incoming purchases from the start.

Poor visibility 

Visibility is a word that's so constantly used in businesses that you'd believe it has lost value.

Not at all 

Especially within purchasing operations.  Even a well-planned budget can go sideways if people start purchasing stuff without knowing how much money is allocated for those sorts of expenses. Or worse, no one knows what’s left in the budget until month-end, when it’s too late to do something to fix that. 

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Overspending is the main risk, of course, but it's not the only one. Forecasting will become more difficult, and good luck with trying to understand where you should prioritise spending.

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How to fix it:

Let's be straightforward here

The most effective way to gain visibility into your purchases starts by acquiring procurement software. 

One with budgeting integrations 

That way, requesters and approvers can actually see how a purchase will impact the budget before anything is approved.

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Bonus points if you set up alerts when a department is nearing its limit, or even better, automate approval rules based on available funds. When everyone’s working with real-time data, budget control becomes part of your daily routine.

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Manual PO Creation 

Nothing against old-fashioned processes here, but when you're growing, and purchase orders seem to keep accumulating by the minute, keeping things manually can be a complete headache.

One wrong item code, a missed quantity, or outdated pricing, and suddenly you've got the wrong thing delivered, delays in fulfillment, or an invoice that doesn’t make sense at all. 

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Not to mention never-ending back-and-forth between your teams trying to get the details right 

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Manual PO creation slows everything down and puts way too much pressure on whoever’s handling the admin. And the more volume you have, the bigger the risk. 

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How to fix it

We are starting to sound repetitive, but bear with us for a sec.

Automation can seriously change things when it comes to optimizing purchasing. 

POs can be created with a couple of clicks. There are no complicated steps to untangle, and you can even link your purchasing system to supplier catalogs so users can pull in up-to-date pricing and item details automatically.

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The result? 

Suppliers can fulfill your orders faster without any hiccups along the way.

Poor Communication with Suppliers 

This is a problem so big that you'll find it everywhere. 

Why?

Relationships are never as easy as we expect.

Yes, we are talking about supplier relationships.

When your business pretty much depends on the reliability of your suppliers, the last thing you need is to frame your relationship as purely transactional. You order something from them. They deliver it, and you forget about their existence.

But isn't that the essence of supplier relationships?

Partly, yes, but it's also about loyalty, responsibility, and partnership.

Things you can only get with open and constant communication.

Poor communication with suppliers is a sneaky purchasing problem. It leads to missed deadlines, unexpected substitutions, and a whole lot of finger-pointing when things don’t go as planned.

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How to fix it

Technically speaking?

Start by making sure every PO sent out includes clear terms, delivery timelines, and contact info. Then, establish a process for PO acknowledgments, like a quick confirmation from the supplier that they’ve received and accepted the order.

But to build meaningful relationships, you need to go behind the scenes, set regular chats with your suppliers, talk about success and failure, share stories, and provide feedback for when things don't go as planned. 

No Control over Unauthorised Purchases

Here’s the deal: if people can buy whatever they want, from whoever they want, it’s only a matter of time before your budget and your supplier relationships start reflecting it…and not in a good way. 

Maybe someone grabs office supplies from a random site instead of your approved supplier. Or marketing books a service without running it through any process. 

Whatever the scenario, it's bad news.

That's a maverick spend in action and can pose a huge risk to your budget, creating inconsistent purchasing records and leaving finance with a pile of mysterious spending.

How to fix it 

Put some friendly guardrails in place. Start by clearly communicating which suppliers are approved and why , like volume discounts, better payment terms or reliability. Then, make it easier for your employees to follow the right process by giving them a centralized purchasing system with pre-vetted supplier catalogs.

If they can quickly find what they need and submit a request in a few clicks, they’re way more likely to stick to the plan. Add in some smart approval routing, and you’ll catch off-contract purchases before they get too far.

Delays in Purchase Approvals

Waiting days for a simple purchase to get approved? That’s not just frustrating , it can stall projects, delay deliveries, and hurt supplier relationships. And half the time, the holdup isn’t because the purchase itself , it’s just stuck in someone’s inbox or lost in a tangled email thread.

When approval workflows aren’t clear or easy to follow, everything slows down. And in a fast-moving business, slow approvals mean missed opportunities.

How to Fix It

The key here is automation and clarity. Set up approval workflows that route requests based on things like department, amount, or purchase type , and make sure everyone knows who needs to sign off, and when.

If possible, enable mobile or email-based approvals so managers can greenlight things on the go. You can even build in auto-approvals for low-value or recurring purchases to keep things moving without manual intervention every time.

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