Simone has just joined as a purchase manager in an MNC. She needs to procure corporate t-shirts for an upcoming event. Since she is a new hire so she asks her predecessor Mrinal, for assistance
Mrinal wanted to educate and assist Simone to learn the job role so instead of sharing the number of the previous vendor; she helped her understand the job at hand.
She believes in the age-old saying.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
-Maimonides
So she sends her a questionnaire and asked her to answer all questions to find the best solution. Below are the questions and responses by Simone
Q: When is the planned event and how many T-shirts they need?
Ans: Company is looking to hire trainees from a recruitment drive. The Recruitment drive is in 2 weeks. The new hires will join the organization within 7 days of selection. That gives her 3 weeks in hand.
Q: What is the total budget?
Ans: The budget is 400-500 per t-shirt
Q: Is there any other department involved in making the decision?
Ans: Yes, The HR dept is also involved.
Q: Who will be is the final decision maker?
Ans: Me as Procurement manager will take the final decision
Q: Who is going to wear these t-shirts?
Ans: The new hires are going to wear these t-shirts on the day of induction.
Q: What is the time duration of the event? What how long is the event planned for?
Ans: It is going to be half a day event.
Q: Will the t-shirts be used only for the day of the event?
Ans: Yes, these t-shirts are going to be daily wear for the employees.
Q: Does it require any customization?
Ans: No, we need Plain Premium cotton t-shirts
Q: Does it require a logo/ design to be printed?
Ans: Yes, the company logo needs to be embroidered on the front pocket area.
Choosing the right vendor?
Simone starts her groundwork using Google to find cost-effective Corporate Gift Vendors in the city, including Corporate T-shirts manufacturers. She connects with her colleagues in various organizations for better suggestions.
Simone finalizes the Vendor, finalizes the color and quality of the T-shirts, and reaches out to the branding team for the logo details. A sample was made and approved before the final production.
Finally on the day of induction Simone was ready with customized t-shirts as desired.
By following this process Simone was not only able to find the right vendor for this requirement buy she is now better equipped for similar procurement challenges in the future.