Effective Specifications

"Save cash and improve quality by writing better specifications"

Specifications fix, for the duration of a contract, a high proportion of the price you will pay and the value you will receive. It pays to write the very best specifications. We regularly write or facilitate the writing of specifications for our clients. This experience and expertise is available as:

• Spec Check
• Spec Check +
• Critical Friend

Much of the support we provide will be via phone and email. We don't have any restrictions on when you can or can't speak to us; we'll be available when you need us. It's not unknown for us to have long conversations with clients at 9 or 10 o'clock at night. Yes that is a bit sad, but needs must.

To start the process please email, or call us, with details of your situation. For Spec Check and Spec Check + please attach your specification. If it's relatively straightforward we'll send feedback in 48 to 72 hours. If it's not then we'll give you a call.

Spec Check

email a copy of your specification, and we'll test it against a range of best practice criteria. If all is reasonably well we will email you with our feedback within 48 to 72 hours. The fee for this is £750.

Spec Check +

This is a more in depth version of the above Spec Check. We will ask you for more information about the circumstances in which you will manage the purchase, administer the contract and manage the supplier(s) performance. Whilst we provide written feedback, as above, we'll also give you a call to discuss what we have found. The fee for this is £1,000.

Critical Friend

This is an end-to-end service, it starts when you contact us, ideally as early as possible in the procurement process, and is complete when your specification has been approved. Initially we discuss your needs and jointly decide if this service is suitable for you.

We tailor our approach to suit your circumstances. For more complex (high value and/or high risk) specifications we supplement our normal phone and e-mail contact with meetings and interviews, as appropriate. Jointly, we (you and us) decide what's appropriate and valuable to you.