"Does it matter what they buy?" I have been asked that question over the years a few times from people outside of the purchasing profession as well as from Buying Assistants new to the field. The answer is yes, it does matter.
There are two types of spend to be tracked - contract (meaning in this context spend going through the Sourcing Department) and maverick (spend not going through the Sourcing Department).
Approved spending can be tracked through requisitioning and PO software while tracking the unapproved spending will require the assistance of the Accounts Payable department, notably looking at and sifting through reimbursement records to determine which goods or services should have gone through Purchasing.
All this information is valuable and necessary in order to strategize for the RFP process. Buyers need to know what they have to offer potential vendors in terms of sales as well as which potential vendors are appropriate candidates based on the spend analysis. Vendors, of course, want to see sales numbers so they can determine what volume/margin concessions they can make as well as what complimentary lines they can upsell as part of contract negotiations.
In order for Buyers to do the best job possible, spend details matter greatly.
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