Just because your company has 10k employees doesn't mean they need 10k licenses for everything they buy. Often only 10 people in one department in one country need that one specific thing.
A 10K employee company will use a finite number SaaS services, they should absolutely be well equipped for their financial staff to 'pay' for stuff, including software, using a variety of means, including credit cards, it's what they do all day, this is not a new concept and neither is the scale of it.
They buy toilet paper, cleaning fluids, pens, envelopes that way.
A team of '10' needs 10 licences, they have their rep. from the finance do that, if it's over $X amount it needs approvals etc. etc. it's not rocket science, just like the special chairs, the screen for the window, the special hard drive.
They buy toilet paper, cleaning fluids, pens, envelopes that way.
I can assure you they do not (at least not in any company I have worked). They have pre-approved suppliers for all those things that are well integrated into our invoicing system. Adding a new supplier to that list is a major process.
If I need a new one off hard drive I can either either ask IT to order it from the one approved computer component company or I buy it out of pocket and go through the reimbursement process.
Yes, of course many things are purchased through contracts.
And many things are not.
Every company buys stuff from Staples/Costco/Wallmart, one-off parts and supplies.
The article mentioned having a 3rd party for the billing, indicating probably some kind of larger purchase, it's odd. Commercial Banking usually provide Amex/Visa linked accounts with limits, for a variety of things, it's not a new idea.
