At least, not always. 

Yes, supplier relationship management is important, yes having an escalation point is useful; however, neither of these tasks require a full-time procurement professional, when the right systems are in place. It can be argued that just like other financial roles, the function has its boom & bust cycles, with the greatest returns in value in bursts. What can’t be argued is this: procurement generates the most real value at the project level, whether it’s a full-blown sourcing event, or a spend analysis to discover CIPs. We figured that there’s an opportunity to provide what firms want: a resource dedicated to reducing their bottom line without having to budget for a full-time salaried worker or paying a per-hour fee to a consultant for work that might yield real results.