Ever since University of Tennessee (UT) researchers first published the book Vested Outsourcing: Five Rules that Will Transform Outsourcing, procurement professionals have asserted: “Great idea! But how can you get to a Vested business model with a potential partner using a competitive bidding method?”* While the vast majority of organizations making the shift to a Vested sourcing business model restructure an existing supplier relationship rather than go to market using a competitive bid process, it is a fair criticism.

The question was one the Canadian government – required by law – had to figure out. Working with UT researchers, a small team of sourcing professionals within Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) piloted the first “Request for Partner” process. The learnings led to the Unpacking Collaborative Bidding white paper – first published in 2016. VCH’s success inspired several organizations to rethink their approach to picking a “partner.” Some of these organizations were hesitant to use the VCH approach; the most common critique was that the process took too long. Others wanted to address “cultural fit” and “trust” more formally into the supplier selection criteria.

This paper introduces a second edition to the Unpacking Collaborative Bidding white paper – expanding on UT’s original research and revising the original Request for Partner methodology with field-based learnings from multiple pilots.

• Part 1 summarizes the research methodology

• Part 2 shares insights into the changing landscape of strategic sourcing that are causing

  organizations to move to more collaborative bidding practices

• Part 3 analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of four of the most popular collaborative bidding methods and proposes an alternative Request for Partner approach designed to overcome shortcomings in each method

• Part 4 provides a step-by-step overview of the recommended Request for Partner process and provides tips and examples of how progressive organizations are using a Request for Partner process.

  The goal of this white paper is to challenge procurement professionals to embrace more collaborative bidding methods and – when appropriate – know when to use the Request for Partner method. For this reason, this paper is being published through the Creative Commons and is fully sharable.