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SOS! (Specification of Services)

The SOS! (Specification of Services) course aims to equip the participant with basic understanding of writing procurement specifications and save the procurer from a nightmarish specification! Each participant will learn the importance of having of the 4Cs in specification writing. There will be lots of sharing on the finer points of writing and raising awareness of areas of concerns in general procurement of services.

This course is designed for professionals who want to learn how to improve the specifications in order to procure services better. It will help the participants appreciate the ART of specification writing together with the need to be efficient yet comprehensive. Participants will also benefit from the sharing of cases and trying out a sample writing example.

Objective

At the end of this programme, participants will be able to:

• Recognise the Do's and Don't's of Specification Writings
• Appreciate the 4Cs of specification writing
• Understand and avoid the impact of bad specifications and
• Appreciate the lessons learnt from case studies

Outline

Getting to KNOW

• What is Specification Writing?
• The 4Cs
• Importance of Having a Good Specification

UNDERSTAND Specification and its Arena

• The Procurement Lifecycle vis-á-vis Specification Writing
• Functional Specifications vs Technical Specifications
• Process of Creating Specifications
• Evaluation and Specifications

APPLY to Specification Writing

• Common Specification Content
• Common Mistakes
• The Beautiful English Language
• Scoring Chart

Forming the HABIT

• Sharing of Case Studies

Who should attend

This course is designed for junior and middle managers that are involved in procurement, supply chain, sales and marketing activities. It is also useful for those personnel who are engaged in procurement; especially in the service aspect.

Methodology

The course is structured as a series of short sharing followed by activities such as case studies reviews, sharing of common mistakes, learning reflections and writing of actual case.

Testimonials

"A seemingly dry topic was brought to life by the trainer's experience and humour. Trainer was straight to the point and engaging. Rick is an excellent trainer for this course!"
Participant from National Council of Social Service

"Trainer Rick was highly engaging - turned a dry, boring topic into something interesting. Case studies useful for application. Slides were detailed and easy to find."
Participant from Ministry of Manpower

"The trainer is very good and knowledgeable on the procurement lessons taught. Patient and willing to share his insights"
Participant from Mitsubishi Fuso

Profile of Rick Chong

Rick Chong has over 15 years of experience in procurement and supply chain where he successfully led procurement operations, cost savings initiative, SAP material management, reorganization projects, system integrations, training and consultancy projects. His major achievements include re-writing the Singapore government procurement policies, achieving extraordinary cost savings for a local airline and creating procurement systems for a few public agencies and private companies.

In the last 5 years, Rick has trained more than 2,000 participants in various topics of Procurement and Facilitation. His client includes A*STAR, Ministry of Defence, Singapore Tourism Board, National Library Board, National Environment Agency, People's Association, Temasek Polytechnic, Chinatrust Bank, Momenta Group among others.

Rick holds an Honours Degree in Business Administration. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS). He is a qualified SAP Material Management consultant and has completed his Advance Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA). He also has an international certification from CIPS and is a recognised WSQ PMP trainer.