Procurement sits at the heart of Managing Resources: every pound a surveying practice spends on materials, software, sub-consultants, or support services must deliver value. For the APC, you should be able to explain how a well-run practice approaches procurement strategically, manages its supply chain responsibly, and connects those activities to broader resource management objectives.
Two levels operate in any well-run practice:
A practice without a strategic procurement policy defaults to ad hoc buying, which typically produces inconsistent quality and missed savings.
A reliable framework for any procurement decision is the 5 Rs: Right quality, Right quantity, Right place, Right time, and Right price. These apply whether the practice is renewing a printing contract or engaging a specialist sub-consultant. Importantly, "right price" means whole-life cost, not simply the lowest initial outlay.
Practices have several routes to market:
Selective tender: a shortlist of pre-qualified suppliers is invited to bid, common where technical capability matters as much as price.
Negotiated: direct negotiation with one or a small number of suppliers, typically for proprietary technology or where time is critical.
Selecting a supplier is only the first step; active oversight must follow.