Scope before search
Function, interfaces, standards, quantities, documents and acceptance are made explicit before market outreach.
S03 · Strategic Sourcing & Cost Engineering
Control the buying basis. Then award.
UI scopes only supplier qualification or bid comparison; an unready requirement routes to S09 technical definition before outreach.
Selected contextOriginal situation: Controle la entrega hasta la recepción y puesta en marcha. · Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals
- Timing
- 1–4 weeks
- Commercial basis
- €1,500–€7,500 per commissioned phase
- Engagement model
- Fixed-fee discovery and/or decision pack
- Begin with
- A drawing, specification, BOM, duty, incumbent offer—or simply the purchase decision that is blocked.
- Finish with
- One output only: RFQ-readiness decision, qualified supplier shortlist or normalized award pack.
What the assignment changes
A shortlist is useful only when the buying basis is controlled.
Offers on one basis
Clarifications, exclusions, deviations, lead times and commercial assumptions are normalized before ranking.
Cost logic left visible
Should-cost and total-cost assumptions support negotiation without disguising uncertainty as precision.
Four controlled decisions
From a purchasing problem to a defensible award.
Each stage produces the evidence needed to unlock the next. Supplier outreach does not start before the buying basis is credible.
01 · Define
Confirm the requirement is ready to issue.
We test the technical and commercial scope, missing data, acceptance basis and supplier return structure. If the basis is incomplete, S09 defines it before outreach.
P01 · S09 · RFQ readiness reviewDecision-ready outputRFQ-readiness decision, exact gap register and the S09 definition route where required.
02 · Qualify
Gate capability before price.
Candidate suppliers are tested against process capability, standards, capacity, references, documentation and the actual delivery window.
P02 · S03 · Supplier discovery & capability gateDecision-ready outputQualified longlist or shortlist with an explained capability position.
03 · Compare
Normalize the quotations.
Scope gaps, deviations, exclusions, NRE, tooling, freight, lead, warranty and payment assumptions are brought onto one bid basis.
P03 · S03 · Bid normalization & award packDecision-ready outputTechnical bid evaluation, commercial bid tab and clarification/deviation register.
04 · Recommend
Make the decision auditable.
Should-cost, TCO, delivery exposure and residual risk are combined into a negotiation and award position—not a supplier list.
P03 · S03 · Bid normalization & award packDecision-ready outputCost benchmark, negotiation levers and documented shortlist or award recommendation.
Buy only the decision that is missing
Define. Qualify. Award.
Requirement readiness, supplier qualification and bid evaluation are separate commitments. Start where the evidence stops and advance only when the next decision is justified.
P01
RFQ readiness review
What this engagement buys
A decision on whether the existing technical and commercial evidence can support supplier outreach, plus the exact gaps that must be closed first.
Commercial basisFixed review fee after evidence checkCheck RFQ readiness
P02
Supplier discovery & capability gate
What this engagement buys
A capability-based longlist or shortlist, documented qualification evidence and a controlled supplier-contact route.
Commercial basis€2,500–€7,500 · fixed assignmentFind qualified suppliers
P03
Bid normalization & award pack
What this engagement buys
Technical evaluation, commercial bid tab, clarification and deviation register, cost position and an auditable award recommendation.
Commercial basis€1,500–€6,000 · fixed decision packCompare the offers
Minimum useful evidence
Send what already exists. Gaps become part of the work.
A completed RFQ is not required. The first review determines whether the next paid step should be definition, sourcing, comparison or cost engineering.
01Technical basis
What to include+
Drawing, specification, BOM, duty point, material, standard, interfaces and required certificates.
02Commercial basis
What to include+
Quantity, forecast, delivery location, Incoterm, target date, warranty and payment constraints.
03Market evidence
What to include+
Incumbent offer, supplier list, previous PO, quotations, known deviations or a target cost.
04Decision window
What to include+
Award date, outage, production need, project milestone and consequence of delay.
Execution boundary
UI structures and evidences the decision. The client retains approval authority.
The assignment is scoped around the decision being purchased. Supplier contracting, regulated design authority and final technical acceptance remain explicitly allocated.
01
No supplier is recommended only because its headline price is lowest.
02
Unverified equivalence, capacity or certification is never presented as confirmed.
03
Should-cost ranges expose assumptions and data quality; they are not disguised quotations.
04
The client approves the RFQ, shortlist, negotiation position and award.
Start with the blocked decision
Build the sourcing decision.
Send the requirement, offers or supplier problem already in front of you. The assistant will preserve the S03 context, identify the missing evidence and build the preliminary brief.