At a glance
We adhere to industry standards when running a procurement. We finalise an approach during the strategy phase, and with a good understanding of your requirements and objectives, we start compiling an RFP and agree on supplier criteria. With a supplier long list in tow, we begin warming up suppliers and giving them an introduction to your project. Q&As, workshops, and meetings follow, giving us the information we need to short list a few options. Once we've completed a rigorous and thorough evaluation process, we come to the best choice for your project. You have the final say, then we proceed with your chosen supplier.
The Process
1.Compile RFP & Evaluation Criteria
During the strategy phase, we spend ample time getting to know your organisation and discovering your requirements, then creating a strategy to achieve your business objectives. That information lays the foundation for the next phase of a project: running a procurement.
With an in-depth knowledge of the industry, we will already have some ideas for suppliers that could provide solutions that meet your needs. We will begin developing a Request for Proposal (RFP) or tender, and a long list of suppliers to send to.
2.Supplier Warm Up & Shortlisting
Our value of integrity is essential in the procurement phase, not only for our clients but also with suppliers. We don't contact suppliers unless we think they have a chance of winning. We have such a reputation that some suppliers will only bid on a project because they know we're involved. This gives you, our client, the best chance of finding the right supplier for your project.
To give each supplier the best chance to engage, we'll 'warm them up' through Q&A sessions and workshops with you. This gives each supplier a detailed understanding of your project and needs, and also helps them evaluate if they can meet your expectations before even receiving an RFP. From this, we can whittle down the options and finalise a short list of potential suppliers.
3.Supplier Q&A and Issuing RFP
Each shortlisted supplier will receive the RFP (or tender), then begin combing its contents. There will be various correspondence about specific queries and clarifications, so each supplier knows exactly what is expected of them.
We manage this process completely from beginning to end, saving you hassle and time. We report directly to your internal procurement team throughout the process, running the procurement together to maintain compliance with your internal procedures. These practices help keep you heavily involved in the procurement without the grunt work.
4.Supplier Evaluation
Following a thorough Q&A, every shortlisted supplier will submit a bid based on your project requirements. Once we've received these, we begin scoring each supplier against rigiorous criteria. We follow industry-standard methods of procurement, including specialised guidelines for public sector clients.
Each supplier is scored based on cost, capabilities, culture fit, and more. As a team, we review each supplier's score and identify a winner. Scoring is completely objective in line with best procurement practice.
5.Final Choice Interviews
Scoring will narrow down options to (typically) about two suppliers, one of which that's likely to be the scored winner. They are invited to an interview where we can discuss their proposal in even more depth.
We will address potential concerns as well as how to proceed with the project if they are chosen. We expect suppliers to have an idea of the project's future and their role in it. Thorough discussions about their bid give us the assurance we need to make a final decision.
6.Awarding Contract & Negotiations
We pick the best choice from the last remaining suppliers and make our formal recommendation. That supplier is awarded the project and we move into contracting and negotiations.
With a solution formally chosen, we can begin thinking about next phases of your project. You may need help executing your strategy - in that case, we could involve our project management team to lead the implementation and support of your strategy.