Що таке замовлення на купівлю SaaS?

A SaaS purchase order (PO) is an official document that a SaaS company sends to a software provider to authorize access to a product or service under a subscription.

A purchase order confirms various product-related details, such as subscription terms, pricing, and billing information. 

It is an important document in terms of financial control, accountability, and transparency. 

A SaaS purchase order is relevant in the context of a subscription, as this involves recurring transactions, contract terms, and compliance obligations. SaaS companies use this type of document for record keeping, internal budget management, and audit processes. 

In the absence of a PO, teams can agree to different services with financial approval, and this can cause budget confusion. 

The common components of SaaS purchase orders are:

• Company name and billing address
• Vendor name and contact details
• Description of the SaaS product
• Number of licenses or users
• Subscription term (monthly, annual, multi-year)
• Price per license or total contract value
• Payment terms (Net 30, upfront, etc.)
• PO number for tracking

A SaaS purchase order and an invoice are two different documents. The main difference between the two is purpose. 

• A SaaS purchase order confirms and authorizes a payment. 
• A SaaS invoice requests a payment to be made. 

SaaS companies require a purchase order in specific situations: 

• The contract value exceeds a certain threshold
• The subscription is annual or multi-year
• The company operates in regulated industries
• Procurement policies mandate pre-approval

Generally speaking, a purchase order is a document used by larger corporations or enterprises. Start-ups and smaller companies don’t usually require a purchase order. 

Improving the SaaS purchase order flow requires standardization. A few key steps of  your optimization process are:

• Implement a procurement software to automate PO creation
• Monitor renewal dates to prevent unexpected charges
• Centralize SaaS contracts in one dashboard
• Align IT and finance teams on approval thresholds
• Monitor SaaS spending quarterly