Explain why the usual purchasing route does not fit
Fictional example: Northstar Works is considering a one-time specialist translation purchase for a project. Use this page to explain the need, compare alternatives, and prepare the question for an authorized decision-maker.
Choose the right next step
These are preparation choices, not approval routes.
The normal route fits
Use the established purchasing route when it can meet the documented need.
- Identify the relevant purchasing route.
- Follow its applicable instructions.
A specific constraint blocks the route
Prepare an exception rationale when you can explain what the normal route cannot meet and why that matters to the work.
- Name the requirement and constraint.
- Record alternatives and trade-offs.
The route or authority is unclear
Pause before committing funds and ask the appropriate budget holder or Finance and Procurement role for guidance.
- State what you need to clarify.
- Ask who is authorized to decide.
The core test
Make the case specific, factual, and proportionate.
Explain what the work requires, where the normal route falls short, and what feasible alternatives you considered. Describe the impact on the work without overstating urgency or presenting a preference as a requirement.
A requester explains the case. An authorized role decides whether an exception can be made under the applicable process.
Prepare the facts
Gather enough context for someone who was not part of the original discussion to understand the request.
Describe the need and constraint
Connect the purchase to a defined work outcome, then identify the specific part of the normal route that does not fit.
- State the deliverable or service needed and when it is needed.
- Describe the relevant route or provider and the constraint you have evidence for.
- Include the budget context and purchasing details required by the applicable process.
Compare alternatives and decision
Show that you considered reasonable options and make the requested decision clear.
- List each feasible alternative you considered.
- Explain briefly why each alternative does or does not meet the need.
- State what decision or guidance you are asking an authorized role to provide.
Worked example: specialist translation
Illustrative reasoning from the fictional Northstar Works scenario—not an approval or precedent.
Request rationale: “Our project needs translated interface text before the scheduled review. The contracted provider cannot meet the project’s stated delivery window. We considered moving the review and using existing approved materials; neither meets the current project need. We are requesting consideration of a one-time alternative, subject to authorized review.”
Why this is useful: It names the work need, the stated constraint, two alternatives, and the decision being requested. It does not claim that the alternative is approved or that the requester can authorize it.
Structure the request
Keep the explanation in this order so the decision-maker can follow the case.
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1
Describe the normal route
Name the purchasing route or provider relevant to the need, using the approved process terminology.
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2
Explain the reason for an exception
Describe the specific requirement the route cannot meet and the work impact. Separate evidence from assumptions.
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3
Record alternatives considered
List realistic alternatives and explain their trade-offs against the stated requirement.
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4
Identify the authorized decision
State what decision is needed and ask the appropriate role to review it. Do not treat submission or requester preference as authorization.