What is a typical timeframe for evaluating potential OEM Suppliers?
A significant mistake made by many Purchasers is that they spend too little time evaluating the bids. Much like having too many potential candidates, allowing an insufficient amount of time to evaluate the candidates puts the Purchaser at risk of narrowing the selection criteria even to the point to where the lone factor is lowest price. Such action again puts the Purchaser at risk of choosing a manufacturing service provider who is not the best choice, and possibly even the worst. Thus, it is not unreasonable for a Purchaser to allow anywhere from six months to a year to choose the best candidate depending upon the size of the service provided. In addition the above sections, there are some other questions that should be addressed with regard to including the necessary information in the RFP.
