Commercial Awareness
Commercial awareness is fundamental to business success. Commercial acumen comes from a
sound understanding of commerce: the buying and selling of goods and services and the factors
that influence success. By appreciating the processes, relationships, risks and costs involved in
commercial transactions it is possible to assess whether value for money has been achieved.
Commercial awareness is not the domain of the procurement, contracts or other commercial
function. It is the means by which all individuals throughout an organisation operate to minimise
exposure to risk while achieving corporate objectives.