prescripteur

13:52 Oct 23, 2019

This question was closed without grading. Reason: Other

French to English translations [PRO]
Business/Commerce (general)

French term or phrase: prescripteur

This is an internal document from a large industrial group concerning the risks of corruption. The group has a large number of suppliers, subcontractors and customers.

In one risk scenario, an employee (specified as either a purchaser or 'prescripteur') accepts an undue advantage from a supplier in return for bypassing competition and tendering rules.

In view of the pairing of purchaser and 'prescripteur', can we use 'commissioning role/party' for the latter, rather than a more technical term focused on establishing specifications?

xxx

Thomas Miles KudoZ activity Questions: 124 (8 open) (23 closed without grading) Answers: 121 France
Local time: 01:22

Summary of answers provided

5 +3

Purchase influencer

CHRISTOPHE DESBOIS-FARLAY

3 +4

specifier

Tony M

procurement requisition approver ('manipulator')

Adrian MM.

Summary of reference entries provided

Purchasing decision maker

philgoddard

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

Purchase influencer

Explanation:
This term is used especially by marketers to refer to somebody (friend, family, workmate) who is not actually the buyer, but who may influence the buyer's decision based on their expertise or authority about the product.

CHRISTOPHE DESBOIS-FARLAY
France
Local time: 01:22
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: French

23 hrs confidence:

procurement requisition approver ('manipulator')

Explanation:
Having worked (twice) in export for a well-known dept. store in Knightsbridge and a factory n London - using warehouse requisition dockets and purchase order forms - I was instinctively drawn to requisitioner (vs. requisitionist of a company meeting) by the asker's idea of 'commissioning role/ party'.

Cue: informed and constructive debate from those who have also had hands-on experience.

Example sentence(s):

Requisitioner (“Requestor”)Anindividual(PO Manager or Requisitioner Only) who has been given authority by the University to submit electronic requests (Requisitions) for items or services from approved University Suppliers.
Approvers esp. Purchasers/ purchasing manager as approvers would like to complete the information in Purchase Requisition

Reference: http://www.procurement.utoronto.ca/information-library/what-...

Adrian MM.
Austria
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 31

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

neutral

Daryo: Those who "prescribe/specify" the detailed description of what needs to be procured don't necessarily have the authority to "approve" the purchase - (that being also the reason why they are in a separate category from the company's "buyers")

1 day 8 hrs

-> 1. Personne ayant de *l'influence quant à la décision d'achat* d'un produit www.linternaute.fr/dictionnaire/fr/definition/prescripteur/ 2. Personne qui *recommande*, prescrit un produit .... etc. www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/prescripteur/63674

neutral

Tony M: I don't think they're necessarily an 'approver' — when i worked for a local authority, I was the 'prescipteur' who told the Purchasing Dept. in detail the specifications of what was needed, then they would source and price it.

5 days

-> OK, Tony. An LA in the UK or France....

20 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

specifier

Explanation:
Is one term I've come across to refer to the person who defines what to buy; it is easy for them to word their requirements in such a way that it can only be sourced from one particular company — and of course the companies are all too eager to offer a form of wording that will rule out the competition.

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Note added at 1 hr (2019-10-23 15:30:08 GMT)
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Obvious it may be — and it would not suit in all contexts; but in you specific context, they are clearly making the distinction between the buyer (who might be a purchasing officer but know nothing about the article required) and the specifier, who defines what needs to be bought, but doesn't actually place the order.

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Note added at 6 days (2019-10-30 06:53:47 GMT)
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One of the jobs I do in FR > EN is translate such texts intended for 'prescripteurs', to steer the purchasing decision towards some particular product / manufacturer (= my customer!) — while keeping the text general enough for it not to look as if they are manipulating! It's quite an art!

Tony M
France
Local time: 01:22
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 571

Notes to answerer

Asker: Good afternoon Tony M - nice to see you again. This was in the TM and I assumed it was too obvious!

Reference comments

7 mins peer agreement (net): +4

Reference: Purchasing decision maker

Reference information:
We've had this before. It means someone who influences purchases, but doesn't necessarily make them.
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/french-to-english/manufacturing/45...

philgoddard
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 295

Note to reference poster

Asker: I like this way of wording it.

Asker: This was the solution I used, thank you.

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