If price is the key selection criteria for the buyer, then conducting a reverse auction may be the right strategy to implement. In a reverse auction, multiple sellers of products or services are competing for the business of a single buyer, driving the price down. The supplier with the lowest bid in a reverse auction typically wins the auction.
Conversely, if the buyer is focused on the total life cycle cost and not just on the cost of a particular good or service itself, a reverse auction would not be the appropriate sourcing method, because price is not the driving factor.
