Procurement, Negotiation, and Contract Execution
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Procurement, Negotiation, and Contract Execution
This course is part of Procurement Essentials: Streamline and Boost Success Professional Certificate
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What you'll learn
Apply a standard workflow to convert specifications into system-generated purchase orders.
Use bulk-upload and catalog maintenance routines to add and manage catalogue items efficiently.
Perform three-way match checks and document reconciliations to prevent payment errors.
Apply contract checklists and negotiation note templates to ensure contractual alignment and traceability.
Skills you'll gain
- Business Communication
- Vendor Contracts
- Strategic Sourcing
- Purchasing
- Price Negotiation
- Data Entry
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- Business Writing
- Negotiation
- Contract Review
- Accounts Payable
- Procurement
- Data Import/Export
- Order Processing
- Contract Management
- Contract Negotiation
- Request For Quotation (RFQ)
- Order Entry
- Business Correspondence
- Contract Compliance
Details to know
March 2026
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There are 7 modules in this course
This course covers the transactional and contractual mechanics of turning an approved procurement decision into an executed purchase and supporting commercial agreement. You will gain proficiency in the end-to-end procurement workflow—translating specifications into system POs, bulk data upload and catalog maintenance, three-way match invoice approval, and the documentation and control practices that maintain traceability. The course also introduces foundational negotiation levers and structured note-taking methods used during commercial discussions, and clarifies the differences among contract instruments (purchase orders vs. frame contracts) with checklists to validate contract terms against quotations. Emphasis is on operational accuracy, compliance, and process discipline that ensures purchases are executed correctly and efficiently.
This training provides the essential framework for navigating the procurement lifecycle with precision. You will move beyond theory to master the hands-on process of converting approved specifications into accurate, system-generated purchase orders. Practical videos and interactive scenarios will help you identify the five key stages of procurement and essential industry terminology, such as RFQ, MOQ, and Incoterms. You will follow standardized workflows to create and verify orders, ensuring compliance and preventing costly errors. The content ensures you develop a deep understanding of the tools and skills required to execute the purchasing process flawlessly.
What's included
5 videos2 readings3 assignments
5 videos•Total 30 minutes
- Why the Procurement Lifecycle Matters•7 minutes
- Decoding Procurement Terminology•7 minutes
- How to Apply Key Terms in Communications•6 minutes
- Why PO Accuracy is Critical?•5 minutes
- How to Create a PO from a Specification?•6 minutes
2 readings•Total 13 minutes
- The 5 Stages of the Procurement Lifecycle•7 minutes
- Anatomy of a Specification and a Purchase Order•6 minutes
3 assignments•Total 65 minutes
- Procurement Process Toolkit•30 minutes
- Knowledge Check: Stages and Terms•5 minutes
- Purchase Order•30 minutes
Efficient data management is critical for preventing costly errors and delays. This hands-on training equips you with two core skills for working faster and smarter: keyboard-driven navigation and bulk-data uploading. You will move beyond the mouse by memorizing shortcuts and internalizing field-validation rules. The content then transitions to high-volume efficiency, teaching you how to use CSV templates to upload entire product catalogues in single, verified operations. Through navigation quizzes and upload exercises, you will build the speed and accuracy required to become a trusted data steward within enterprise systems.
What's included
4 videos3 readings3 assignments
4 videos•Total 23 minutes
- Why Your Mouse is Slowing You Down?•5 minutes
- How To Navigate and Edit with Keyboard Commands?•6 minutes
- Why Enter One When You Can Enter Thousands?•6 minutes
- How-To: Prepare and Execute a CSV Upload•7 minutes
3 readings•Total 29 minutes
- Essential Shortcuts: Mastering F2 and Ctrl+F4•10 minutes
- The Rules of the Field: Understanding Data Validation•9 minutes
- Anatomy of a Bulk-Upload Template•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 65 minutes
- Data Entry and System Navigation Toolkit•20 minutes
- Knowledge check: System Navigation Challenge•15 minutes
- Open-ended Quiz - Data Entry Challenge•30 minutes
The lowest price is rarely the lowest total cost. This training equips you with the analytical framework to calculate Total Landed Cost, including hidden fees like shipping, duties, and insurance. Through practical case studies and spreadsheet exercises, you will master building powerful quotation comparison matrices to structure supplier proposals side-by-side. You will apply advanced techniques like conditional formatting to visualize cost-effective options and flag non-compliant offers instantly. The content enables data-driven decision-making, ensuring your procurement choices are financially sound and strategically smart.
What's included
5 videos2 readings3 assignments
5 videos•Total 22 minutes
- Why the Lowest Price is a Trap?•4 minutes
- How-To: Read a Supplier Quote to Find the Costs?•5 minutes
- Why a Matrix Brings Clarity to Chaos?•4 minutes
- How-To: Build Your Comparison Matrix?•5 minutes
- How-To: Visualize Your Best Option with Conditional Formatting?•4 minutes
2 readings•Total 16 minutes
- The Four Key Elements of Total Landed Cost•8 minutes
- Anatomy of a Quotation Comparison Matrix•8 minutes
3 assignments•Total 55 minutes
- Landed Cost Analysis Project•25 minutes
- Knowledge Check: Identifying Cost Components•10 minutes
- Open-ended Total Landed Cost Analysis•20 minutes
Your emails are a direct reflection of professionalism. This training provides foundational skills to communicate with confidence and precision, preventing misunderstandings with suppliers and internal teams. You will analyze audiences to distinguish between the formal style required for external vendors and the concise style for internal colleagues. The content covers applying pre-approved templates to execute routine communications—from quote requests to follow-ups—ensuring every message is consistent and purpose-driven. Through analysis of samples and drafting exercises, you will develop the skills to be a clear, trusted communicator in a business context.
What's included
4 videos2 readings3 assignments
4 videos•Total 24 minutes
- Why a Casual Email Can Cost You?•7 minutes
- How-To: Analyze an Email for Tone and Clarity?•5 minutes
- Why Reinventing the Wheel is a Waste of Time?•6 minutes
- How-To: Send a Professional Follow-Up Email?•6 minutes
2 readings•Total 12 minutes
- The Spectrum of Formality: From Internal Updates to Formal Vendor Letters•6 minutes
- Your Business Communication Toolkit: A Template Library•6 minutes
3 assignments•Total 50 minutes
- Draft a Follow-Up Email to a Vendor•30 minutes
- Knowledge Check: Spot the Mistake•10 minutes
- Knowledge Check: Selecting and Personalizing the Right Template•10 minutes
Successful negotiation relies on preparation and accurate documentation. This training focuses on two core skills: knowing negotiable variables and recording conversations. Learners identify and evaluate fundamental negotiation levers—price, payment terms, and lead-time—to create strategic value beyond just cost. Crucially, the content teaches a structured note-taking method using professional templates. Through hands-on exercises and simulated negotiations, participants practice capturing concessions and counter-offers with precision. This ensures every discussion ends with a clear record, enabling better analysis, stronger agreements, and greater confidence in commercial interactions.
What's included
4 videos2 readings3 assignments
4 videos•Total 25 minutes
- Why the Best Negotiators Look Beyond Price?•7 minutes
- How to Prepare Your Levers Before a Negotiation?•6 minutes
- Why Structured Notes Prevent "He Said, She Said"•6 minutes
- How To Take Effective Notes During a Live Negotiation?•6 minutes
2 readings•Total 16 minutes
- Your Guide to the Three Core Negotiation Levers•8 minutes
- The Structured Note-Taking Template•8 minutes
3 assignments•Total 58 minutes
- Structured Negotiation Note-Taking •22 minutes
- Knowledge Check: Identifying Negotiation Levers•6 minutes
- Open-Ended Learning - Analyzing Negotiation Outcomes•30 minutes
Choosing the wrong instrument or missing discrepancies can lead to risk and budget issues. This training provides essential skills for selecting and verifying commercial agreements. You will distinguish between purchase orders for one-time buys and frame contracts for long-term arrangements. The content then covers a systematic, checklist-driven process to cross-check draft contracts against formal quotations, confirming that key terms like price, delivery, and warranty align perfectly. Through real-world scenarios, you will build the precision needed to protect your organization and ensure signed agreements match promised terms.
What's included
4 videos2 readings3 assignments
4 videos•Total 19 minutes
- Why One Size Doesn't Fit All?•6 minutes
- How-To: Choose the Right Contract in 60 Seconds•4 minutes
- Why You Must "Check the Work"?•4 minutes
- How-To: Cross-Check a Contract Against a Quote?•5 minutes
2 readings•Total 16 minutes
- The Buyer's Toolkit: POs vs. Frame Contracts•8 minutes
- The Contract Compliance Checklist•8 minutes
3 assignments•Total 45 minutes
- Procurement Contract Compliance•25 minutes
- Hands-On Learning: Procurement Sprint•10 minutes
- Knowledge Check: Verify Contracts and Communicate Terms•10 minutes
Every purchase that moves from a specification to a paid invoice is a chain of small decisions. Each step must be accurate and auditable to avoid cost leakage, supply delays, or contract breaches. This project has you complete a full purchase-to-pay case to practice the operational discipline that keeps procurement running smoothly.
What's included
2 readings1 assignment
2 readings•Total 10 minutes
- Why This Project Matters•3 minutes
- Project Requirements•7 minutes
1 assignment•Total 110 minutes
- Project: Purchase-to-Pay and Contract Execution Case•110 minutes
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Frequently asked questions
Yes. The course teaches standard purchasing stages and basic terminology before applying workflows. New learners will need time to practice spreadsheet and PO-template tasks; prior exposure to procurement is helpful but not required.
You'll create machine-readable CSV artifacts (PO export and three-way match worksheet) and human-readable PDFs (PO, receipt, invoice, and contract checklist), plus a short reflection. These formats mirror work used by procurement and accounts payable teams.
This course introduces foundational negotiation levers and structured note-taking methods to capture negotiation outcomes. It focuses on practical documentation and communication rather than advanced negotiation theory.
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Financial aid available,
¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.
