Thinking of hiring a Freelance Procurement Consultant? Here’s what you should know…
So, you’re likely here because you are considering hiring a Freelance Procurement Consultant. Therefore, you require support with your procurement process. There is certainly help out there, but finding the right help is the issue. In this blog, we will help you learn which support is best for your business! Keep reading to find out more about Freelance Procurement Consultants.
What does a Freelance Procurement Consultant do?
Starting off, let’s discuss what a Freelance Procurement Consultant does. They’re procurement experts that can offer you support, depending on your requirements. Procurement Consultants are incredibly helpful to businesses that need to procure services. The process can be overwhelming to those without experience. So, a helping hand is always worth it when it comes to your procurement management. Especially with the risks that are involved.
As with all Purchasing Consultants, they will support clients with the following:
1. Helping you identify your business needs
This will differ for each business, from brand design to construction. It’s important to understand what you require before delving further into procurement.
2. Developing a scope of procurement
This includes budget, Lots, timescales, and the number of suppliers needed.
3. Deciding on a procurement method
Will you invite targeted suppliers to bid, or will you have open tendering?
4. Writing the specification
This informs suppliers about what it is you require.
5. Publishing the contract notice
A great way to get your contract noticed is to post it on a tender portal. You can use our FREE service, Procure Post, for any of our 11 sector-specific portals.
6. Evaluating the submissions of suppliers
You’ll likely have a lot of submissions to go through. Freelance Procurement Consultants can support you with evaluating which suppliers are the most suitable.
7. Awarding the contract
Your Procurement Consultant can also handle the stage of awarding the contract. They’ll also be required to give unsuccessful suppliers feedback on why they didn’t win.
Are there better options?
Turning to a Freelance Procurement Consultant will certainly benefit your business. But are there better options available? Well, turning to a procurement consulting firm is another great option.
So, what are the benefits of choosing a firm over a Freelance Procurement Consultant?
1. More experience and a larger team
A firm of Procurement Consultants will collectively have more experience than a single Freelance Procurement Consultant. This means different experts can offer advice, and they’ll all have different experiences within the industry. Sometimes during a project, you may come across an issue that one Consultant may be unfamiliar with. It may involve another sector which they do not specialise in. They’re quite likely to have another Consultant that does have this experience. So, they can offer support and guidance. A Freelance Procurement Consultant will certainly struggle with this issue on their own.
2. More options for specialists
As touched on in our first point, a firm has more experience. Therefore, they will likely have individuals that specialise in certain sectors. Finding a Freelance Procurement Consultant that specialises in housing, for example, may be hard to come by.
3. More resources and reliability
One of the biggest benefits of working with a procurement consultancy is that they have more resources. If you need help quickly, a firm has the team to do so. They can have several Procurement Consultants working with you at a time. This can mean you receive at least twice the work a single Freelance Procurement Consultant can offer at once.
If unexpected issues arise with your project, a firm is more equipped to handle it. Something as mundane as illness can be a much bigger deal for a freelancer. If this happens to one of the Consultants at a company, they have more staff that can chime in. This is certainly not the case for a Freelance Procurement Consultant.
Summary
Here is what we covered in our blog on Freelance Procurement Consultants:
What does a Freelance Procurement Consultant do?
Freelance Procurement Consultants are specialists that offer procurement advice, guidance, and services. They support businesses that require the services of other companies or organisations. Unlike a procurement consulting firm, they work as individuals.
They can help with:
- Helping you identifying your business needs
- Developing a scope of procurement
- Deciding on a procurement method
- Writing the specification
- Publishing the contract notice
- Evaluating the submissions of suppliers
- Awarding the contract.
Here are just a few reasons why it may be more beneficial to work with a firm over a freelancer:
- Firms have more experience and a larger team
- They have a wider pool of specialists
- More resources and reliability.
Do you have further questions about procurement? Contact us to speak with our experts and see how we can support you. We are always happy to help with short and long-term procurement requirements.
How can Hudson Procure help with the procurement process?
At Hudson Procure, our procurement experts have nearly two decades of experience. No matter what kind of support you’re looking for, we can help.
Procure Consult
With Procure Consult, we’re offering support with tender management and ad-hoc procurement consultancy. Our expert team will manage the end-to-end procurement process or offer assistance at any stage, as and when required.
Procure Health Check
With Procure Health Check, we’ll conduct a full review of the strategic and operational procurement processes within your organisation. We’ll identify the areas that need improvement and help you drive greater value from the procurement process.
Procure Analyse
The purpose of Procure Analyse is to conduct a high-level analysis of your spending activity. We’ll help you understand your current strategic purchasing behaviour and highlight areas that can deliver greater value. Offered as part of Procure Health Check or as a standalone service.
Procure Outsourcing
With Procure Outsourcing, we deliver a range of procurement solutions on an outsourced basis, completely bespoke to you. This can range from delivering multiple tender projects as a package to delivering the full procurement function of your organisation.
Procure Post
With Procure Post, you can share your tender on one or more of our 11 sector-specific portals. This way, you’ll increase your chances of finding the perfect supplier.
Get in touch for a consultation and find out how we can help your business grow.
Check out our other blogs for further Procurement Insights:
