Some questions in purchasing and supply come up frequently. If you have one of the following questions, then our Frequently Asked Questions and Answers document has been designed to give you the answers you need.
Q1 How reliable are commercially available price guides?
Q2 I am having a debate with my supplier who has different contract terms than me, who is right?
Q3 Must EU public procurement rules be followed when buying outside of the EU member states?
Q4 Should purchasing remain involved in the process once contract terms have been negotiated?
Q5 What EU public procurement law assistance can you give me?
Q6 What should appear on the front of a standard purchase order?
Q7 Should I be replacing suppliers who do not trade electronically with those who do?
Q8 How should a purchaser respond to a request from a supplier for an unscheduled price rise?
Q9 Is the cost of raising an order really £50 and what does this fee include?
Q10 Are there any objective criteria to evaluate creative work by advertising agencies?
Q11 Can CIPS help me to source potential suppliers?
Q12 Do we have to keep printed purchase orders?
Q13 How can I get senior management to recognise purchasing as a business function in its own right?
Q14 What are the rules regarding late payment of commercial debts?
Q15 Is there a way we can get some transparency and accountability in the agency’s costs?
Q16 Can CIPS give me some legal assistance?
Q17 What is the optimal number of buyers in an organisation?