Project Procurement and Contract Management

Purchasing Functions

Introduction:
In a large organization, a specialized department or team performs the procurement function. However, not every organization can support such a department or team. In a smaller organization, the project manager is expected to perform procurement functions while managing the project. In such a case, the onus of successful procurement lies with the project manager.

Task:

Think of an organization without a central purchasing function. Now, answer the following questions:

•What are the tasks that the purchasing function performs?

•How does successful procurement affect the various phases of a project?

•How can project managers facilitate procurement?