First, the purchase/SCM team should attain knowledge of the market as a whole. The team should have a thorough and accurate picture of the market when preparing to talk to suppliers. When deciding on which suppliers to initiate communications with, the purchase/SCM team should seek to identify industry leaders in the relevant marketplace, as well as incumbent Postal Service suppliers if available. The key areas of focus are:
Feasibility — Whether what is sought is feasible or has ever been done.
Capability — The ability of the market to provide what is required.
Maturity — Whether there is an established market and whether there are enough suppliers in existence to provide competition.
Capacity — Whether the market can provide what is required on a large enough scale and in a timely manner.
After identifying key focus areas of the market, communications focus on important factors such as the likely level of market interest, the technical or business feasibility of what is proposed, best value, supply cycle time, and whether unexamined business options exist. Additionally, the following should be examined:
