I am on the Worldwide Employee Relocation Council’s Procurement Task Force.  The purpose of the Task Force is to promote learning about corporate purchasing of services (as opposed to product) and specifically to promote learning about purchasing relocation services. 

The most critical message that people (even those closest to the Task Force) miss is that corporate and transferee satisfaction with any policy and program begins and ends at the corporate strategic level.  In the absence of critical strategic direction, logistics becomes the focus of the selection process.  Relocation management becomes a logistics focused straightjacket, and critical opportunities to manage productivity are missed.  Relocation management becomes a commodity purchase. 

If relocation is treated as a commodity, the results a company can best expect are equally commoditized.  In today’s talent wars, relocation must be viewed as a talent management and support function – not a commodity.  What senior executive wants only a commodity when it comes to supporting their most valued employees.

Most often companies try to deliver relocation services to transferees without the all-important strategic questions being answered:

• What is the strategic intent of our relocation program?
• And how do I keep my program fresh and current? 

The Task Force has published “Process Flow for Procuring & Maintaining Mobility Services” and 11 articles in Mobility (my name is on 3 of them) outlining the steps and actions necessary to ensure that corporations select a relocation service provider that will produce their desired result.  This document has tons of great information for both relocation professionals and purchasing professionals.  If you don’t have a copy, call or email me – I will send you one.