{"id":11068,"date":"2021-04-04T23:49:04","date_gmt":"2021-04-05T03:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.certitrek.com\/nlpa\/?page_id=11068"},"modified":"2021-10-05T10:49:43","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T14:49:43","slug":"sole-sourcing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.certitrek.com\/nlpa\/news\/purchasing-articles\/sole-sourcing\/","title":{"rendered":"Sole Sourcing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sole Sourcing With Your Standard RFP?<\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div>

PurchTips edition #362<\/p>\n<\/div>

How Should You Request Proposals When Sole Sourcing?<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>

NLPA Member Question: If we write an RFP for a product that is provided by only a sole source, how we can get their good response in terms of price, delivery, etc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n

RFP\u2019s are best suited to competitive situations. In sole source situations, it is important for the procurement department to foster collaborative relationships with suppliers. You cannot treat a supplier like a commodity and expect the supplier to shower you with partner-like treatment.<\/p>\n

In the context of a collaborative relationship, it is often better to discuss and negotiate terms without issuing a formal RFP. Much of the same information \u2013 specification\/statement of work, terms, quantities, etc. \u2013 will be provided to the supplier, but it will be in more of a collaborative conversation rather than an arms-length RFP process.<\/p>\n

NLPA Member Question: What is your suggestion for handling bidders that disregard your requirement to use the proposal\/quote form provided by the buyer or that insist on using their own proposal\/quote form?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you have many good supplier options and your quote form is well thought-out, then it might be best to disqualify those suppliers. However, if you find suppliers routinely balking at your quote form in various situations, I recommend revising your quote form to be more supplier-friendly so that you can better create competition. If you don\u2019t have many good supplier options, you may have to make your quote form \u201cpreferred\u201d rather than \u201cmandatory.\u201d And, if you\u2019re sole sourcing, then the importance of having a standard form for easy comparison is diminished.<\/p>\n

My last piece of advice is to never assume that you are in a sole source situation. Sole sourcing is seldom fun. Do your homework and see if you can identify a secondary source \u2013 you just may surprise yourself!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Want A More Rewarding Procurement Career?<\/h5><\/div>
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Want to get more procurement articles by email?<\/h3><\/div>

Members of the NLPA get great articles just like this by email every month. As a member, you will also get access to:<\/p>\n