Do manufacturers deliberately make it difficult for you to source comparable products?
Today’s post is by Ronald D. Southard, CEO at SafeSourcing Inc.
Do manufacturers deliberately make it difficult for you to source comparable products?
They really try to. It is like our comes in a seventeen-ounce bottle and fits better on your shelving than their twenty-ounce bottle. How many examples can you come up with? The fact is if you do not understand how to use Brand name or equal in your sourcing, Current, or equal and have the right responses for vendor participants, you will always pay more for your products. Please read on to understand the subtle difference in a Brand/Current Name or equal specification.
Brand name or equal specification is a specification that uses one or more manufacturer’s brand names or catalog numbers to describe the standards of quality, performance and other characteristics needed to meet the requirements of a solicitation and provide for the submission of equivalent products. In addition, a brand name or equal specification could often obtain a competitive edge by basing a bid on an equal product which is less expensive than the brand-named product specified.
SafeSourcing is an eprocurement company that operates across multiple industries. As such we have specific experience in almost any commodity, service or capital related spend. Our SafeSourceIt™ Global Supplier Database has over 500,000 suppliers that make Brand/Current or equal sourcing easy to accomplish. You are probably paying too much for about everything. To learn more, please contact a SafeSourcing customer services associate.
