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Introducing Procurement Hub

Helping designers stay on top of their deadlines, payments and deliveries.
Programa
Updated: 03 July 2024
Our mission is to make life easier for interior designers and architects, and being able to manage multiple tasks at once is a core skill needed in running a successful studio. One of the most challenging parts of any project is sourcing, quoting, purchasing and facilitating the delivery of products on behalf of clients.

Challenges Faced by Designers in Procurement

A designer can easily be speaking with 30+ brands at any one time. That’s 30+ different sales reps, payment terms, purchasing terms, deliveries, and orders, across multiple projects, clients and deadlines. On the other side of the process are brands, who are dealing with dozens of designers, all with deadlines, receiving information in various formats of schedules, purchase orders, and spec sheets – and everything is urgent!

At the moment designers manage this process with spreadsheets, emails, to-do lists, Post-it Notes, and pure, white-knuckled determination. One mistake can easily cost the client (and possibly the designer) thousands of dollars.

There’s no easy way to share procurement details with clients. The current process involves sending them a schedule and a tracking spreadsheet containing purchase orders and invoice numbers which they have to manually cross reference. This spreadsheet is almost always out of date the minute we send it to the client

There are so many data points to track, it can be difficult to easily identify what’s late, what’s on-time, who needs to be chased-up, and it’s really easy to miss something.

Spreadsheets have no reminder functionality – it’s easy to miss order deadlines or forget to follow up on certain product orders. This causes costly project delays and unhappy clients

Consolidating emails, phone calls, faxes and messages into spreadsheets is incredibly time-consuming and tedious

At Programa, we’re working hard to make this process smoother for both designers and brands. Today, we’re releasing Procurement Hub, which is the first of several tools we’re building that will streamline the procurement process for designers. Procurement Hub allows designers to easily manage the procurement process from within their schedules, with important information available at a glance.

How designers can use Procurement Hub

  • Never miss another deadline – keeping track of your deadlines is hard, and our Procurement Hub allows designers to see all of their procurement deadlines, from all of their projects, in one place, sorted by urgency.
  • Easily mark deadlines as completed – no more hunting for data to edit in multiple spreadsheets, simply mark deadlines as completed directly from the Hub.
  • Manage your files – Easily attach your relevant quotes, purchase orders, and invoices directly to your products within your Schedules. These can also be easily viewed and downloaded from online shared versions of your Schedules.
  • Procurement will continue to get easier – we’ll be adding automation, with synchronised quote requests, purchase orders and more.

Built by and for designers

By launching Procurement Hub we’re taking our first meaningful step towards reducing the complexity of procurement for designers, and helping reduce cognitive load, and anxiety, reducing errors and saving time. You could even consider Programa’s Procurement Hub as an extra team member, someone who’s always there to help ensure you never miss a never deadline.
Table of contents
  1. Information about how Programa handles your data
  2. Introduction
  3. Our Values<br />
  4. Why we process your information
  5. <br />Your rights over your information
  6. Where we transfer your information<br />
  7. How long do we retain your information
  8. Our use of advanced technologies<br />
  9. How we protect your information<br />
  10. How we use “cookies” and other tracking technologies<br />
  11. How you can reach us
  12. Types of data we collect and process<br />
  13. What Personal Data we receive<br />
  14. Retention
  15. Our purpose for using your personal data
  16. Disclosing your personal data<br />
  17. Changes to this Privacy Policy
  18. Additional Privacy Information for Brands & Suppliers<br />
  19. When and why we share your information with others
  20. Your rights over your information
  21. How long we retain your information
  22. Your customers’ information
  23. Additional Information about how we process data globally
  24. Processing data globally to fulfil our service obligations
  25. United States Regional Privacy Notice
  26. What information we collect and share about you
  27. Why we collect and share your Personal Information
  28. Sources of Personal Information
  29. How long we keep your information
  30. Wish there was a way to grow sales and better connect with clients?
  31. Why Does This Matter To Me As A Brand / Supplier?
  32. What Does That Translate To?
  33. How Does the Trade Portal Work?
  34. <strong>How Will It Solve My Problems?</strong>
    1. What does the Trade Portal Offer?
    2. What will it be like day to day?
    3. The Trade Portal Advantage
    4. The Importance of Project Management in Interior Design
    5. Tips for Becoming a Better Interior Designer
    6. Real-World Examples of Successful Project Management in Interior Design
    7. Interior Design Software For Professional Interior Designers
    8. The Issue
    9. The Result
    10. The Solution
    11. Latest Updates
    12. Interior Design & Architecture Software For Professional Interior Designers & Architects
    13. Client Portal
    14. Client Communication
    15. Rebranding
    16. Client Testimonial
    17. Software Solution
    18. Streamlining Complexities and Enhancing Collaboration
    19. Managing Multiple Projects with Conflicting Deadlines and Resourcing Needs
    20. Communicating with Clients, Contractors, and Suppliers
    21. Sourcing Materials and Products
    22. Resolving Conflicts and Addressing Challenges
    23. Streamlining Project Management with Programa’s Studio WIP: A Cross-Project Management Solution
    24. Enhancing Communication and Collaboration with Programa’s Client Dashboard
    25. Leveraging Programa’s Cloud-Based Specifications for Efficient Material and Product Sourcing
    26. Take Control of Your Studio Today
    27. 26 June 2024
    28. 19 June 2024
    29. 18 June 2024
    30. 17 June 2024
    31. Task Management: Keeping Every Detail in Check
    32. Phases: Breaking Down Your Projects
    33. Combining Studio & Task Management for Optimal Workflow
    34. Getting Started: Setting Up Your Tasks & Phases
    35. Bringing it all together.
    36. <strong><strong>1. Follow A Clearly Defined Process</strong></strong>
    37. <strong>2. Create a Detailed Scope of Work</strong>
    38. <strong><strong>3. Set Clear Boundaries</strong></strong>
    39. <strong>4. Document Everything Thoroughly</strong>
    40. <strong>5. Be Clear on the Limit of your Management Services</strong>
    41. <strong>6. Communicate Regularly</strong>
    42. <strong>7. Action Breakdowns Immediately</strong>
    43. <strong>8. See It Through</strong>
    44. The Shortcomings of Conventional Tools for Interior Designers
    45. Breaking Away from Tradition with Programa
    46. From FF&E to beautiful client comms with Programa.
    47. The Trade Portal places your brand front and center before A&D professionals
    48. Your name in lights alongside some of the biggest in the industry
    49. Your dream clientele, actively procuring
    50. Working directly with Architects and Interior Designers
    51. Programa’s Trade Portal and high quality leads
    52. Partnership
    53. It Makes Sense
    54. Key Benefits of the Programa and IDS Partnership
    55. About Programa
    56. About the Interior Design Society
    57. Recognized for Excellence in Design Software
    58. Fixed Image Layouts
    59. Web Clipper Scraper
    60. Hyperlinked URLs
    61. Improved Notes Visibility in Presentation Mode
    62. Pinboards & Client Dashboard Integration
    63. 20 September 2024
    64. 19 September 2024
    65. 17 September 2024
    66. The Range
    67. Installation
    68. Service
    69. Support
    70. The impracticalities of using generic software
    71. Enter Programa.
    72. Remove unnecessary stress and double handling with Programa:
    73. How are you using Programa?
    74. What challenges did the platform help overcome in a recent project?
    75. Instant Sharing, Seamless Collaboration
    76. Customisation at its Best
    77. 30 May 2024
    78. 27 May 2024
    79. 24 May 2024
    80. 23 May 2024
    81. 16 May 2024
    82. How Tyler Aspen Edmonds Did It
    83. The Programa Advantage
  35. Programa Invoices
    1. Simplify Your FF&E Selection Process
    2. Effortless Updates and Revisions
    3. Collaboration Made Easy
    4. Optimized Finishes Schedule Management
    5. The Future Of FF&E With Programa
    6. 13 June 2024
    7. 07 June 2024
    8. 06 June 2024
    9. 04 June 2024
    10. Special Offer for DYB Alumni
      1. Introduction to Programa
      2. Watch the Onboarding Webinar Recording
      3. Ready to Get Started?
      4. Explore Our Breakdown Videos
      5. Boost Your Profitability
      6. Save Time and Money, Manage Projects Efficiently
      7. Enhance Communication Across Your Studio
    11. Key Benefits:
    12. 12 July 2024
    13. 09 July 2024
    14. 05 July 2024
    15. 04 July 2024
    16. 02 July 2024
    17. 01 July 2024
      1. <br />What’s New at Programa?
      2. <br />Looking Ahead: Upcoming Features
      3. <br />Pricing Update: Supporting Continuous Improvement
      4. <br />Thank You for Being Part of the Programa Community
    18. Challenges Faced by Designers in Procurement
    19. How designers can use Procurement Hub
    20. Built by and for designers
Reading: Introducing Procurement Hub, Helping designers stay on top of their deadlines, payments and deliveries.
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Introducing Programa's Procurement Hub: Simplifying Procurement for Designers

At Programa, our mission is to make life easier for interior designers and architects. Managing multiple tasks simultaneously is a core skill required in running a successful studio. One of the most challenging aspects of any project is sourcing, quoting, purchasing, and facilitating the delivery of products on behalf of clients.

Challenges Faced by Designers in Procurement

Designers often find themselves communicating with over 30 brands simultaneously, each with different sales reps, payment terms, purchasing terms, and delivery schedules. Managing this process across multiple projects, clients, and deadlines can be overwhelming and prone to errors.

The current process of managing procurement involves spreadsheets, emails, to-do lists, and manual tracking, which can lead to costly mistakes and project delays. There's no easy way to share procurement details with clients, leading to confusion and inefficiency.

Introducing Procurement Hub

Today, we're excited to announce the launch of Procurement Hub, the first of several tools designed to streamline the procurement process for designers. Procurement Hub allows designers to manage procurement tasks directly within their schedules, providing important information at a glance.

How Designers Can Use Procurement Hub

Never miss another deadline: Keep track of all procurement deadlines from all projects in one place, sorted by urgency. Easily mark deadlines as completed: Mark deadlines as completed directly from the Hub, eliminating the need for manual data editing. Manage files: Attach relevant quotes, purchase orders, and invoices directly to products within schedules for easy access and sharing. Future Enhancements

Procurement Hub will continue to evolve with added automation, including synchronized quote requests, purchase orders, and more, further simplifying the procurement process for designers.

Built by and for designers

By launching Procurement Hub, we're taking a significant step towards reducing the complexity of procurement for designers. This tool helps reduce cognitive load, anxiety, errors, and saves time. Consider Programa’s Procurement Hub as an additional team member, always there to ensure you never miss a deadline.

Experience the benefits of Procurement Hub today and streamline your procurement processes with ease. Explore Programa’s Procurement Hub and revolutionize the way you manage procurement tasks.