Center for Procurement Excellence

⚠️ Your next IT disaster may already be in the contract.
This month, The RFP Doctor shows how to fix the paper problem in technology procurements. Don’t pay for words — demand outcomes.
📅 May 21, 2026
⏰ 12 PM CT
🎥 Watch the Replay: [Insert Link]


https://conta.cc/3RiS3cw

The Art of IT Demonstrations That Actually Work Email from Center for Procurement Excellence Stop funding paperwork, demand working software.   NEWSLETTER We Fix Broken RFPS 13 May 2026 The Art of IT Software Demonstrations Software demonstration

🚧 Quick question: Do you actually know who’s building your project?

Because it’s probably not the contractor you hired.

Most of the work is done by subcontractors and suppliers—yet they’re often the least evaluated part of the RFP process. And that’s exactly where risk loves to hide.

Join us on April 16 at Noon (CT) for this eye-opening webinar from the Center for Procurement Excellence. Dr. Brian Lines and Dr. Jake Smithwick will show you how to uncover the real team behind your project—before it’s too late.

👀 If you’ve ever been surprised by who showed up on your job site… this is for you.

👉 Don’t award blind. See the full supply chain.

://conta.cc/3PYfuYb

Who’s REALLY Doing the Work on Your Project? Email from Center for Procurement Excellence Look beyond the prime THIS WEEK! 16 April 2026 12:00pm Central Time Ask the RFP Doctor   Looking Deeper into the Supply Chain When you award a contract, it

🚧 Fun fact: The contractor you hired probably isn’t doing the work.

Yep. The name on the contract? Mostly managing.
The actual work? Subcontractors and suppliers you barely evaluated… if at all.

And we’re all just hoping that turns out fine? Bold strategy.

This is where projects go off the rails—delays, cost overruns, finger-pointing—because the real team was never truly vetted during the RFP.

In this session, Dr. Jake Smithwick shows you how to stop awarding projects like a leap of faith and start seeing the entire supply chain before it’s too late.

👀 Because “we assumed they had it handled” is not a risk management plan.

👉 If you’ve ever been surprised by who showed up on your job site… this one’s for you.


https://conta.cc/3PXXEnX

Your Biggest Risk Isn’t the Prime Contractor Email from Center for Procurement Excellence See who’s really delivering   NEWSLETTER We Fix Broken RFPS 1 April 2026 Maximizing Contract Negotiations: Beyond Terms and Conditions (a.k.a. “This Is Wh

Do higher-quality proposals cost more? Most people think so —
but the data tells a different story!

CPE analyzed over 1,500 proposals to see whether top-ranked firms always come with higher prices. Turns out… they don’t. In many cases, the highest-qualified proposal was among the most affordable.

✔ Good RFPs don’t inflate budgets — they protect them
✔ Cost AND qualifications should work together
✔ Bad assumptions lead to bad selections
https://conta.cc/4ah9x0v

Do Better Proposals Really Cost More? Email from Center for Procurement Excellence Study finds quality doesn’t guarantee higher cost   NEWSLETTER We Fix Broken RFPS 17 December 2025 Are Higher-Qualified Proposals More Expensive? A Data-D