Procurement management

Consultancy and project management in the acquisition of IT and communications systems and services

Acquiring IT and communications systems and services can be time-consuming, costly and complicated. A wrong step can be very expensive. We review, advise on, project manage and carry out all or any of the elements that make up a successful procurement, including:

Procurement strategy and planning	Relationship between purchaser and contractor; risk sharing; demonstrations; activities and responsibilities of all concerned
Preparation of procurement specifications	Ensuring completeness; correct level of detail; precision; quality of service needs; procedural and quality assurance needs; standards
Management of the tender process	Dealing with bidders; clarifications; bidders conferences; project management of the tender process
Tender evaluation and selection	Systematic evaluation; balancing all needs and constraints; selecting the best offer
Contract finalisation	Contract negotiation; incorporation of clarifications; assembling the contract; warranty
Contract management	Dealing with changes; approval of deliverables; stage payments; quality assurance; progress monitoring; project management of purchaser activities
Acceptance testing	Scoping of tests; design of test environment; verifying completeness; resource and activity planning
Post contract management	Warranty claims; contract extensions; performance monitoring.

We are also highly experienced in the critical steps leading to a successful procurement, including feasibility studies, requirements definition and technical analyses, project planning and management.

Some projects

Some procurement management projects we have undertaken include:

Advisor to a major broadcaster on the procurement of critical computer facilities for its television broadcast network.
Technical and contract management for a large distributed front-office banking and communications system.
Evaluation of tenders for distributed office systems for a major institution.
Specification and management of the procurement of electronic messaging systems for the Council of Ministers of the European Union and member state administrative bodies.
Preparation of specifications used in the international competitive bidding for the acquisition of a major system for a NATO agency.

Click here for information on a broader range of project experience.