How should a purchasing unit prepare for a demanding service or IT procurement?
- Knowledge & insight
The most important decisions in a demanding service or IT procurement are made before even a single line of the actual request for quotation has been written. During the preparation phase, the objectives of the procurement are defined and the overall approach to the procurement is decided.
Valmistelun merkitys korostuu juuri nyt. Hankintalainsäädäntöön tänä vuonna tehdyt muutokset vaikuttavat sidosyksikköhankintoihin sekä EU-kynnysarvon ylittävien hankintojen toteuttamiseen.
At the same time, IT procurement is facing new requirements regarding information security, artificial intelligence, cloud services and data management. The preparation should be able to reconcile the operational need, procurement legislation, market supply and risks of the contract period.
Hankinta-asiantuntijamme listaavat seuraavat neljä vaihetta, joiden avulla viet hankintaa hallitusti kohti kilpailutusta.
Has the goal of the acquisition been defined or are we replacing the old with the new?
Renewing an existing system or service is often the starting point for a procurement, but it does not yet tell you what the procurement should achieve.
The absence of target setting in procurement documents leads to the competition of the existing operating model, even if the real need is related to the renewal of service production, responsibilities or operational processes.
The preparation must assess the effects of the change:
- service production
- costs
- personnel duties
- to current agreements
- responsibilities and decision-making
Impact assessment is emphasized in structural arrangements and affiliated unit solutions, where a single solution can have a broad impact on the municipality's operations and finances.
Once the goal and impacts have been described with sufficient precision, an appropriate implementation method can be chosen for the procurement.
Find out what the market offers and the competitive situation
Market research helps to identify the types of solutions and suppliers available in the market, as well as the pricing models and delivery capabilities they offer. This allows the municipality to assess whether the planned procurement is realistic and competitive.
The findings obtained in the market dialogue can be utilized in planning the procurement target, schedule, contract structure, pricing and comparison criteria. Before the dialogue, the municipality should have a preliminary view of its own needs and the questions to which the market needs answers.
The dialogue must be conducted openly and fairly. No individual supplier must be given a better opportunity to influence the content of the procurement or to prepare for future competitive bidding.
Design the procurement structure into a functional whole
A procurement exceeding the EU threshold is 1.10.2026 or subsequently in procurement procedures to be initiated, the contract must in principle be divided into lots. There must be a justified reason for not dividing it, related to the implementation of the procurement, which must be set out in the procurement documents.
Dividing the procurement into parts can enable different suppliers to participate in the tender and reduce dependence on a single service provider. At the same time, it must be ensured that the whole consisting of parts remains managed by the municipality throughout the entire contract period.
In IT procurement, this requires clear responsibilities and a plan for managing integrations, supplier collaboration and costs. The structure of the procurement directly affects who is responsible for the whole and how the different parts work together.
Create clear and well-founded requirements
The suitability requirements of the tenderer, the minimum requirements of the procurement object and the comparison criteria of the tenders serve different purposes. On the basis of them, suppliers must be able to prepare comparable tenders. It is advisable to limit the implementation method only to the extent required by the objective of the procurement. Overly detailed technical specifications can unnecessarily limit possible solutions.
Clear requirements reduce the scope for interpretation and support fair comparison of offers. The requirements also serve as the basis for monitoring the contract period: they allow the municipality to ensure that implementation is in line with the agreement throughout the contract.
Confirm the direction of your procurement with a quick analysis
A quick analysis of the procurement helps to assess whether the project objective is sufficiently clear and whether the planned approach is feasible.
Our procurement experts will review the initial situation based on preliminary materials. The end result will be a clear progress model, better conditions for competition, and concrete outputs to support decision-making.
Tarjoamme hankinnan pika-analyysin nyt kampanjahintaan: €1,200 + VAT. The price applies to orders placed by September 4, 2026. The service will be carried out remotely or in a separately agreed manner on a mutually agreed schedule.
Correcting a single preparation error or delaying the tender process can cost an organization many times the price of the service. A timely expert assessment helps to direct preparation resources correctly, strengthen the conditions for the tender process, and make documented procurement decisions.
Anssi Virtanen
Kokenut hankinta-asiantuntija
Jaroslaw Skwarek
IT Procurement and Business Development Specialist
Jaa
Subscribe to Graniitti's newsletter
Be the first to receive the latest news directly to your email!
You can cancel your subscription at any time. Discover Privacy statement
More of our views
Secure your project’s success
Succeed with the right people by your side
Critical projects come with high responsibility and complexity. Ready to give your project the best chance of success?