Defining Business Need

60 hours

Level 4

CIPS — Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply

english

Course Overview

Most procurement failures trace back to a vague specification. This module teaches you to translate a business need into a tight, defensible specification — and to back it up with a business case stakeholders can sign off on. Includes market analysis using Porter's Five Forces and budget modelling.

What you will learn

Build a business case for external sourcing with costs, benefits, options, and stakeholder alignment
Analyze markets using competitive forces and identify cost/price drivers
Write conformance and performance specifications that suppliers can deliver against
Apply value analysis and value engineering to improve specifications over time

Course Details

Core module · 6 credits · Objective Response (OR) exam · 1.5-hour duration. The upstream module — before any sourcing or contracting happens. You'll learn to build a business case for external sourcing, analyze the market context (manufacturing, construction, retail, financial, agriculture, service), and write specifications that protect both buyer and supplier. Includes financial modelling and budget control techniques.

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Pricing

Last updated May 16, 2026

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This course is a module in our full qualifications

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