Critical negotiations are won before the meeting starts

by Oktay_S | May 19, 2026 | Unkategorisiert

The visible negotiation begins with the first meeting. The economically decisive work begins much earlier. A team that sorts objectives, alternatives, mandates and likely reactions at the table is not negotiating – it is processing surprises. 1. An objective is more...

Single source does not mean negotiation powerlessness

by Oktay_S | Nov 4, 2025 | Unkategorisiert

“We have no alternative” is one of the most common statements before a difficult supplier negotiation. It may be factually correct and still strategically incomplete. Single source means that no equivalent supplier is available in the short term. It does not mean the...

Cost truth: how to test supplier price claims

by Oktay_S | Jun 17, 2025 | Unkategorisiert

Supplier demands are often presented as a finished number: plus eight per cent, retrospective from January, justified by energy, labour and material. For procurement, the analysis starts at that point. A demand is not cost truth. It is a hypothesis about the economic...

Procurement operating model: governance before digitalization

by Oktay_S | Feb 11, 2025 | Unkategorisiert

ERP and source-to-pay programmes create strong pressure for change. Processes must be described, system roles assigned and approvals configured. That is both an opportunity and a significant risk. If functional governance is unclear, the system digitizes the...