Share these talks and lectures with your colleagues
Invite colleaguesPractice paper
Best practices for supplier debriefs
Corporate Real Estate Journal,
13
(3),
287-294
(2024)
Abstract
Although supplier debriefs play a crucial role in modern procurement, they are often overlooked in both the public and private sectors. This paper underscores their importance and outlines best practices for implementation. While public procurement mandates them, the private sector often omits this essential step. These debriefs create value for both buyers and suppliers by enhancing relationships, refining procurement strategies and mitigating risks. They also provide suppliers with constructive feedback to improve their offerings, boosting their chances in future bids. Whether conducted virtually or in person, supplier debriefs offer a structured way for suppliers to assess their bid strengths and weaknesses, which is particularly relevant when substantial effort is involved. Key elements for effective debriefs include clear notifications, timing considerations, ground rules, attendee selection, agenda structuring and appropriate communication styles. Embracing supplier debriefs fosters collaboration, trust and efficiency in competitive bidding, making them indispensable for organisations seeking success.
Keywords: supplier debriefs; competitive bidding; private sector; best practices; procurement; supplier relationships
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Kate Vitasek is an international authority on highly collaborative win–win relationships for her award-winning research on the Vested® business model. Author of seven books, she leads the University of Tennessee’s Certified Deal Architect programme. She has been lauded by World Trade Magazine as one of the ‘Fabulous 50+1’ most influential people having an impact on global commerce and is a member of the Hall of Fame for both the Sourcing Industry Group and the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals. Kate is a contributor for Forbes magazine and has been featured on CNN International, Bloomberg, NPR and Fox Business News.
Andrew Downard PhD, is an experienced senior executive, consultant and academic with wide exposure to leading-edge international companies. He has significant experience in the procurement, supply chain and contracting functions. Andrew is the founder of Collaborative Impact Advisory, a boutique consultancy focused on helping clients maximise the value they get from their business relationships. Ci-Advisory is also a Vested Centre of Excellence. Andrew is a Certified Deal Architect Coach and co-teaches the University of Tennessee’s Vested Executive Education course.
Wiebe Witteveen is Co-Founder of Best Value Group. Wiebe is one of the founding fathers of the Best Value and Vested approaches in the Netherlands and has made both approaches applicable within the European legislative framework — leading hundreds of public procurement initiatives. As a member of the core team of Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch government agency for roads and waterways) he won the Dutch Sourcing Awards 2012.
Fredrik Nikolaev is a Sourcing and Supply Chain Consultant at Ernst & Young (EY), a market-leading consultancy within outsourcing and supply chain and a global Center of Excellence for Vested. He has worked with 20+ industry-leading organisations to reach win–win business relationships across the globe in industries ranging from facilities management (FM)/real estate, contract manufacturing, business processing outsourcing (BPO) and logistics. Fredrik is a Certified Deal Architect Coach and co-teaches the University of Tennessee’s Vested Executive Education course.
Bonnie Keith is a strategic sourcing visionary with over 30 years’ executive operations and supply management experience in Fortune 200 companies. She is a sought-after business coach with a solid reputation for helping organisations develop highly collaborative and sustainable business-to-business (B2B) relationships. She is a Certified Vested Coach and serves as a member of the Vested Advisory Board. Bonnie is the Founder of The Forefront Group, a trusted business partner to both large and small companies and the public sector. She is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Tennessee where she supports the Vested and graduate and executive programmes, and a Certified Executive Coach in the Vested Relational Contracting Methodology.
