Let Internal Customers Show Purchasing the Real Need

The request is not the whole need

A purchasing request can look complete while leaving out the detail that matters most to the person who will use the item or service. A buyer sees quantity, specification, and desired date. The employee on the floor knows why the last order caused interruptions and which feature made it difficult to use. In his Common Sense Purchasing presentation, Dr. Tom DePaoli urges buyers to understand internal customers where they work. He also describes reverse apprenticeship: let the people closest to the task teach you what the task involves. The visit is not a detour from purchasing. It is a way to avoid making a perfectly documented decision about the wrong need.

The buyer’s choice

A buyer could issue the same request for quotes to the same supplier list and choose the lowest number. That approach is fast to explain, but it may miss the cost of a late delivery, a hard-to-use component, or extra handling by the receiving team. The other choice is to pause long enough to watch how the purchase is used. Ask which failures have occurred, how often they matter, and what an acceptable alternative would look like. The buyer must still respect budget and timing; understanding the work does not erase those constraints. It makes them easier to discuss honestly with the user and supplier. Tom places this practical inquiry beside strategy and integrity, not beneath them.

A better conversation with the supplier

Once the buyer understands the application, the supplier conversation can change. Instead of negotiating around a fixed description alone, the team can discuss reliability, lead time, cost drivers, and alternatives that meet the real requirement. Tom argues for stronger relationships with a manageable number of suppliers so these conversations can continue beyond one transaction. The internal user remains part of the loop: a promising substitute on paper still needs to work in practice. Ask the supplier to explain a tradeoff, and ask the user to test the impact. A good purchasing decision is one both sides can understand after the invoice arrives. That is more demanding than choosing a number, but it can prevent recurring rework.

Make learning routine

Build a habit of visiting a department before a major sourcing decision, and revisit it after the new arrangement starts. What changed for the people receiving and using the purchase? Did it remove a burden or create a new one? Keep a short record of those answers so the next buyer does not have to rediscover them. Tom’s presentation reminds purchasing teams that their value lies partly in relationships: with suppliers, customers, and colleagues. One practical question can start the next conversation: show me where this item enters your work. It invites the employee to teach and gives the buyer a more reliable basis for judgment. A request form may begin the process, but it should not be the last word about the need.

The same practice applies to services as well as physical goods. A software subscription, maintenance contract, or training program has a user whose work will reveal whether the purchase helped. Invite that person into the review after the decision, not only into the request at the beginning. The buyer can then bring a more accurate account to the next supplier conversation and to the next budget discussion.

Hear Dr. Tom explain the idea in the book presentation, then explore the book for the full account.