Procurement Professionals · situation guide
State firm requirements, discuss flexibility, and explain an agreed fallback.
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A requirement may be fixed while the payment schedule remains negotiable; keep those boundaries separate.
Vocabulary for this situation
State a firm boundary
A non-negotiable is a requirement, condition, or boundary that is fixed — stronger than merely important — because discussion will not remove or change the named point, even while other parts of the same situation may still be open.
“The material specification is non-negotiable.”
Usage note: Use this only for a requirement that really cannot change.
Practice “non-negotiable” →Describe an acceptable compromise
Middle ground is a compromise position between two opposing sides — you can actively search for it, firmly state that none exists when a situation truly is non-negotiable, or describe a stance that already sits between two known alternatives.
“Staged payment could be a middle ground between the two proposals.”
Usage note: A suggested compromise is not an accepted agreement.
Practice “middle ground” →Explain a prepared fallback
A contingency is a possible event or circumstance that may need to be dealt with. A contingency plan sets out what to do if it occurs.
“We have a contingency plan if the primary supplier cannot meet the date.”
Usage note: The plan does not mean the disruption has already occurred.
Communication sequence
The material specification is non-negotiable.
Staged payment could be a middle ground between the two proposals.
We have a contingency plan if the primary supplier cannot meet the date.
Common mistakes
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