Where is the starting point is when searching for a product/service for a procurement officer

Hey everyone, I'm currently a student studying at Michigan State University and i'm conducting research about the job position of a procurement officer. I'm currently doing my research for a company that provides humidification system to places like data center, manufacturers, and labs. My question here is if a procurement officer was working for manufacturer or a data center and he/she is in need of a humidification system, where would they go in search of this product? Would they go out and gather information through google or place a contract somewhere so suppliers can bid on it? I'm curious to know where the starting point is when searching for a product/service for a procurement officer.