Evaluation Criteria Drift: The Deal Moves Before the Tender Does
Tender evaluation criteria can drift before the formal request appears. Commercial teams lose control when value is not translated into decision variables early.
Control Before the RFP
3 posts
Control Before the RFP covers the part of the deal where margin is often lost before formal negotiation begins.
These articles examine how procurement criteria, stakeholder influence, internal assumptions, supplier positioning, should-cost logic, and hidden decision structures shape the outcome before the supplier sees the tender.
The focus is upstream deal control: how commercial teams can recognise when the buyer’s system is already forming, test the real decision logic, and protect value before the negotiation table becomes the recovery point.
Deal Architecture Map: See the Decision Structure
Map the B2B decision structure before pricing. Hidden stakeholders, late requirements and unknown constraints can turn committed deals into margin loss.
Untested Logic: Assumptions Become Exposure
Deal assumptions become exposure when internal logic is accepted too early and tested by procurement through pricing, risk and approval pressure.