Definitions
Melonie Hoskins
INF336: Project Procurement Management
Instructor Williams
July 6, 2015

Identifying and Defining Commercial Equivalents The needs identification process for an acquisition is the first step where the decision on what to purchase begins. It is a time to identify the when, what, how and how much the product needs. In order to move forward with a purchase acquisition the identification process is a must and should be on point to make the product purchase successful. After the identification has been written out and planned, the second step of defining commercial equivalent needs to take place. This step identifies who and how the needs for this product will be filled and described so that the supplier chosen will know exactly what the identification process has discovered. These two steps must happen in the specific order of the identification process first. Identifying what the needs of the product are will help lay out clear and precise instructions to provide the supplier to ensure they adhere to the needs of what the company is looking for in the end result.

Early Supplier Involvement
Early supplier involvement can “remove barriers between design, marketing. manufacturing engineering, quality assurance, procurement, and operations to avoid functional suboptimization” (Johnson, 2010). This will improve the overall implementation and quality of the end product to ensure the results meet the requirements of the business that were laid out in the initial identifying needs and commercial equivalent steps by identifying if the plans are doable and product is available to meet the standards set fourth. Without the involving the supplier in the early stages of a product, the company is at risk for failure, so it is important to identify, lay out requirements and get the supplier involved early