Stakeholders and Procurement Procedures - Essay Example

It will be important to ask the right stakeholders the correct questions because they expect that the deliverables will work. It will be important to map the stakeholders’ expectations to ensure that we really comprehend what it is that they expect out of the project. Mapping these expectations out accurately will require the ability to listen skillfully and decipher what the stakeholders want. In this case, it will be prudent to ask the questions through senior management. The expectations of the stakeholder will soon be classified as unrealistic and realistic (Eskerod & Jepsen 22).

            Managing realistic expectations by the stakeholders will entail making sure that they can be fulfilled, while also ensuring that the stakeholders know their expectations are being met. The communication plan will need to give the correct information in the correct manner to the correct stakeholder (Eskerod & Jepsen 24). With regards to unrealistic expectations, these are not likely to be met and, therefore, these expectations will have to be changed. This will be done by offering better information through the development of a communication plan that provides the stakeholder with the right information in a believable fashion. However, this will have to be tactful since it will sometimes involve communicating it upwards to senior management (Eskerod & Jepsen 24).

            Management of procurement procedures will require the establishment of a governing council whose purpose will be to give directions that will align the procurement strategy with the overall strategy. The procurement department will also have to be aligned and staffed to maximize its effectiveness, while also benefiting the company (Baily 32). In this case, it would also be wise to place forecasting, contract management, logistics, and procurement under one departmental leader. It will also suffice to make technology work for the organization by reviewing processes that may need improvement, and choosing the correct technology for it. In addition, the organization, through the procurement department, should establish links and alliances with major suppliers. This will involve two-way communication by which the supplier relationship is managed by the two parties, which will allow for the measurement of performance objectives and problem resolution (Baily 33). It will also help to engage in collaborative sourcing by getting internal consumers to be involved in the process of decision-making.

              Management of procurement will also involve focusing on ownership’s total cost. This may involve a rejection of the reception of many bids, and simply moving to select a supplier based on price (Baily 34). It will also involve consideration of the entire procurement process to identify the true total cost of ownership. Contracts will also be placed under the procurement function so that the procurement and purchasing teams are able to communicate effectively. They will also ensure that the contracts will be maintained in one central repository. The company-owned inventory will also be optimized, while also placing extra emphasis on forecasting and demand planning. In addition, the appropriate levels of control will be established, as well as striving to minimize risks (Baily 34).