Why I Built ProcureForce: The Story Behind the Software
I’ve spent most of my career thinking about one question:
How can we make purchasing not just better—but transformational—for the businesses that depend on it?
It’s a question I asked myself during my years at Ford Motor Company, where I led the team tasked with developing Ford’s global purchasing system.
It’s a question I asked while working with hundreds of clients through Advanced Purchasing Dynamics. And it’s the same question that eventually led me to build ProcureForce.
The Problem: A Misaligned Purchasing Function
When we surveyed CEOs about purchasing, their message was loud and clear:
They didn’t want a department. They wanted a partner.
They wanted purchasing to work with every function in the business—not beside it. They wanted insights, not spreadsheets. They wanted strategic thinking, not just transactional support.
And yet, what they were getting was the opposite:
Buyers drowning in clerical tasks. Leaders confused by inconsistent data. Organizations locked into rigid software that forced their people to conform to someone else’s “best practice.”
The Opportunity: Create a System That Works Like You Work
That’s why we built ProcureForce on three simple, but game-changing pillars:
- Total Control – Your Way.
We didn’t want to impose a rigid process. We wanted to let companies build on what already works. Every organization we work with—from North America to Asia—has its own nuance, its own culture, its own way of getting things done.
ProcureForce lets you optimize your process allowing for regional or divisional differences.
- Make the Complex Simple.
A CEO once asked me: “Why did my material costs jump at Plant B but not Plant A?”
Sounds simple, right? It’s not. It’s thousands of SKUs, multiple suppliers, shifting demand, freight changes, and a dozen hidden cost drivers.
We built ProcureForce to give purchasing the tools to answer these “simple” questions—quickly and confidently.
- Buyers First.
An industrial engineering study at Ford revealed 63% of a buyer’s time was spent on clerical tasks. That stat stuck with me. If we could give that time back, what could buyers achieve? So in ProcureForce, we measure clicks. Yes, clicks, always asking “How can we do that task with one click or better yet, no click?”.
We build screens and workflows that minimize wasted effort. That means fewer spreadsheets, less redundancy, and more value-added time.
The Result: Purchasing That Finally Performs Like It Should
What we’ve created isn’t just software. It’s a platform for aligned, intelligent, and empowered purchasing. We’ve watched clients go from reactive to strategic. We’ve helped buyers go from clerks to business partners.
And most importantly, we’ve given leaders what they’ve always wanted from purchasing:
Clarity. Control. Confidence.
If you’re wrestling with spreadsheets, disconnected data, or misaligned teams—I’ve been there. Let’s build something better together.
— Jeoff Burris
ProcureForce Just Got Reviewed by a Leading Industry Voice
Michael Lamoureux (aka The Sourcing Doctor)—Editor-in-Chief of Sourcing Innovation—just published a detailed review of ProcureForce