Web design studios: procurement review
Use this procurement review exercise to answer commercial and delivery questions with evidence and a clear approval process. You are discussing a focused website redesign with a founder replacing an ageing company website. The point of the practice is to make a useful decision together, including recognising when the offer is not a fit.
Produce a list of requirements, evidence, outstanding approvals and a realistic decision sequence.
The situation
In this fictional brief, visitors struggle to understand the offer and find the enquiry form. The buyer wants a clear service journey that works on mobile and desktop. Your offer is a focused website redesign, but you must first establish whether its scope addresses the actual need.
A relevant delivery constraint is that existing URLs and necessary integrations must remain accounted for. Treat that as a fact in the exercise; do not remove it to make the sale easier.
| Your counterpart | a founder replacing an ageing company website |
|---|---|
| Offer under discussion | a focused website redesign |
| Evidence available | a clickable prototype of one complete enquiry journey |
| Terms to clarify | Define page count, revisions, content ownership, redirects and maintenance. |
How to approach procurement review
A useful question for this stage: “Which item is currently preventing approval, and what evidence would resolve it?” Ask it when the conversation creates a reason for it, rather than reciting every question in order.
- Separate mandatory requirements from preferences. Assign owners to unanswered questions. Compare commercial terms on a consistent basis.
- Ground the discussion in the buyer’s work. Ask: “What must a first-time visitor understand before contacting you?” Listen for a concrete example before making a claim.
- Use evidence relevant to the decision: a clickable prototype of one complete enquiry journey. Explain what it demonstrates and what remains unverified.
- Produce a list of requirements, evidence, outstanding approvals and a realistic decision sequence.
An industry-specific concern
Buyer: “A template would cost much less.”
Possible response: “A template may be enough. Let us list the journeys and integrations you need, then compare the work each option actually includes.”
Why this response helps: it acknowledges the concern, brings the discussion back to a verifiable requirement and leaves room for a different decision. Adapt the wording to what the buyer actually said.
Run the practice
- Prepare for two minutes. One person takes the seller role and one plays a founder replacing an ageing company website. Read the offer and constraint separately from your preferred answer.
- Have a five-minute conversation focused on answer commercial and delivery questions with evidence and a clear approval process. The buyer should answer consistently with the brief and ask for evidence when a claim is vague.
- Add this challenge: Procurement asks for a new obligation late in the process. Explain that it needs review rather than accepting it to save the deal.
- Pause for feedback. Quote one useful question and one missed opportunity. Repeat the difficult exchange using a different response.
- Finish by writing the actual agreement. A sensible option, when it fits, is to prototype one high-value service page and its enquiry flow. A clear decision to pause is also a useful outcome.
What to avoid
| Common mistake | Promising exceptions that the delivery or legal team has not approved. |
|---|---|
| A stronger direction | I can record that request and confirm the answer with the responsible person before we change the agreement. |
| Scope and claim boundary | Do not promise conversion gains without a measured baseline and suitable comparison. |
| What to measure in real work | completion of the intended enquiry journey in a usability review. Establish a baseline and definition before interpreting a change. |
An example conversation
Which requirements must be satisfied before procurement can approve the agreement?
Our concern is that visitors struggle to understand the offer and find the enquiry form. Also, existing URLs and necessary integrations must remain accounted for.
What must a first-time visitor understand before contacting you?
A template would cost much less.
A template may be enough. Let us list the journeys and integrations you need, then compare the work each option actually includes.
Which item is currently preventing approval, and what evidence would resolve it?
Your working sheet.
Make the exercise your own. Notes are saved in this browser when storage is available. Download a copy to keep; avoid confidential information on a shared device.
Example: visitors struggle to understand the offer and find the enquiry form; existing URLs and necessary integrations must remain accounted for.
Example: Which item is currently preventing approval, and what evidence would resolve it? Industry question: What must a first-time visitor understand before contacting you?
Example: a clickable prototype of one complete enquiry journey. Do not promise conversion gains without a measured baseline and suitable comparison.
Example: Propose a clear next step, such as: prototype one high-value service page and its enquiry flow. Confirm the owner and date.
Review your work
This is a reflection checklist, not an automated assessment.
Questions
Who is this web design studios exercise for?+
Can I use the example as a script?+
How should I assess the result?+
Fictional training scenario. The dialogue illustrates response choices; it is not a customer testimonial or a record of a real sale.
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