Strategic sourcing process
Editable strategic sourcing process swimlane from “Identify spend or upcoming need” through “Sourcing route and competition justified?” to a documented outcome. Includes named roles, exception paths and evidence.
What the strategic sourcing process process is
The workflow starts at “Identify spend or upcoming need”. The next two steps, “Analyse demand and supplier market” and “Agree category strategy and requirements”, establish the information needed for a defensible decision. The chart assigns each handoff to a role and retains the evidence at closeout.
The main gates are “Sourcing route and competition justified?” and “Evaluation supports recommendation?”. The first branch leads to revise strategy or document a permitted exception; the second can require clarify bids or reopen evaluation. Set category-specific evaluation criteria before approaching suppliers.
What this flowchart covers
In this template
- Identify spend or upcoming need followed by analyse demand and supplier market.
- Sourcing route and competition justified? with a route for revise strategy or document a permitted exception.
- Issue RFI, RFQ or RFP as appropriate and score technical, commercial and risk evidence as separate supplier and internal handoffs.
- Evaluation supports recommendation? with clarify bids or reopen evaluation when the decision fails.
- Negotiate and recommend supplier, approve award and contract and record baseline, award and review date as the controlled closeout.
When to use this template
- Use it to agree who owns “Identify spend or upcoming need” and what information the next role needs.
- Use it when the answer to “Sourcing route and competition justified?” is unclear or decisions are made outside the record.
- Use it to make “Record baseline, award and review date” visible in an audit or operational review.
How it works
Assign decision owners
Replace the Business owner, Category manager, Evaluation team, Approver lanes with your actual functions. Keep the owner of “Sourcing route and competition justified?” separate from the requester where your authority rules require it.
Configure the gates
Set category-specific evaluation criteria before approaching suppliers. Define what evidence is sufficient for “Evaluation supports recommendation?” and who may authorize an exception.
Connect downstream records
Link record baseline, award and review date to the relevant purchase order, contract, supplier record or operational case. Set retention and review dates under your document policy.
Frequently asked questions
What does the strategic sourcing process template include?
It covers identify spend or upcoming need, agree category strategy and requirements, score technical, commercial and risk evidence, and record baseline, award and review date, with two labelled decisions and rework paths.
Can the decision rules be changed?
Yes. Set category-specific evaluation criteria before approaching suppliers. Edit the gate labels, swimlanes and return paths before using the chart in your organization.
What evidence should be retained?
Keep the input to “Sourcing route and competition justified?”, the evidence behind “Evaluation supports recommendation?”, approvals or exception decisions, and the closeout record: “Record baseline, award and review date”.
Where this process fits
In most operations this process follows Procurement RFI process and hands off to RFQ process.
Comes before
- Procurement RFI process — Editable procurement rfi process swimlane from “Identify capability or market unknowns” through “Responses cover the information need?” to a documented outcome. Includes named roles, exception paths and evidence.
Comes after
- RFQ process — Editable rfq process swimlane from “Define purchasable specification” through “Sufficient compliant quotations?” to a documented outcome. Includes named roles, exception paths and evidence.
- RFP process — Editable rfp process swimlane from “Define outcome and service scope” through “Proposals complete and eligible?” to a documented outcome. Includes named roles, exception paths and evidence.
- Procurement tender process — Editable procurement tender process swimlane from “Approve scope and tender route” through “Submissions received by deadline and compliant?” to a documented outcome. Includes named roles, exception paths and evidence.
- Procurement savings tracking process — Editable procurement savings tracking process swimlane from “Define baseline volume, price and scope” through “Baseline supported by actual evidence?” to a documented outcome. Includes named roles, exception paths and evidence.