Procurement Process | 10-Step Sourcing & Delivery Protocol | DealBox LLC
Procurement process

Ten steps. Every category. Every engagement.

Our protocol does not change because a category is small or a client is new. It changes only in depth. This is the sequence, what it produces, and why each step exists.

Five phases, ten steps, one direction

Select any step to jump to what it involves and what it produces.

Define1 stepThe requirement is written before anything is bought.
Source2 stepsA real market is mapped, then narrowed to sources that can perform.
Compete3 stepsUniform scope, normalised bids, alternatives held live.
Commit1 stepThe agreed position becomes an enforceable document.
Deliver3 stepsInspected, moved, received, and scored.
3+Sources per award
10Written artifacts
1Sequence, always
The protocol

Requirement to delivery

Procurement failures are process failures. The protocol is fixed and sequential, so finance, audit, and legal inherit a file they can defend.

01

Requirements analysis

Define

We convert an operational need into a procurement-grade specification: technical parameters, volumes, tolerances, certifications, packaging, delivery windows, and total-cost constraints. Ambiguity here is the single largest driver of failure downstream.

OutputRequirement specification & category brief
02

Supplier identification

Source

We build a long list from our qualified network and targeted market research across the relevant sourcing regions, screening for capability fit, capacity headroom, and commercial viability.

OutputSupplier long list with market map
03

Vendor qualification

Source

Long list becomes short list. We verify legal standing, financial stability, certifications, quality systems, references, and production capability — including on-site audit where the category warrants it.

OutputQualified short list & risk profile
04

RFQ / RFP development

Compete

We issue a controlled bid package with a uniform scope, commercial template, and evaluation criteria so every response is comparable on the same basis. Uniformity is what makes competition real.

OutputIssued RFQ or RFP package
05

Supplier evaluation

Compete

Bids are normalised to landed cost and tabulated against weighted criteria: price, capability, capacity, lead time, quality systems, compliance, and continuity risk.

OutputBid tabulation & weighted scorecard
06

Negotiation

Compete

We negotiate unit price, tiered volume pricing, payment terms, tooling and setup costs, warranty, lead time commitments, and price-hold periods — with credible alternatives held live in reserve.

OutputNegotiated commercial position
07

Purchase order creation

Commit

The agreed position is committed to a controlled purchase order or supply agreement with defined specifications, acceptance criteria, Incoterms, milestones, and remedies.

OutputExecuted PO or supply agreement
08

Quality assurance

Deliver

We define the inspection regime before production starts: pre-production samples, in-process checks, pre-shipment inspection, and documented acceptance criteria with third-party inspection where required.

OutputInspection protocol & release documentation
09

Logistics coordination

Deliver

We coordinate freight mode, consolidation, customs documentation, duty classification, and delivery sequencing with forwarding and customs partners against the committed delivery window.

OutputShipment plan & documentation set
10

Delivery management

Deliver

We manage receipt, discrepancy resolution, claims, and supplier performance scoring — then feed the result back into category strategy for the next cycle.

OutputDelivery confirmation & supplier scorecard
Governance

The engagement file, built step by step

Each step produces an artifact. Together they form a complete, auditable record of how a decision was made and what was committed.

01Requirement specification & category briefRequirements analysis
02Supplier long list with market mapSupplier identification
03Qualified short list & risk profileVendor qualification
04Issued RFQ or RFP packageRFQ / RFP development
05Bid tabulation & weighted scorecardSupplier evaluation
06Negotiated commercial positionNegotiation
07Executed PO or supply agreementPurchase order creation
08Inspection protocol & release documentationQuality assurance
09Shipment plan & documentation setLogistics coordination
10Delivery confirmation & supplier scorecardDelivery management

Clients retain full ownership of this documentation, including supplier identities on awarded categories. Nothing in the file is held back at the end of an engagement.

Engagement timelines

How long procurement actually takes

Timelines are category-dependent and specification-dependent. The bars below show relative scale for scoping, not commitments — a firm schedule is issued with the sourcing approach once the requirement is defined.

Category type
DaysWeeksMonths
Catalogue & stocked commodityRequirement to quotation in days. Delivery governed by supplier stock position and freight mode.
Standard manufactured, domesticRequirement to award in weeks. Delivery governed by production slot and lead time.
Standard manufactured, internationalAward in weeks; delivery extended by production, inspection, transit, and customs clearance.
Custom, tooled, or engineeredDriven by sampling and tooling cycles. Pre-production approval gates are mandatory before volume release.
Multi-category site openingsRun as a programme on a critical-path schedule, with sequenced awards and consolidated delivery.
Enterprise category programmesPhased: spend assessment, category strategy, competitive event, transition, ongoing governance.

Indicative relative duration — not a commitment or a quoted lead time.

Start here

Run one category through the protocol.

The fastest way to evaluate a procurement partner is to give them a live requirement.