2 Procurement Preparation

This section describes a typical process for establishing the owner’s (customer’s) requirements for the particular project, establishing evaluation criteria and turning over this documentation to the procurement or supply chain organization to run the actual bidding process with potential suppliers.

A large and complex set of documentation is needed at this stage. Procurement documents form the basis for the contractual relationship between customers and suppliers of goods or services. They include such items as procurement plans, requests for proposals, requests for information, requests for quotations, bid invitation specifications (including owner’s requirements), and evaluation criteria. They will be supplemented later by bids or proposals from suppliers (including such items as specifications, drawings, bills of quantities etc.), contract documents, any amendments or modifications, and then finally contract closure documents.