Purchasing Tools and Techniques

The 2-day course focuses on enhancing participants' understanding of developing strong business cases in the public sector. It covers topics such as achieving value for money, strategic fit, investment appraisal, and risk management. The program aims to update attendees on the latest practices in business case development within public sector procurement. It includes case studies and group activities, catering to public sector procurement and non-procurement staff involved in project agreements with external suppliers.

This 2-day course focuses on commercial management and understanding suppliers to maximize value from supply chains. Attendees will gain insights into procurement, supplier pricing methods, costing systems, and financial analysis techniques. The program aims to equip participants with knowledge of market dynamics, economic influences on costs, and effective supply chain management strategies. Suitable for teams implementing supply chain management practices in procurement.

This 2-day course focuses on equipping attendees with practical negotiation skills in a commercial setting. Participants will learn about negotiation processes, planning, managing negotiations, and common negotiation behaviors. The course includes a role-play exercise for personal improvement. It is suitable for teams seeking hands-on negotiation practice and aims to enhance team negotiation performance.

This one-day course focuses on best practices for specifying goods and services to minimize risk and maximize competition. Participants will learn about the different types of specifications, the use of standards, and the legal framework surrounding specifications. The course aims to equip delegates with the skills to produce effective commercial specifications. Suitable for individuals involved in creating or evaluating specifications for third-party suppliers.

This 3-day course focuses on the practical aspects of specifying, tendering, and evaluating options for capital expenditure. It equips attendees with tools and techniques for managing asset procurement. The course is designed for teams involved in asset procurement management, engineers, and decision-makers. Sessions cover defining assets, the asset procurement process, managing tenders, supplier selection, setting up tenders, managing competition, contract management, and developing a business case. Attendees learn about financial impacts, business processes, tender management, supplier appraisal, contract setup, and ongoing relationship management.

This one-day course focuses on best practices in procuring consulting services. Participants will learn about legal obligations, setting specifications, sourcing consultants, and using terms to transfer risk effectively. The course aims to help attendees identify the best approaches to buying consulting services. It is designed for practitioners involved in specifying and procuring consulting resources and contracts. The course can be run over a two or three-week cycle upon request.

This 2-day course focuses on equipping attendees with practical negotiation skills in a commercial setting. Day 1 covers negotiation definitions, planning, styles, strategy development, meeting conduct, and effective negotiation behaviors. Day 2 involves a case study role play exercise for personal improvement. The course aims to provide an overview of common negotiation approaches, techniques, tactics, and ploys. It is suitable for teams seeking hands-on negotiation practice and ensemble performance improvement.

This one-day course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of fraud in purchasing and contracting. It covers various types of fraud, areas of risk, internal and external controls, and legal aspects. The course targets senior management and procurement personnel involved in operational processes and audit activities vulnerable to fraud. Practical application and case studies are used to test understanding.