Buying PR is different to buying a commodity, therefore, procurement personnel need to act differently to get stakeholder buy-in.
- Does the organisation have a roster of agencies for the different PR related requirements?
- If you have a complaint contract ensure you use the current agencies rather than re-tendering every time there is a new requirement.
- If your roster needs refreshing who would you add to the panel, keep track of potential new agencies keen to work with you and your brand.
- When tendering or onboarding new agencies make sure the specification is clear and that they understand the brief.
- New agencies are selected via a formal tender or competitive process in line with the thresholds set by the organisation.
- Is the supplier capable of providing local, regional or global services/campaigns?
- How can you include a performance-related metric in the supplier milestones and deliverables?
- Hold regular service reviews with the supplier
- Is it possible for collaboration between the ASL agencies
- Make sure you understand the cost model, rate card and cost breakdown for activities
- Benchmark cost by comparing personnel performing the tasks and their experience- do you get the best people or the people at the right price?
- If the scope is likely to change consider the route to market and how you might build in flexibility to the specification
- If cost estimates change because the campaign has changed request for a cost tracker and flag/alert before money is committed, ask for projections. Hold budget meetings, budget versus expenditure.
- Consider project evaluation, define what is considered as a success and what can be improved. Identify options for efficiency to get ideas for savings in the next campaign.
- Ask your agency for ideas to reduce cost
- Track the ROI for a campaign
- Get stakeholders to buy into procurement as a value add rather than a function concentrating on cost reduction - talk their language.
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