At Barkers we typically recommend to our clients that contract management should be integrated into their approach to procurement. In our experience, separate functions rarely collaborate sufficiently to maximise the value from their supplier relationships. Ensuring contract management is conducted with the appropriate levels of authority, the balance of risk and relationship context is key to its effectiveness – and a vital element of the overall contract governance. At Barkers we have decades of experience in setting up and managing contracts, aligning all parties to mutually advantageous goals.
A key checkpoint in any company’s journey is the point at which a supplier’s contract terminates and a new tender process can be initiated. It can be an exciting time, perusing supplier proposals which offer a diverse and innovative array of services, but it’s also a time that demands a high degree of professionalism, care, and guile.
As the tendering journey can be a long and complex one, establishing a clear process at least provides signposts and checkpoints that all stakeholders can recognise and work towards. It is surprisingly common to find companies initiating a tender process and essentially improvising their way through to completion.
This all too easily leads to miscommunications, disorganisation, and – ultimately – an unsatisfactory outcome. Although a tender process should be organic, there needs to be a structure which is constant, accessible, and familiar to all bidders and employees involved in its execution. See an example process below.