On the advantages of negotiation

Abstract

This article offers a partial response to and personal reflection on Kjell Tjensvoll's March 2011 article on the benefits of the procurement process to the Norwegian Electronic Health Library. It considers Tjensvoll's assertions on the basis of the author's own experience of licensing, negotiation and procurement with the UK's academic library consortium, JISC Collections, over the last decade. It argues that whilst there are undoubtedly benefits to be had from tender processes, there are also a number of potential pitfalls and unintended consequences and questions whether a procurement exercise is always the most appropriate way to go about licensing unique electronic resources. It is further suggested that for essential procurements at the consortia level a well-structured negotiation can deliver superior results more finely attuned to the needs of the consortium.