After the decision has been made to purchase goods or outsource services, the procurement team develops a plan that includes the following:
- Selecting the appropriate relationships and contract approaches for each type of purchased goods or outsourced service
- Preparing RFQs and RFPs and evaluating partnership opportunities
- Evaluating RFQs, RFPs, and partnerships
- Awarding and signing contracts
- Managing quality, timely performance, and contract changes
- Closing contracts
Depending on the complexity level of the project, each of these steps can take either hours or sometimes weeks of work to complete. Each of these steps is also included in the project master schedule. The time involved in the procurement cycle can influence the scheduling of critical activities, including the decision to self-perform the work or contract the work to others. The equipment and materials deliveries and completion of contracted work dates are placed on the project schedule and any procurement activities that create a project delay or fall on the project critical path may require special attention.
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