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The purchaser’s view

12/10/2007

2 Comments

 
Posted by Jon
​
A few weeks ago, UKAPMP hosted a fascinating evening at which members had the chance to quiz two (very brave!) procurement experts.

On the team was our good friend Martin Webb, one of the leading lights of the purchasing profession in the UK. A couple of his comments particularly caught my attention.

First, Martin offered his definition of the role of the proposal as being:​
“making it easier for the customer to make a ‘yes’ decision.”
Quizzed by the audience on management summaries, Martin confirmed the view that they ’set the tone’ for the evaluators reading the document:
​“There’s a good chance that you’ll be facing a fundamentally lazy organisation. You need to lead them through to the things that differentiate you, and the management summary is a great way to do this.”
​I always enjoy watching the faces of sales and proposal people when they hear procurement folks discussing their trade. Similarly, buyers find it quite eye-opening to listen to folks from a bid environment. So, when did you last have an open talk to someone from the opposite side of the negotiating table – away from a particular live deal, but to share your respective experiences and insights?
2 Comments
Barbara Esmedina
3/26/2016 04:35:04 am

In the USA, if it is a government RFP you may request a debriefing where the procurement officer will answer questions regarding your submission and the submission that won the award. They will tell you exactly why they chose the winning entry as well as why they did not pick yours. Absolutely invaluable. I wish they did debriefings for commercial RFPs as well. Oddly enough, not everyone will request a debriefing. I can’t imagine why.

Reply
Jon
3/26/2016 04:35:17 am

Barbara – or, as a former purchaser myself, they’ll give you their spin on your submission and the winning proposal. Sometimes it’s a case of the truth, but perhaps not quite the whole truth…!

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