What Makes a Good Procurement Consultant?
We have previously discussed the skills necessary to becoming a procurement consultant. However, now we’ll focus on what it takes to put these skills into practice and how to use these skills to achieve success!
Looking to choose a procurement consultant? We will also cover what you should be looking for from top procurement consultancies.
Firstly…
What is a procurement consultant?
A procurement consultant is an expert in the purchasing process. They are the buyer’s best ally — providing advice, conducting supplier market research, and analysing your costs and overall strategic/operational processes. They can manage the end-to-end procurement process on a buyer’s behalf or offer expertise at any stage needed.
At Hudson Procure, we provide all of these services and more! Contact us here for more info!
I have the skills to be a procurement consultant, but how do I use them?
You may have all the necessary skills to be a procurement consultant but you may be wondering how you can put them into practice and what the daily tasks a consultant may face which require them!
Here are just a few of the top skills:
- Strong written communication: This will come as no surprise, but strong written communication skills are necessary when you will be drafting procurement notices, bidding/evaluation documents and supply contracts. You will also require this skill when taking care of the evaluation and negotiation process (award of contract and contract management stages).
- Strong verbal communication: This is also a necessary skill to have as a procurement consultant as you will be having several meetings with different clients (in person and on calls), visiting their site, delivering presentations and having working sessions to collaborate and brainstorm effective procurement processes. Client relations is key to everyday life as a procurement consultant!
- Organisation: When working independently with a client or as part of a wider procurement consultancy team, you must always be individually accountable of your processes. This is why organisation is key, as it keeps everyone in your team and the client informed at every procurement stage. Developing a daily routine also keeps you accountable. This includes checking your calendar for meetings, preparing documents ahead of time, conducting market research and always referring back to the client’s needs. Always keep to your schedule and set realistic goals, so you never fail to deliver for the client!
What you need to look for from any procurement consultant!
When choosing a procurement consultant, you must consider what it is that would benefit your business the most. Here are just a few benefits a procurement consultant can offer you:
- Wealth of Experience: The top procurement consultants will have worked within a broad range of sectors, different size businesses and global clients. This means that an experienced procurement consultant has already honed their craft and they can apply their skills to your business effectively and quickly.
- Problem Solver: Procurement consultants will also be adept at problem-solving. This means that they must have creative and innovative intellect — being able to adapt to new challenges a business may encounter and using their considerable knowledge of procurement processes to overcome them.
- Delivery: This is what all buyers look for when hiring a procurement consultant and is the most important aspect when looking for any procurement support. The consultant must be able to deliver on all that they promise. However much support you require (review, spending analysis, health check or a full end-to-end procurement service), the consultant should have the experience and drive to overcome obstacles that inhibit delivery. Look at the consultant’s track record for delivering on their promises and how much money they have saved previous businesses! Cost savings are vital, but don’t forget to also look at how much value the consultant has brought to the previous companies they’ve worked with — simplified procurement processes, effective risk management plans, shareholder value etc.
- Short-term solution or long-term reward? Many businesses will encounter flaws in their procurement processes and seek out a procurement consultant to solve these problems, without little regard for re-encountering these problems in the future. A top procurement consultant will solve your current procurement problems AND leave your business in a solid place for the future. They may help you develop relationships with competitive suppliers, help you analyse your spending and introduce more effective risk management strategies for future risks out of your control.
How do I know whether I need a procurement consultant?
If you’re on the fence about hiring a procurement consultant, you need to ask yourself the following questions. If you find yourself answering yes to any of these, it is wise to consider a procurement consultant when you are:
- Struggling to lower costs/recently discovered a need to lower costs
- Wondering whether you are spending effectively
- Don’t have enough time or resources to dedicate to effective procurement
- Struggling to analyse tender responses
- Need access to procurement knowledge and expertise
Ultimately, procurement consultants drive value into your business within the shortest possible time frame. They can help you lower costs, while providing you with procurement knowledge, analyse your spending and much more. Overall, they can transform the health of your business — delivering those all-important results so that you can see the evidence of hiring a consultant!
More Information About Us!
Procure Consult
With Procure Consult, we offer support with tender management and ad-hoc procurement consultancy. Our expert team will manage the end-to-end procurement process or offer assistance at any stage, as and when required.
Procure Health Check
With Procure Health Check, we’ll conduct a full review of the strategic and operational procurement processes within your organisation. We’ll identify the areas that need improvement and help you drive greater value from the procurement process.
Procure Analyse
The purpose of Procure Analyse is to conduct a high-level analysis of your spending activity. We’ll help you understand your current purchasing behaviour and highlight areas that can deliver greater value. Procure Analyse is also offered as part of Procure Health Check or as a standalone service.
Procure Outsourcing
With Procure Outsourcing, we deliver a range of procurement solutions on an outsourced basis, completely bespoke to you. This can range from delivering multiple tender projects as a package to delivering the full procurement function of your organisation.
Procure Post
Are you trying to find a supplier for your project? Post your tendering opportunity onto any of our 11 sector-specific portals for FREE with Procure Post!
Housed by our sister company, Hudson Discover, our portals host thousands of tendering opportunities for organisations of all sizes. For an additional cost, we’ll even help you identify your requirements and find the most suitable suppliers for your business.
Get in touch for a consultation and find out how we can help your business drive better value from procurement.
