Procurement management - Assignment Example

Procurement Management Introduction In generation and review shepherding of projects to the desired conclusion,a number of inputs and processes are required. Such is the careful design of the processes and the activities to be undertaken to achieve success in procurement of the materials. The paper looks at the processes followed to review the requirements, and the specifications for procurement, as well what I would gather as part of the procurement specification.Major steps involved in the review of the requirements are outlined below.

Planning for the procurement- in this very critical process, there is a need to establish if the procurement is necessary or required in the first place. Other concerns in this step include the determination of what to procure, how much to procure and finally, when to do the procurement. In the same process, the project manager and the procurement management team decide on the question of make-or buy the items required for the project accomplishment.Identification of the type of the contract- once a need has been ascertained to obtain the items and materials from an outside source, the procurement team, will embark on deciding on which type of contract to sign with the prospective bidders.

Very key in this process is to question the risk management strategies with different bidders. The prospective suppliers must be comprehensively engaged on this concern to explore any possibilities of risk occurrence, and the risk mitigation strategies that are in place to cushion the firm from the impacts. It is upon such establishment that such contract types as the cost plus fixed fee or cost plus the incentive fee will be agreed upon (Project Management Institute-PMBOK 2008).The third stage is to develop the standardized procurement documentation.

These documents are drafted and reviewed every now and again depending on the circumstances at any given stage of the project implementation. Such important procurement documentation include the standard forms, the quotation proposal, the Invitation For Bid (IFB), the Request For Quote (RFQ) and other form templates used in the process created specifically for the procurement processes.The Procurement Management Plan- in the plan, the project manager puts in place the roles and responsibilities of the project team and that of the organization.

Notably, creation of understanding among or between the project team members and the organization is necessary at this point. This is because such arrangements, more often than not, create the conflict of interests, duplication of responsibilities and the completion for resources by the members of the different teams. In this concern, such organizational structures like the work breakdown structures and the organization breakdown structures must be compromised to enhance the work flow in the project implementation (Albert 2004).

Finally, there will be the establishment of the procurement evaluation criteria and the corrective actions taken thereafter upon the failure of the earlier processes. At this point, the organization sets out to begin the solicitation for the willing and able suppliers (Fisher & Ury 2008). Examples of the documents to be prepared and used in this process include the qualified seller lists.Concerning the information, I would gather as part of the procurement specification include the scope statement that outlines and gives the limits of the project size and activities anticipated.

I would also consider the healthy, safety and the environmental permits. Also to inform my decisions on the general project organization will be the Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) and the Organization Breakdown Structures (OBS) in place. Project schedules and budgets also form crucial part of the information I will gather towards achieving this task (Albert 2004 p. 18). Team discussions, especially, the project team engagement will be instrumental in providing valuable information.Therefore, it is imperative to note that cautious and well planned procurement process is achievable through teamwork and consideration of all the determinants of the success of any project work.

ReferencesProject Management Institute. 2008. A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK). 4th ed. Newton Square: Project Management Institute.Albert, D. 2004. Handbook of Project Management Procedures. TTL Publishing, Ltd.Fisher, G & Ury, H. 2008. Getting To Yes. Houston, Chicago.