6 Reasons you shouldn’t set up SharePoint as a purchase order system

Last Update: July 2025

Why SharePoint isn’t the answer for procurement

When teams look to improve efficiency, it’s easy to reach for tools they already trust. And for most businesses, that means Microsoft. Since SharePoint is bundled into many enterprise licenses, it’s no surprise that finance and IT teams consider using it to manage purchase orders (POs).

It feels like a logical shortcut, right? It’s already in place, familiar to employees, and tightly integrated with the rest of the Microsoft stack.

But the problem is, SharePoint wasn’t built for procurement.

Trying to turn it into a purchase order system often leads to more problems than solutions. Version control issues, limited automation, and visibility gaps start to pile up. What starts as a well-intentioned workaround can turn into a patchwork process that’s hard to scale and control.

In this post, we’ll break down six key reasons why SharePoint isn’t the right tool for managing purchase orders, and what to look for instead.

Reason 1: SharePoint Is primarily a document management system

SharePoint works well as a document management tool. It’s great for storing files, managing versions, and enabling team collaboration. But managing purchase orders requires more than that. It calls for automated approval workflows, supplier tracking, budget visibility, and real-time status updates. That’s where SharePoint starts to fall short.

Imagine using Microsoft Paint to design a company logo. Sure, it’s possible, but tools like Photoshop or Illustrator are far better suited. Similarly, a platform purpose-built for purchase orders will outperform SharePoint every time.

While it’s possible to use SharePoint as a purchase order system, the software wasn’t designed to be used that way. It’s primarily marketed as a document management system that doubles as a storage system. Even though it’s possible to use something like Microsoft Paint to make graphics, for example, you’re probably going to use Adobe’s Photoshop or Illustrator. Similarly, you’d want to look for a system that was designed specifically to handle purchase orders instead.    

Reason 2: Built for large enterprises, not everyday business needs

SharePoint was engineered with large organizations in mind. Fortune 500 companies like Citibank and Procter & Gamble use it for internal training tools and document management, not procurement. Even for these giants, rolling out SharePoint can take years. 

For smaller or mid-sized businesses without dedicated IT teams, customizing it into a functional purchase order system can quickly become an expensive, time-consuming project.

If you don’t have the resources to support a long-term, heavily customized rollout, SharePoint’s complexity is likely to get in the way rather than help you move faster.

Reason 3: Customization is complex and time-consuming

SharePoint isn’t a plug-and-play tool like Word or Excel. It is customizable, but that flexibility comes with strings attached, usually in the form of developers, consultants, and a lot of trial and error.

This means turning SharePoint into a functioning purchase order system often requires building workflows from scratch, setting up approval structures manually, and integrating with other systems your team depends on.

For companies that need a fast, reliable procurement solution, this level of customization is more of a roadblock than a benefit. And once it’s built, maintaining it becomes another long-term responsibility. 

Reason 4: Microsoft updates can break customizations

Even if you invest time and money into tailoring SharePoint, Microsoft’s regular updates can undo your hard work. New releases might render custom features obsolete, and this forces your team to redesign solutions or troubleshoot unexpected downtime.

Ongoing maintenance is inconvenient and it’s a hidden cost that can disrupt your procurement process when you least expect it.Your engineers may have put in a lot of time building helpful customizations for your organization, but new updates rolled out by Microsoft can stop those customizations from working. 

To ensure that your SharePoint solution remains working as you need it to work, you need to keep an eye on all updates that come down the pike, and design solutions to keep everything working as intended.

Reason 5: Finding information is frustrating

We’ve all been conditioned by Google and AI tools to expect fast, accurate search results. So when users can’t easily locate what they need inside SharePoint, frustration builds quickly.

That’s because SharePoint’s search functionality wasn’t built with procurement in mind. Finding a specific purchase order, or even the right version of an attached document, can feel like navigating a maze. Results aren’t always relevant and folders can quickly become a tangle of outdated files.

You end up wasting time, losing productivity, and forcing employees to rely on workarounds to track information that should be easy to find.

A procurement system should simplify your workflow, not make it harder to answer simple questions like, “Was this PO approved?” or “Did we send the vendor the right document?”

Reason 6: It’s IT-intensive and resource-heavy

SharePoint’s complexity doesn’t end with setup. From initial configuration to monitoring updates, it demands constant IT involvement. And for a purchase order system, this is a major drawback. Your IT team shouldn’t be bogged down managing a tool that’s supposed to save time.

This results in higher costs, more reliance on technical staff, and a steeper learning curve for employees.

IT will have to spend a lot of time customizing SharePoint and stay on top of the updates that roll out from Microsoft headquarters. Plus, it will also need to train your entire team to make sure they know their way around the software. It’s definitely not the most ideal scenario. 

The better choice: benefits of a dedicated purchase order system

Instead of dealing with SharePoint’s limitations, consider a system designed specifically for managing purchase orders. Purchase order software platforms offer: 

• Automated approval workflows: Route purchase requests to the right approvers instantly, with built-in policy enforcement. 
• Real-time budget tracking: See how each request impacts available budget before it’s approved, not after the money’s spent.
• Supplier and contract management: Centralize vendor data, track negotiated terms, and ensure purchases align with approved contracts.
• Audit-ready records: Every action is time-stamped and traceable, helping you stay compliant and ready for audits.
• ERP and accounting integrations: Sync POs, invoices, and purchasing approvals directly with your accounting systems. 
• Intuitive, role-based access: Give employees an interface that’s easy to use, while keeping controls in place for finance teams.

A dedicated solution can provide in-depth spend analytics and help you enforce compliance, features SharePoint can’t easily replicate. It helps you reduce purchasing costs and make your procurement process more efficient. 

Make the smart choice for your procurement activities 

SharePoint is a powerhouse for document management, but as a purchase order system, not so much. Using it as a PO system often creates more problems than it solves.

Fraxion, on the other hand, is a dedicated purchase order software built to help finance teams control spending from the moment a request is made. You get automated approvals, real-time budget checks, policy enforcement at every step, and centralized supplier data, all in one easy-to-use platform.

Are you ready to stop forcing SharePoint to do a job it wasn’t built for? Book a demo and see how Fraxion  simplifies purchase order management.  

FAQs

Can SharePoint be used as a purchase order system?

Technically yes, but SharePoint wasn’t designed for procurement. It lacks key features like automated approval workflows, real-time budget tracking, and supplier management, which makes it a poor fit for managing purchase orders effectively.

Why is SharePoint so difficult to customize for procurement?

Customizing SharePoint for purchase order workflows usually requires developer input, manual configuration, and ongoing IT support. It’s not a plug-and-play solution, and even small changes can become complex and time-consuming.

What are the risks of using SharePoint to manage purchase orders?

You risk approval delays, poor version control, limited visibility into spend, and constant maintenance challenges. Microsoft updates can also break custom features, adding to the long-term cost and frustration.

Is SharePoint too complex for small or mid-sized businesses?

Yes. SharePoint was built for large enterprises with dedicated IT teams. Smaller businesses often find the platform overwhelming, expensive to maintain, and difficult to scale for procurement needs.

What should I use instead of SharePoint for purchase orders?

Look for dedicated purchase order software like Fraxion that offers features such as automated approvals, real-time budget checks, supplier tracking, audit logs, and ERP integration. Tools like Fraxion are purpose-built for procurement management and much easier to navigate.

How does a dedicated PO system improve procurement efficiency?

A dedicated PO system reduces manual work, shortens approval cycles, improves budget control, and centralizes supplier data. It helps teams track, approve, and report on every purchase with minimal effort.