IT procurement leaders can get involved earlier by offering to help business owners with the work of buying technology. Ask stakeholders to bring you their initial requirements, then help them coordinate reviews and complete purchasing paperwork. Give them a reason to call while they are still deciding what they need.

At ProcureCon IT Sourcing 2026, Leslie Dailey, Vice President of Procurement Management at 1st Franklin Financial Corporation, described an agreement she made with her leaders: "I'll do all the paperwork, if you come to me when you originally have the idea." She then brought proposed purchases to her CISO for early discussion. Dailey gave stakeholders a specific service in exchange for involving procurement sooner.

In another 2026 session, a presenter described procurement and IT agreeing on a hardware leasing plan, only for finance to reject the funding method. Procurement teams can avoid that rework by involving finance while they are comparing purchasing options.

Start by agreeing with business owners on when they should contact procurement and what help your team will provide. Keep the initial request short: ask what problem they need to solve and when they need a solution. Bring security and finance into those discussions when their requirements could affect supplier selection or funding and give the business owner a clear next step.

Join ProcureCon IT Sourcing to compare ways to involve procurement earlier and build working relationships with technology buyers across the business.