Ones the need is understood, the procurement professional develops the specifications while working together with stakeholders and colleagues to ensure that the final design is fit for purposes that it meets the generated need.

Specification can be focus on performance or conformance.

Performance specification states what the product or service must do or how it should perform but leave the supplier the freedom to achieve this, however they wish.

Performance specification brings the following advantages; it allows supplier innovation, promote competition in the market place, shorter document, quick to prepare. The disadvantage of perfor-mance specification is that buyers may not know exactly what they will be getting.

Conformance specification gives clear instructions to the supplier about what is required and how it should be achieved. Examples of conformance specifications are chemical formulae, recipes and technical drawings. Conformance specification specifies which standards a requirement must meet or exceed. The advantage of using it is; buyers know exactly what they will get. It has the following disadvantages; the buyer bears the risk, it does not encourage supplier to innovate, take longer and complex documentation.