Corruption in government procurement, how are they doing it?
It has been estimated unofficially that R30-billion per year, 20% of the overall government procurement budget of R150-billion, is being lost or is disappearing into a black hole of corruption. Much of the loss is through rip-offs, overpricing and the failure of contractors to deliver on their promises, says Carol Paton, of the Financial Mail, who wonders if the government has the political will to stop it.SmartProcurement would like to know which fundamental Procurement disciplines have been ignored and which would counter this national dilemma?
Posted by Editor at 6:40 AM
How well do suppliers receive your RFPs?
What does it feel like to be a bidder or tenderer responding to your Requests for Proposal (RFP) or Requests for Quote? Trained and experienced Procurement professionals labour under the common misapprehension that their RFPs or similar tender documents are perfectly constructed, fully understandable, complete and with no errors. Sadly, this is not always the case. Just speak with your key suppliers and those responding to your requests.
Posted by Editor at 12:00 AM
Inclusive supply chains support poverty reduction
Procurement and Supply Chain Management have a role to play in a recently launched initiative for holistic poverty reduction.“Procurement that is ethical and value-based, that incorporates a community into its entire value chain” has a place in the Business for Development (B4D) Pathfinder Initiative, said Benjamin Mkapa, former Tanzanian President, at the initiative’s launch last month, attended by SmartProcurement.
Posted by Editor at 12:00 AM
SCM Summit feedback: Intelligent databases further Preferential Procurement
Technology is an effective support for Preferential Procurement Policy implementation and compliancy, Catherine Hills, Client Services Director for Quadrem Africa, told SmartProcurement.
Posted by Editor at 9:40 AM
Larger fiscal deficits call for stricter compliance to government tender guidelines
There is a greater need for public sector tenders to be more strictly awarded according to government’s guidelines. The outcome of tender awards influenced by government officials with stakes in corporate companies, bribery and financial mismanagement is not just that incompetent people receive a contract, but also the waste of government’s steadily shrinking pockets.Professor Justin YIfu Lin with Minister in The Presidency: National Planning Commission, Trevor Manuel.
Posted by Editor at 10:00 AM
Banks are just another supplier
An organisation’s banking partner should be dealt with like any strategic supplier, Julian Curtiss, MD of Transaction Technology Solutions, tells SmartProcurement.
Posted by Editor at 9:15 AM
The year of the CPO! Report back on the IPSA / CIPS annual conference
Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) have missed an opportunity to steer the global economy’s rescue boat, alluded Institute of Purchasing and Supply South Africa’s (IPSA’s) President, Karen van Vuuren, at the institute’s Annual Pan African Conference held at Emperor’s Palace in partnership with the Chartered institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS).
CIPS Director of International Development Chris Gallagher, CIPS President Dr Bola Afolabi, IPSA President Karen van Vuuren
Posted by Editor at 3:31 PM
Shed light on your suppliers
While shareholders' visibility requirements have been responsible for the growth of the audit industry, organisations continue to be plagued by other stakeholders requesting information on risk and performance. These include potential joint venture partners, benchmarking agencies, credit-rating agencies, environmental impact organisations, local government and customers.
Posted by StaffWriter at 1:09 PM
Collaborative cost management with key suppliers
It has been said that in organisation within a world-class procurement framework it is difficult to find a clear-cut distinction between the organisational drive for continuous improvement viz-a-viz value release from actively managing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). "In fact, these objectives represent the two sides of the same coin and trying to determine which side is more important is irrelevant", Nic Badenhorst, an independent procurement consultant, told SmartProcurement.
Posted by Editor at 12:00 PM
Tendering Conference and Technical workshop in May 2009 launched
Following on research resulting from the Strategic Sourcing Conference held in October 2008, SmartProcurement will be hosting an in-depth conference on Private and Public Sector Tendering. Tenders are a fundamental mechanism by which procurement departments achieve their strategic sourcing objectives, and by which they contribute on a massive scale - in both the private and public sectors - to real-time Black Economic Empowerment (BEE).
Posted by Editor at 9:10 AM
How in-house printing savings are generated with reference to MPS services: Analysing user requirements
Before any informed decision can be made regarding an organisation’s hardware and equipment specifications, a Managed Print Solutions (MPS) provider will need to clearly understand and analyse the following:- The exact user and business requirements across the entire organisation / print estate (where, what, when, why, internal / external usage, colour / mono, etc.);
- Specific environmental requirements;
- The financial implications (e.g. what are the current costs of printing?);
- What is the overall strategy of the organisation?; and
- What are the requirements of the ‘culture of the organisation’?
Posted by Editor at 8:50 AM
How to Optimise the Procurement of External Print Services
Just what is it that makes print such a complex category to purchase and manage from the procurement perspective?Posted by Editor at 11:05 AM
BBBEE Compliance vs Government Procurement Practices - a Contradiction in terms?
"No government department has ever asked for a Broad Based BEE certificate, and it may be some time before they do" Wade van Rooyen of Iquad Verification Services tells SmartProcurement. . The answer to the question of why government has not asked for certificates is based on conflicting legislation which may have a serious impact on your business.
Posted by StaffWriter at 10:25 AM
Outsourced BEE compliance services pinpoint supplier development requirements for increased Procurement Score.
“With the Codes of Good Practice on Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (the Codes) approved and about to be gazetted, the BEE verification industry is moving towards much stricter regulation. Already there has been a substantial reduction in the number of businesses offering verification services now published in the Association of BEE Verification Agencies’ website (www.abva.co.za).”
Posted by Bernie at 11:40 AM
Supplier sustainability evaluation service launched
Organisations can better manage risks by limiting their exposure to unstable suppliers. The general principle being that insight into a supplier’s sustainability profile, will advance the procurement department’s ability to plan for and handle, disruptions in supply, inconsistencies in product quality, the sourcing of back up or new suppliers and a host of other related issues.
Posted by Bernie at 7:02 AM
TCO of Changing to a new supplier
On the Procurementtips.com Forum Bob McLeay from RACV in Australia asked the follwing interesting question: "A lot of my work is in establishing agreements for provision of indirect services. When comparing the total cost of alternative bids I usually apply a notional cost to non incumbents to allow for the cost of transition to a new supplier. However it is difficult to actually determine what the transition cost is.
Posted by Bernie at 6:05 AM