Support with the procurement of websites and digital services

Choosing a supplier means choosing a path – here’s how to ensure you make the right decision

You and your organisation have decided to develop a new website, an intranet or a digital service. Now you face the next major challenge: How do you find the right solution and the right supplier?

Many organisations devote a great deal of energy to comparing suppliers, platforms and prices. But the most important decisions are often made much earlier. If your requirements are unclear, it matters little which supplier you choose. If your objectives are unclear, it becomes difficult to determine which proposal is actually the best.

A successful procurement process therefore does not begin with the supplier. It begins with the organisation’s needs.

Why do you need support with procurement?

Procurement is not just about buying a website or a digital service. It is about creating the conditions for long-term business benefits.

To succeed, the organisation needs to agree on: Once these issues are clear, it also becomes easier to evaluate suppliers and make well-informed decisions.

• What problems need to be solved?
• What objectives need to be achieved?
• What requirements are most important?
• What risks need to be managed?
• How should success be measured?

What does procurement support involve?

The support is tailored to your needs and may include:

• Analysis of existing decision-making documentation and feasibility studies
• Requirements specification
• Formulation of business and technical requirements
• Selection of suppliers
• Coordination of questions and answers during the tender process
• Evaluation of tenders and proposed solutions
• Assessment of suppliers’ expertise and capabilities
• Support with negotiations and contractual matters
• Recommendation prior to supplier selection

Independent advice throughout the entire process

Suppliers are experts in their own solutions. But you need someone to ensure that the solution supports your business objectives.

As independent advisers, we focus on your best interests – not on a specific platform, technology or supplier. This creates better conditions for objective and well-founded decisions.

The outcome of successful procurement support

A well-executed procurement process contributes to: The aim is not merely to select a supplier. The aim is to choose the right way forward.

• Clearer requirements that suppliers can understand and respond to
• Better information on which to base decisions to choose the right solution
• Reduced risk of poor investments
• Greater alignment between business operations, communications and IT
• Better comparability between suppliers
• Higher likelihood that the chosen solution will deliver business benefits

When is procurement support particularly valuable?

Procurement support is particularly valuable when:

• The organisation lacks experience of online procurement
• Multiple stakeholders need to be involved
• There are high requirements regarding security, availability or integrations
• You wish to ensure an independent basis for decision-making
• The procurement involves major investments or strategically important systems
• There is uncertainty regarding requirements, objectives or the way forward

Better decisions lead to better solutions

Many organisations focus on which supplier to choose. But the most important question is often a different one:

Have you defined what you want to achieve clearly enough?

When business operations, communications and IT share a common understanding of the objective, it becomes significantly easier to choose the right solution, the right supplier – and the right way forward.

Contact Portabla Media and we can tell you more about support with the procurement of websites and digital services!

Frequently asked questions about the procurement of websites and digital services

What does the procurement of a website involve?

A procurement process usually includes a requirements specification, selection of suppliers, evaluation of tenders, presentations, negotiations and the selection of a supplier.

Why is a requirements specification needed?

The requirements specification sets out the needs, objectives and requirements that the future solution must meet. It helps both you and the suppliers to understand the brief.

How do you choose the right supplier for a website?

It’s not just about price or technology. The supplier needs to understand your business objectives, your users’ needs and your long-term circumstances.

When should you seek support during the procurement process?

Support is particularly valuable when the organisation lacks its own experience of procurement or wishes to ensure an independent and well-founded basis for decision-making.

What is the difference between a feasibility study and procurement?

The feasibility study identifies objectives, needs and options. Procurement involves translating these insights into requirements and selecting the supplier best able to meet your needs.

How does support during the procurement process reduce risk in a web project?

Through clearer requirements, a better basis for decision-making and a more structured evaluation, the risk of misunderstandings, misplaced priorities and costly rework later in the project is reduced.

Photo

Jud Mackrill, Unsplash.