Mousepads Market Procurement Intelligence Report

The market for End User Software and Hardware and its sub-segments such as Mousepads are at an interesting intersection. Global market is facing a shortage of professionals with requisite skills and training. Minimum wages and stringent regulations are compelling suppliers to increase their employee expenses which are expected to have an inflationary impact on buyer's procurement cost.

Buyers are showing an inclination to onboard suppliers whose offerings span beyond Mousepads. The practice brings in several advantages such as rationalization of supplier base, economies of scale and reduced category management cost.

The cut-throat competition in the category is compelling suppliers to go aggressive on their pricing structure and increase their spend on sales and marketing activities. As a result, most suppliers are feeling a pressure on their margins and trying to offer higher margin value added services to have a better control on their profitability.

Trends like these and many others discussed in this report are necessitating a relook at the way Mousepads is procured and the procurement cost saving opportunities that exist.

The report discusses in detail the best practices that have served well the category managers responsible for Mousepads procurement.

For example, Needs of buyers can vary depending on the industry where buyers operate. For instance, buyers from the financial services industry give high importance to regulatory compliance and data security, whereas buyers from the e-commerce industry prioritize high throughput, low response time, and high scalability. Hence, service providers with a strong knowledge of the security, compliance, and governance needs of buyers' industries and a proven track record of performance with respect to these aspects should be prioritized.

Buyers must clearly define clauses pertaining to the ownership of subcontracting services that are not a part of preferred suppliers' portfolios. Subcontractors should be bound by the same terms and conditions as the main contractor to ensure consistency in quality and manage any adverse event such as data breach.

Transferring to a new supplier can be often costly and can further get exacerbated by instances of vendor lock-ins. Buyers must scrutinize the offerings of service providers for any possibilities of vendor lock-ins and demand client testimonials from service providers to assess such possibilities. Watch out for products/services that are priced excessively low, as they can often result in costly lock-ins.

Mousepads procurement managers also need to proactively identify and mitigate potential risks that can arise in the supply chain or contracts for Mousepads procurement. Some examples include: