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Partner operations7 min read
Designing an accountable partner procurement program
Separate aggregated procurement volume, customer ownership and settlement responsibility from day one.
PartnersGovernance
A partner procurement program can extend vendor access and delivery capability, but only when customer ownership, commercial responsibility and operating handoffs are explicit.
Define roles before volume
- Who owns the end-customer relationship
- Who approves pricing and commercial changes
- Who funds and settles each transaction
- Who handles delivery and post-sale issues
Measure the program correctly
Aggregated procurement volume, partner revenue and end-customer revenue are different measures. Reporting should preserve those distinctions and document the period, currency and entities included.
Create an operating cadence
Review pipeline, availability, exceptions, outstanding invoices, upcoming renewals and service issues on a recurring schedule with named owners.