Looking for an alternative to reverse auctions to negotiate with your suppliers while taking price, lead times, quality and service into account? Nestor Software offers an augmented negotiation approach, based on a multi-criteria benchmark and live competitive bidding.
Your goal: improve supplier proposals according to your company’s priorities, within a transparent framework.
Why consider an alternative to reverse auctions?
Competitive bidding can help suppliers improve their proposals. But the value of a purchase depends on several dimensions.
A lower price may come with a less favorable lead time. A more expensive proposal may offer a better level of service. For the buyer, the challenge is to compare these differences and negotiate on the criteria that really matter.
When your consultation is based on several criteria, the negotiation setup must make it possible to track their contribution to overall value.
From competitive bidding to augmented negotiation
Nestor Software combines several elements in a single workflow:
| Dimension | Nestor Software approach |
| Proposal evaluation | Multi-criteria benchmark with weightings, scoring and ranking |
| Participation framework | Visible criteria and weightings, common rules for suppliers |
| Competitive bidding | Several suppliers taking part simultaneously in a live session |
| Negotiation management | Timer, color codes and dynamic ranking |
| Offer analysis | Gap visualization to inform session management |
| Decision | Final choice kept by the buyer, based on overall value |
The value of this approach lies in the link between offer evaluation and running the negotiation.
Negotiate according to your procurement priorities
Give price its rightful place
Price remains an important criterion. However, its weighting should reflect your objectives.
For a purchase where continuity of supply is critical, lead time may carry significant weight. For a service, service quality may be decisive.
Nestor Software lets you define the criteria and their weightings before building the benchmark. Offers are thus evaluated within a framework tailored to your consultation.
Value several dimensions of the offer
Augmented negotiation gives suppliers a framework to improve their proposals on the variables open to negotiation.
The buyer follows how the scoring and ranking evolve. They can assess how new proposals contribute to their priorities, beyond price changes alone.
Make the rules clear
The criteria and weightings are visible to participants. Each supplier knows the basis of the evaluation and has its own cockpit to take part in the session.
This shared framework encourages a structured negotiation and equal treatment.
Tactical levers to drive the negotiation
A live negotiation requires pace and clear signals. Nestor Software puts several levers at the service of the session:
- Simultaneity brings several suppliers together in the same session.
- The supplier timer shows the time available to improve a proposal.
- Color codes signal states of comfort, uncertainty and urgency.
- Dynamic scoring and ranking reflect how offers evolve according to the weighted criteria.
- The gap histogram makes the differences between proposals easier to read.
- Anonymization protects the identity of competing suppliers.
Participants can adjust their proposals until closing. The buyer runs the session from their cockpit and keeps control of the final choice.
How does augmented negotiation work?
1. Structure the consultation
Define the criteria that matter for your purchase and their weightings. This framework lets you evaluate suppliers against the same rules.
2. Compare offers
The multi-criteria benchmark produces a score and a ranking based on your priorities. You have a basis for comparison before the negotiation begins.
3. Run the live negotiation
Suppliers take part simultaneously and can improve their proposals. The buyer and supplier cockpits, the timer and the visual indicators support the session.
4. Inform the decision
Analyze the offers and their multi-criteria ranking at the end of the negotiation. You keep control of the final choice, taking overall value into account.
Which purchases is this approach suited to?
Nestor Software is relevant when several suppliers can meet the same need and their offers can be compared against common criteria.
This approach can be considered in particular for production purchases, packaging, services or non-production purchases.
Preparation remains essential: suppliers able to respond, clear specifications, defined criteria and identified negotiation variables.
When the supplier is imposed or no comparable alternative exists, the simultaneous competition lever is more limited.
Get started with no project costs
Nestor Software is offered with no project costs, with fully complimentary onboarding support.
A first consultation lets you put the approach to the test on your own need: define the criteria, compare the proposals and prepare the negotiation session.
Discover another way to negotiate
Want to move your negotiations toward multi-criteria evaluation and live management?
Discover how Nestor Software combines transparent rules, competitive bidding and tactical levers to reveal the best value from your suppliers.