How Much Time Are You Losing to Emails and Excel? Let’s Talk Procurement
There’s a better way to manage sourcing—one that doesn’t eat up your entire week.
Procurement isn’t just about comparing quotes or getting the lowest bid—it’s about timing, clarity, and making decisions faster. But if you’re stuck juggling email threads and spreadsheets, chances are, you're spending far too long on things that shouldn’t take more than a day. This article explores why outdated tools are holding your team back and how a simpler, smarter system can help you regain control.
Introduction: Sound Familiar?
Let’s paint a picture.
It’s late in the afternoon. You’ve just spent the last three days going back and forth with vendors over email, chasing price lists and re-attaching specs they somehow didn’t receive. You’re staring at an Excel sheet that feels more like a puzzle than a solution. You should be finalizing decisions—but instead, you’re still formatting quote tables.
It’s frustrating. And you’re not the only one dealing with it.
Why So Much Time Disappears in Procurement
On the surface, managing quotes through emails and spreadsheets doesn’t seem like a big issue. But here’s what’s happening behind the scenes:
- Digging through inboxes to find supplier responses
- Repeating follow-ups when vendors forget to reply
- Updating Excel files manually and triple-checking formulas
- Comparing quotes that arrive in completely different formats
- Going back to check which version was approved… and by whom
Individually, these steps seem small. But stacked across multiple vendors, multiple RFQs, and multiple weeks—they start adding up fast. Some teams lose three to five entire days each month just trying to stay organized.
What That Time Is Really Costing You
Let’s be honest—this kind of inefficiency doesn’t just waste time. It hurts your momentum.
- Delayed approvals mean your projects don’t move forward
- Errors sneak in when manual copy-pasting is the norm
- Teams burn out when they spend all week on admin tasks
- Suppliers get frustrated when communication feels scattered
- Missed deals happen when better offers come in—but too late to act on
A smoother procurement process doesn’t just make life easier. It helps you respond quicker, negotiate better, and build stronger vendor relationships.
A Simple Comparison: Old Way vs. Smarter Way
Here’s how a typical 5-day sourcing cycle looks in two different systems:
Manual Process
- Day 1: Send RFQs via email
- Day 2–3: Wait for responses, chase vendors who didn’t reply
- Day 4: Start manually comparing quotes
- Day 5: Clarify specs, update Excel, prep for internal review
Using a Procurement Tool
- Day 1: Send RFQs through a standardized platform
- Day 2: Track incoming responses live on a shared dashboard
- Day 3: Automated reminders go to non-responders
- Day 4: Quotes are organized and ready to review
- Day 5: Final decision made with full visibility
The number of days doesn’t change much. But in the second version, every day is productive. And most importantly, your team can spend time making decisions instead of fixing formatting.
What a Streamlined Procurement Process Actually Looks Like
Modern procurement tools don’t reinvent the wheel—they just remove friction.
Here’s what happens when you stop relying on emails and spreadsheets:
- All RFQs and quotes are stored in one place
- Templates make sending RFQs fast and consistent
- You get notified when vendors submit or miss deadlines
- Quotes arrive in a format that’s ready to compare
- There’s one version of every document—and no confusion
Tools like AuraVMS bring this structure without adding complexity. That’s what makes them valuable.
Think About the Cost
Let’s say your team spends 4 days a month managing sourcing tasks manually. Multiply that across 12 months, and you’ve lost nearly 50 working days a year.
Now do the math.
Even if each day costs your business ₹2,000 in manpower, that’s ₹1,00,000 gone annually—just on time spent organizing information. That doesn’t include losses from errors, delays, or missed opportunities.
How AuraVMS Helps
AuraVMS was designed for people who want a better system—but don’t want to fight with one.
It’s clean, intuitive, and flexible enough for businesses of all sizes. Some of the ways it helps:
- RFQ templates you can send in minutes
- A real-time view of which vendors have responded
- A comparison screen that replaces hours of manual formatting
- Built-in timelines to reduce the need for email follow-ups
- No-nonsense onboarding that works even for non-tech teams
AuraVMS doesn’t shout for attention. It just works—quietly in the background—saving you hours at a time.
Want to Get Started? Do This First
Improving your process doesn’t require a full overhaul. You can start small:
Map out where you’re losing time in procurement
Choose one category or vendor group to test a new workflow
Try a simple platform like AuraVMS to streamline that one process
Compare results: days saved, vendor responses, accuracy
Scale what works—then apply it across the board
Small shifts like these create noticeable change fast.
What Teams Usually Ask
Is it hard to switch?
No. Most teams can get started in a few hours. You can even use it alongside your current tools during the trial period.
Will my suppliers be comfortable with it?
Yes. Suppliers don’t need to log in or be trained—they just respond through a simplified interface.
Does this only work for big businesses?
Actually, it’s small teams that benefit the most. When you're short on time and resources, organization matters even more.
Final Thought: Procurement Shouldn’t Slow You Down
When you think about your job in procurement, it shouldn’t involve sifting through outdated spreadsheets or chasing email threads. It should be about sourcing smarter, choosing better suppliers, and creating value for your company.
You can’t do any of that if half your time is spent cleaning up documents or sending reminders.
It’s time to move forward.
Sign up for free and explore AuraVMS today. See what a simpler workflow can really feel like.