Easy Picking: Save Time, Money and Gray Hair in Hiring the Right Vendors

Want to Enhance Your Procurement Process?  Focus on EXPERTISE!

Hiring industry partners is one of the most common things that organizations do… but how often do these partners not meet expectations? Nothing will make you work harder and longer than hiring the “wrong person”. We need to simplify the procurement process and require that the suppliers measure and document the value they bring to the owner.

Key Recommendations for Hiring the Best

1. Increase your awareness of vendor perceptions.  Does the local industry think you have a favorite?  Contractors are extremely busy – you are not the only fish in the sea.  We need to use a fair, open, and transparent procurement process.
2. Organize and simplify the RFP to attract vendors.  Avoid duplicative language throughout your solicitation document.  Strictly avoid mixing scope of work with the submittal requirements.
3. Create Submittal Forms for all required responses.  Keep it simple (fill in the blanks, check boxes, etc.)! Avoid making the vendors ‘think’ about what needs to be submitted – we want them thinking about the SOLUTION.
4. Interview the key personnel only.  You want to talk with the actual people who will be doing the work.  Have them layout the project schedule and potential risk as on a whiteboard. Setup the interview like an actual job interview… no formal presentations or handouts!
5. Always be seeking ways to improve.  Always be asking yourself, “how can we do it faster, cheaper, more efficiently, and more effectively?” Actually do something different (vs just education & training).

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