12 recommendations to implement a Source-To-Pay solution | #3 Choose the right vendor

Remember that you have previously defined the main goals and requirements of your organization, and the way you want to implement this solution. It is now time to gather more detailed functional needs.

One of the risks writing business requirements for a new solution is to significantly extend your wish list. Indeed, the process of gathering needs from multiple sources, and getting to know the functionalities available on the market at the same time can make you want more than necessary.

One of the recommendations is to stay as much as possible “process-based”, and often stand back from your requirements. Keeping that in mind, you can now start tendering.

1. Collect the functional and technical needs

Having in mind your S2P project scope, plus your own knowledges of the market overall capabilities, you can start collecting the list of functional needs and technical requirements.
Functional needs should focus on the What and Why, not on the How, whereas technical requirements may only highlight your technologies and constraints within the IT environment.
This exercise can involve several stakeholders: from management to final potential users, including technical profiles, experts and business representatives.

The target here is to have a clear and objective view of your processes and specificities. Therefore, you should already build and involve the relevant team.