A MORE PRACTICAL APPROACH
Good procurement should make the decision clearer—not make the process heavier.
Traditional procurement processes can become complicated quickly: long requirement lists, too many suppliers, unclear differences, proposals that are difficult to compare, and stakeholders evaluating different parts of the decision.
Sometimes a formal RFP is exactly the right tool. Sometimes it is not.
I help start one step earlier: What are we actually trying to accomplish, what requirements really matter, and what options deserve serious consideration?
From there, the procurement process can be sized to the decision instead of allowing the process itself to become the project.
WHERE I CAN HELP
The work usually starts before anyone asks for a quote.
ACROSS MARKETS
Procurement is a capability—not a product category.
The underlying procurement problem appears in many different markets.
A company evaluating internet providers, cloud platforms, CRM systems, or cybersecurity partners needs to understand requirements, suppliers, pricing, terms, and tradeoffs.
A group planning a conference, cruise, business trip, or destination experience may be doing much the same thing across hotels, transportation, venues, cruise lines, tour operators, and other travel suppliers.
The products are different. The decision-making discipline is remarkably similar.
FROM NEED TO DECISION
Start with the outcome. Narrow the field intelligently.
The goal is not to create the largest possible list of suppliers. It is to understand the market well enough to identify the right set of credible options.
EVALUATING FIT
Price matters. It is rarely the only thing that matters.
The lowest price can still be the expensive choice if the solution does not perform, cannot adapt, creates operational complexity, or introduces unacceptable risk.
When evaluating technology, suppliers, and proposed solutions, I use the Five-Star Method to help frame the decision across five dimensions.
PARTNERS & SUPPLIERS
Relationships expand the options. They shouldn't determine the answer.
I work across a broad network of technology providers, travel suppliers, specialists, distributors, agencies, platforms, and other partners.
Those relationships can make it easier to identify options, reach the right people, understand capabilities, and move conversations forward.
But the relationship comes after the requirement.
I don't want the question to be, “Which product can I sell you?” I want it to be:
“What are you trying to accomplish, and which options deserve to be considered?”
WHEN THE PURCHASING PATH MATTERS
The best supplier option still has to fit the way you are allowed to buy.
In government, education, nonprofit, cooperative, and other structured purchasing environments, identifying a good solution is only part of the decision.
Contract vehicles, cooperative purchasing options, approved suppliers, competitive requirements, certifications, funding sources, compliance requirements, and internal approval processes can all affect which path is practical.
When those constraints matter, they should become part of the supplier research early—not something discovered after the preferred solution has already been selected.
READY TO EXPLORE OPTIONS?
Some decisions can start in the Marketplace.
For selected technology solutions, advisory services, travel resources, and partner offers, the Marketplace provides a more direct way to explore an option, request pricing, book a conversation, or continue with a partner.
START WITH THE DECISION
Looking for the right supplier—or trying to figure out what the right supplier should look like?
Tell me what you are trying to accomplish, what you already know, and where the decision feels complicated. We can start there.