Measure Procurement Cycle Time Before Automating It

Measure procurement cycle time from a defined request event to the authorised purchase order. Record the milestones and staff time separately, then examine where the request waited.

Set the start, end and cohort first

Choose one group of comparable requests, such as repeat raw-material buys at one plant over the same period. Record when each request entered the queue, when it was approved, when the request for quotation went out, when comparable offers were ready and when the purchase order was released. Use a consistent clock and retain requests that are still open.

Read elapsed hours alongside active work

For an illustrative request, the milestones are hours 0, 6, 8, 28 and 33 on one clock. The request took 33 elapsed hours and the RFQ-to-quote interval took 20. If the team recorded four hours of non-overlapping active work inside that period, 29 hours lie outside recorded active work. Review the timeline to identify actual waiting and missing time rather than assigning every hour to supplier delay. If no purchase order exists yet, keep the final milestone blank and review the open request separately.

Choose the task that deserves a change

In Optiwise, follow the indent, approval, request for quotation, comparison and purchase order. If one quote lacks a unit or specification, keep it unresolved and ask the buyer to complete the comparison before release. Use our supported purchasing assistance to review connected records and prepare the next action. Recheck the same request type and measure the same milestones after the change.

Download the editable procurement timing worksheet. Enter elapsed milestones and recorded active time for one request. A missing purchase order keeps the final duration open.

Read how to follow the received order and resolve a packaging discrepancy.

Bring the record and the exception to an Optiwise walkthrough. Explore our purchase workflow with the people who own that task. Optiwise implementation costs ₹0. Subscription, optional add-ons and IoT hardware are separate.

Process reference: ERPNext request for quotation documentation.