Ask the proposed intermediary or downstream purchasing contact for a use-specific requirement. Capture topic, format, period, language, freshness, permitted use, recipient, evaluation task and next procurement decision. Record who supplied each fact and when.
Use a four-status demand register:
| Status | What it establishes | What remains to be checked |
|---|---|---|
| Historical announced agreement | An organisation publicly described a past transaction | Current budget, applicability and access route |
| Supplier-reported interest | A supplier claims a discussion or request exists | Scope, counterpart, permission to corroborate and buying stage |
| Corroborated requirement | Relevant contact or permissioned records support a defined need | Eligibility, evaluation success and commercial approval |
| Executed commitment | A signed agreement contains particular obligations | Conditions, deliverability, payment and ongoing compliance |
These are editorial evidence categories. Do not mechanically convert one status into a probability of sale.
Advance when: the next expenditure addresses a real, documented uncertainty. If nobody can identify a specific buying requirement, commission only the minimal research or sample analysis needed to test whether one exists. Do not make a large preparation programme the default response to a broad opportunity claim.