Create a Procurement Process from Excel

The short version

• Separate business need, sourcing strategy and supplier selection.
• Record declined, internal-resource and single-source outcomes explicitly.
• Keep evidence-producing steps such as RFQs and justifications visible.

Make each sourcing gate a separate row

A purchase log records suppliers and amounts, but a process map needs the choices made before an order exists. In Excel, give make-or-buy, budget approval, approved-supplier availability and single-source justification separate decision rows. Put each decision's destinations in Next Step or QueryChart's Line to column and label both outcomes.

The example chart begins at the business need and continues into sourcing, tendering, evaluation and purchase. Its source sheet uses owner lanes and explicit routes, including a declined or deferred request. That makes it more useful than a straight requisition-to-PO list. Use /templates/procurement-process as an editable starting point.

The procurement spreadsheet and resulting flowchart

Open the sheet view to inspect the real procurement rows behind this editable QueryChart visualization.

1. Start with the trigger

   The opening rows distinguish an internal solution from a purchase, so the procurement route is entered only when buying is justified.

2. Add the decision routes

   Budget and approved-supplier checks introduce rejection and exception paths instead of assuming every request becomes an order.

3. Review the complete process

   The completed chart carries the sourcing, tender, approval and purchase handoffs through to their documented outcomes.

How it works

1. Separate request and decision data

   Record the need and specification first. Add make-or-buy and budget decisions before any supplier action, with named destinations for each outcome.

2. Represent sourcing evidence

   Give approved-supplier checks, single-source justification and RFQ or tender issue their own rows. Attach the relevant owner lane to each.

3. Trace rejected and approved paths

   Render the spreadsheet in QueryChart and verify that an internal solution, a deferred request and a supplier purchase each end in the right place.

Mistakes to avoid

• Jumping from request to purchase order

  That skips the budget and supplier-choice controls. Put them in separate decision rows so the chart shows what was authorized.

Edit the procurement example

Open the source rows, replace the sample steps and verify every path in the rendered chart.

Edit the procurement example

Frequently asked questions

Should make-or-buy be a decision?

Yes. It can end in an internal-resource route or continue into sourcing; those are distinct outcomes.

How do I show single-source procurement?

Use a decision for whether the exception is justified, followed by a row recording the justification and approval.

Does this replace a purchasing system?

No. It documents the sequence and responsibilities; the purchasing system still holds transactions and approvals.