From Spreadsheets to Success: A Guide to High-Velocity SaaS Procurement with Brittney Linville (Zylo)

With hundreds of SaaS renewals a year, each with their own complexities, Procurement has its work cut out for them. But that didn't stop Brittney Linville, a tenacious and growth-minded U.S. Army veteran and procurement leader. In fact, she has not only built three procurement organizations from the ground up, but she created the gold standard for how to do it. From ditching spreadsheets and building strategic partnerships to streamlining procurement processes, Brittney dishes on how she executed at high velocity.

Key Takeaways

1. Building Strategic Partnerships: Brittney Linville emphasizes the importance of building relationships with key stakeholders, such as CIOs and CTOs, to understand their needs and align procurement strategies with organizational goals.
2. Elevating Procurement: Linville discusses how she elevated the role of procurement to become a strategic partner by focusing on understanding the technology landscape, including SaaS, and aligning procurement processes with business objectives.
3. High-Velocity Procurement: Despite being a team of one, Linville successfully managed hundreds of renewals by building a collaborative approach, leveraging technology integrations, and streamlining processes to increase efficiency.
4. Tech Stack Optimization: Linville's tech stack included tools like Coupa for guided buying flows, Ironclad for contract lifecycle management, and Zylo for SaaS management. She emphasizes the importance of selecting tools that streamline processes and enhance user experience.
5. Making Procurement Easier: Linville's approach focused on simplifying procurement processes to make them more user-friendly and efficient, reducing friction and encouraging compliance while minimizing the risk of shadow IT.
6. Personal and Business Favorites: Linville's favorite personal SaaS application is Canva for its user-friendly design capabilities, while her preferred business app is Ironclad for its innovation in contract lifecycle management.