People in Projects

New Trends in Procurement

There are numerous types of agreements, alliances, or partnerships for retaining external suppliers. The specifics of these agreements are beyond the focus for this article and therefore not discussed here. The quest for most project managers involves integrating the suppliers with in-house resources while maintaining the delivery, quality, and costs expected by the customer.

In the past, low-priced offerings were accepted. Today the objective of low cost remains, but the method for arriving at competitive costs has changed. Companies are working together to define scope, schedule, and performance measurements. Perhaps most noteworthy, suppliers are participating in preplanning activities with companies to develop creative ...