The development of acquisition is about more than just reducing the price of purchases. Things that must be taken into account include:

• definition of raw materials and productization and standardization of components
• analysis and classification of the field of suppliers
• long-term goals for the development of supplier relationships and partnerships
• target numbers of suppliers
• skill and resources of the acquisitions department
• transportation and logistics issues
• negotiation tactics with different suppliers on different organization levels
• contract law

Good reliability of delivery must be ensured throughout the development process.

Well-managed acquisition requires a documented acquisition strategy, which includes descriptions of:

• what is the organization’s core area of expertise?
• what do we do ourselves and what do we obtain from a partner?
• what level of partnerships does the company have?
• what kinds of goals are set for the development of partnerships? 

If the goal is to decrease purchasing prices by dozens of percent, one must prepare for a systematic development project of acquisition that will take a few years. 

Partners: Reijo Törmä (acquisition, production and logistics), Timo Vasankari (ICT and technologies) ja Antti Lehtimäki (comprehensive turn-around management)