The Global B2B Group industrial procurement methodology

Define the project first. Choose the supplier second. Every step below exists to make the second decision defensible — to a board, an auditor and, where relevant, an independent financing partner.

Neutrality is structural rather than stated: there is no catalogue, no checkout, no paid ranking and no buyer fee. Suppliers cannot purchase inclusion, placement or visibility in a shortlist.

1. Define the project. Product, capacity, country, site and the business objective behind the investment.
2. Structure requirements. Process stages, automation level, utilities, standards and the scope boundary, written as a specification rather than a wish list.
3. Estimate economics. An indicative CAPEX band and running-cost view from published calculator assumptions, produced before suppliers are approached.
4. Prepare the RFQ. One document containing scope, capacity basis, Incoterm, acceptance criteria, warranty and commercial template.
5. Identify the supplier universe. Relevant independent manufacturers and contractors for that process and capacity class, across more than one manufacturing region.
6. Shortlist. Filter on comparable installations, manufacturing capability, service coverage and willingness to accept acceptance testing.
7. Issue one comparable RFQ. Same scope, same basis, same deadline to every shortlisted supplier.
8. Normalise responses. Rebuild each offer onto identical rows: scope, Incoterm, currency, guarantees, exclusions.
9. Identify scope gaps. Convert everything unstated into written clarification questions and everything excluded into a priced option.
10. Support buyer evaluation. Provide the comparison framework, total-cost view and documentation — without ranking or recommending a supplier.
11. Explore financing pathways. Where a project is suitable, organise documentation and introduce independent third-party financing partners. Terms and approval always sit with those institutions.
12. Buyer selects. The award decision, the contract and the commercial relationship belong to the buyer and the supplier.

• Not a manufacturer, reseller, EPC contractor or engineering certifier.
• Not a bank, lender, credit provider or financial adviser; no rates, approvals or financing promises.
• No supplier ranking, endorsement or purchasable visibility.
• Calculator outputs are planning estimates from published assumptions, not quotations.
• Supplier acceptance, pricing, delivery performance and project outcomes are not guaranteed.

• Simple commodity purchases or low-value spare parts.
• A known recurring supplier under an existing frame agreement.
• Off-the-shelf products with published prices and no integration.
• Projects where a single technology is contractually mandated.

• Structured RFQ builder — turns product, capacity and country into a supplier-ready request.
• RFQ readiness score — shows which scope information is still missing before you send anything.
• Supplier proposal comparison tool — normalises up to three offers across fifteen criteria and flags silent exclusions.
• Should-cost calculator — an independent CAPEX benchmark before offers arrive.
• Financing pathway screening — indicative only; approval always sits with the independent financing institution.

• When to use an industrial procurement platform — good fits and cases where it is unnecessary.
• Before you request quotes — step one and two in practice.
• How to compare industrial equipment quotations — steps eight to ten in practice.
• How it works — the platform process in short form.