Procurement Function Course

Lesson 1 • Procurement Performance Metrics

Introduces KPIs used to measure procurement effectiveness and efficiency. Establishes a baseline for evaluating improvement throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Key Procurement Roles and Responsibilities

Defines roles across the procurement team and cross-functional partners. Clarifies accountability structures students will navigate in practice.

Lesson 3 • Organisational Models for Procurement

Examines centralised, decentralised, and hybrid procurement structures. Students evaluate trade-offs to recommend appropriate models for different organisational contexts.

Lesson 4 • Procurement Defined and Contextualised

Covers the definition, scope, and purpose of procurement within organisations. Anchors all subsequent topics by establishing shared vocabulary and functional boundaries.

Lesson 1 • Spend Cube and Segmentation Techniques

Teaches multidimensional spend analysis across supplier, category, and business unit axes. Students interpret spend cubes to identify savings opportunities.

Lesson 2 • Spend Data Collection and Cleansing

Addresses sourcing, consolidating, and normalising spend data from multiple systems. Clean data is the prerequisite for all category and sourcing decisions covered later.

Lesson 3 • Category Strategy Development

Guides students through defining category scope, market analysis, and strategic options. Connects spend insights to actionable sourcing and supply strategies.

Lesson 4 • Category Management Governance

Establishes review cycles, stakeholder engagement, and performance tracking for categories. Ensures category strategies remain aligned with business objectives.

Lesson 1 • Supply Market Intelligence

Covers tools and sources for gathering competitive intelligence on supply markets. Enables students to make evidence-based sourcing decisions.

Lesson 2 • Total Cost of Ownership Modelling

Teaches construction and application of TCO models beyond unit price. Students build a TCO model to compare sourcing options quantitatively.

Lesson 3 • Make vs. Buy and Outsourcing Decisions

Provides a decision framework for insourcing, outsourcing, and hybrid supply models. Students apply total cost logic to evaluate strategic alternatives.

Lesson 4 • Strategic Sourcing Process Steps

Outlines the end-to-end strategic sourcing methodology from profile to award. Provides the procedural backbone for all sourcing activities in the course.

Lesson 1 • Supplier Risk Tiering and Classification

Applies risk-based frameworks to classify suppliers by criticality and vulnerability. Guides proportionate due diligence and monitoring investment.

Lesson 2 • Supplier Financial and Operational Assessment

Teaches methods for evaluating supplier financial health and operational capacity. Prevents costly supply disruptions caused by unqualified suppliers.

Lesson 3 • Request for Information Design

Covers the purpose, structure, and evaluation of RFIs to gather supplier intelligence. Students draft an RFI and score responses against defined criteria.

Lesson 4 • Supplier Identification Methods

Explores channels for discovering potential suppliers globally and locally. Builds the pipeline of candidates needed for competitive sourcing events.

Lesson 1 • Tendering Methods and Selection Criteria

Compares open, restricted, and negotiated tendering approaches and their appropriate use. Students select the right method based on category complexity and market conditions.

Lesson 2 • Debriefing and Feedback to Bidders

Establishes best practices for communicating award decisions and providing constructive feedback. Maintains supplier trust and supports continuous improvement in future bids.

Lesson 3 • Tender Document Preparation

Covers drafting specifications, evaluation criteria, and commercial terms for tender packages. Well-structured documents reduce ambiguity and improve bid quality.

Lesson 4 • E-Sourcing and Reverse Auctions

Introduces electronic sourcing platforms and reverse auction mechanics for competitive pricing. Students assess when e-auctions add value versus when they risk supplier relationships.

Lesson 1 • Price and Cost Analysis for Negotiation

Teaches cost breakdown analysis and should-cost modelling to strengthen negotiating positions. Students use cost data to challenge supplier pricing credibly.

Lesson 2 • Negotiation Principles and Styles

Introduces distributive and integrative negotiation theory and behavioural styles. Establishes the conceptual foundation for all practical negotiation techniques.

Lesson 3 • Negotiation Tactics and Counter-Tactics

Examines common buyer and seller tactics with appropriate counter-responses. Students practise recognising and neutralising manipulative tactics.

Lesson 4 • Closing and Documenting Agreements

Covers techniques for reaching closure and converting negotiated terms into binding records. Ensures negotiated value is captured and enforceable in contracts.

Lesson 1 • Contract Closeout and Lessons Learned

Defines the steps to formally close a contract and capture performance insights. Closeout knowledge feeds future sourcing and contract design decisions.

Lesson 2 • Change Management and Variations

Teaches processes for managing scope changes, price adjustments, and contract amendments. Students evaluate and document a change request using a formal variation process.

Lesson 3 • Key Contract Terms and Clauses

Examines essential commercial clauses including liability, IP, termination, and dispute resolution. Students identify and negotiate critical terms to protect organisational interests.

Lesson 4 • Contract Execution and Mobilisation

Covers the transition from contract signature to operational delivery readiness. Effective mobilisation prevents early performance failures and relationship breakdowns.

Lesson 1 • Supplier Segmentation for Relationship Investment

Applies tiered segmentation to allocate relationship management resources proportionately. Ensures strategic suppliers receive intensive engagement while transactional ones are managed efficiently.

Lesson 2 • Supplier Performance Measurement Systems

Designs balanced scorecards and KPI frameworks to track supplier delivery, quality, and cost. Objective measurement data drives fair and productive performance conversations.

Lesson 3 • Performance Review Meetings and Governance

Structures operational, tactical, and strategic review meetings with suppliers. Tiered governance ensures issues are resolved at the right organisational level.

Lesson 4 • Supplier Development and Improvement Plans

Covers corrective action plans, capability building, and joint improvement initiatives. Students draft a supplier improvement plan with measurable milestones.