In the past Tracker has written in depth about how suppliers can engage earlier with buyers – but why is it important that they do so?
For a number of years the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) has been encouraging procurement professionals to engage with suppliers before they publish contract opportunities as this can help them to shape their brief.
Buyers need suppliers’ help
Early engagement works both ways. Suppliers can find more opportunities by engaging earlier and reaching out to buyers. Buyers can learn more about the marketplace and gain insight by engaging with the suppliers who design the products or services they require.
An article published on CIPS’s website claims that “early engagement is the key to marketing procurement success”. It also acknowledges the benefits of bringing suppliers into the buying process before the requirement has been defined: “they have an opportunity to help with the design brief and also build up a relationship with you”.
This is something that Gareth Rhys Williams, Government Chief Commercial Officer and Non-Executive Director at the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), discussed last year with Tracker at Procurex Scotland, noting that “early engagement is absolutely crucial”. Mr Williams encouraged suppliers to engage earlier so that buyers can get the best out of a procurement exercise:
“If we don’t engage with the market, we won’t understand what the market can offer or what suppliers have developed for a different buyer elsewhere in the country. If we do not talk to suppliers, then we miss out on opportunities and we will end up trying to procure something that they may not be able to deliver.”
Engage earlier with business intelligence
If your business is looking to win public sector tenders in Europe, Market Leads gives users instant visibility of new and pipeline opportunities long before contract opportunities are published, which means users can engage earlier with buyers and learn more about their needs.
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