Technical purchasing is about the items that do not fall into ‘‘consumables’’ and are generally ship items such as engine parts or electronic components. Any material used in facility repair will also fall into this category as well as any marine products. The challenge in this type of purchasing is the specificity of products to be sourced. As an example, there are two main manufacturers for ship paint, and seldom more for engine parts, which are not generic like the ones found on cars. Therefore, an open bidding strategy cannot be used to lower costs.