You closed the conversation. The decision-maker said yes. Then procurement showed up and everything froze.
This is the worst place to get stuck because you're no longer fighting to get attention - you're fighting bureaucracy. The person who said yes can't unilaterally move forward. There's a process now. And you're not part of it.
Here's the reality: procurement isn't trying to block you. They're trying to protect the company. Your job now is to make their job easier, not harder. That means understanding exactly what they need and giving it to them in the format they expect.
Understand the Actual Procurement Bottleneck
When a deal gets stuck in procurement, it's usually one of three things:
- Missing information. Procurement needs SOW details, insurance certificates, security documentation, or compliance certifications you haven't provided yet.
- Internal process delays. They're waiting on budget approval, legal review, or vendor evaluation that has nothing to do with you.
- Competitive evaluation. They're running parallel processes with other vendors and haven't made a final decision yet.
Ask your champion directly: