Vendr: our procurement partner for all Saas software

Vendr will serve two functions for us:

  • A portal to store details about our Saas contracts (expiration dates, costs, contacts, etc)
  • A trusted partner who will provide valuable insights into our Saas suppliers and ensure that we are getting the advantageous pricing and terms

Why we teamed up with a procurement partner in 2021:

  • Designated buyers (employees who are responsible for the spend) can better monitor contract end dates or renewal dates
  • Renegotiations can commence in a timely manner, in advance of cessation or renewal
  • The Company can increase visibility to current and anticipated spend on SaaS products
  • Multi-year, multi-seat contracts are complicated and there are often hidden costs based on unforeseen situations and we needed input from experts on how to negotiate these types of deals

What we hope to achieve through a partnership with Vendr:

  • Cost savings of at least 36K in the first year (Sept 2021–Sept 2022)
  • Time back for system owners (time previously spent negotiating with vendors)
  • Streamlined process for negotiated contracts
  • Organization of existing and future contracts
  • Future proofed multi-year contracts

What will Vendr do for us:

  • SaaS contract support
    • Negotiations: A Vendr Executive Buyer negotiates on Sourcegraph’s behalf directly with the supplier. This includes routing contract components to Sourcegraph Legal, Security, and Finance for sign off
    • Background support: Vendr works with the Sourcegraph owner in the background to provide strategic guidance, supplier-specific insights, and positioning.
  • Renewal reminders (90–120 days before expiration)
  • Competitive market intelligence

Who can use Vendr:

Anyone at Sourcegraph can submit an intake form.

Procurement approval policies continue to apply but will also be routed for approval by Vendr further reducing your tasks when they handle the negotiations for us.

What Vendr will not handle for us:

  • Scoping requirements/needs
  • Implementation
  • Administration of software
  • Purchases under $5K
  • Canceling contracts with existing suppliers
  • Non-SaaS purchases

When to reach out to Vendr:

  • Ideally more than 15 business days before your deadline if you want Vendr to negotiate the contract OR at least 5 business days before your deadline for background support
  • Purchasing new software over $5K
  • Upgrading mid-term with a significant jump in cost
  • Renewing an existing software (over $5K) that hasn’t yet been negotiated by Vendr

Types of Vendr Support

How-to steps