I invested decades in mastering and then teaching others how to ‘shape the buying decisions’ of the companies that my clients were selling their products and services to. I had a highly successful program I delivered called ‘The Criteria Process’ which was essentially a playbook on ‘How to Bypass Tenders or Manipulate Them in your Favour!’
From Sellers’ Side to Buyers’ Side
So, the fact that I’m now actively involved with an organisation that promotes tender management might seem strange at first. Transitioning from the sellers’ side to the buyers’ perspective has given me a unique view of both the advantages and challenges of tendering.
Searching for Savings When Times Get Tough
Whether suppliers like it or not (and most don’t), tendering typically ensures that companies end up paying fair market value. When times are great and profits freely flowing, few people notice the costs creeping up but when times are harder and margins become tight, tendering ensures their suppliers’ pencils stay sharpened!
What Stops Them?
So why don’t organisations just engage with their preferred potential suppliers, de-risk their supply chain by having backup options and go test the market via tendering? I have discovered that one of the greatest challenges, is often the outdated, cumbersome manual processes companies tend to use (spreadsheets, share drives, emails, calls, texts, etc.). Bottom line, when done manually, tendering can be very time consuming, and an administrative nightmare people go out of their way to avoid.
The Solution
When I ask them “if there was a fast, easy and affordable automated platform that made it simple for both sides, would you run tenders more often for the goods and services you need to purchase?” The answer is always yes!
I’ve ‘switched sides’
Having switched perspectives, I understand the significant benefits of tendering for those that are spending their money, the buyers and am dedicated to simplifying this process. I still appreciate a sellers’ skills in positioning a strong value proposition as long as it truly stacks up!
Talk to us via the request contact for more information about our easy, fast and affordable solution.
