We are constantly amazed at the statements heard at our workshops and seminars. Don had just finished two concurrent workshops at a Mobile Home Builders National Conference explaining how Buyers write specifications and conduct specification Meetings or Pre-Bid meetings to make sure the specifications are complete, not proprietary, encourage competition and prevent subsequent change orders or contract modifications. Later Don overheard a conversation between two of the attendees who did not know he was in the area. They basically believed Don was naive if he believed buyers for school districts, federal, state, local governments, hospitals and utility companies, or any firm that put out bids for their modular buildings really wanted supplier input on how to write the specifications correctly. Both of these individuals agreed that not only were most buyers unethical and stupid, but that any suggestions by a supplier would cause the buyer to retaliate against the supplier. They finished their conversation by agreeing that the best course to follow was to wait until they were awarded the contract and then hit the buyer with a change order at the most appropriate time so that the buyer would have to approve it in order to save face.

  Sure Don saw red. Then he got to thinking, “What has happened to cause these suppliers to form that attitude?” Is it possible that a few buyers have ruined it for the rest? How do we overcome this paradigm?

  Don’s philosophy is to have a “very thorough, generic specification while being open and honest about welcoming any and all suggestions for making the document better. If proprietary wording is suggested, let the pre-bid attendees comment on it or point out how it could be creating a problem. Make sure that a using department representative attends the pre-bid to defend or explain the wording or specifications. Call on suppliers or user department representatives to explain what they think specific wording means to them. Using department managers should be informed when their staff submit proprietary or poor specifications and Purchasing should make recommendations for additional user training. Buyers should be held accountable for their documents, with their evaluations and raises reflecting any problems encountered. The buyer should discourage change orders and contract modifications. If a change order is necessary, know the source of the problem, even if you have to identify a poorly written specification. Buyers must have a procedure for filing information to capture specification and contract problems for the next bid so that mistakes are not repeated.

  The biggest hurdle to overcome is to make sure there is a high degree of confidence in the business community so that suppliers can communicate openly without fear of retribution. To do this the whole staff must constantly be on the alert to not commit one slip because it takes so much more effort to correct a bad reputation.

  I would like to hear from anyone who has an opinion on this subject. Fax (702) 254- 7067 or E-mail dlw@anv.net.

© 1997 by Donald L. Woods, All Rights Reserved