During a recent SmartProcurement interview, Tjaart van der Walt, an Independent Consultant and recognised expert on Tenders and Tendering, pointed out that: "Here we are, some 10 years down the line since the International Federation of Purchasing and Materials Management (IFPMM) World Congress at Sun City where Cyril Ramaphosa (the then Chairman of the BEE Commission) (photo) emphasised the need to streamline the tenders process. Regrettably, we have still not made enough progress since there is still a big need for standardisation throughout the economy, in both the private and public sectors".

Van der Walt continued by discussing many aspects of tenders and in particular singled out the ‘user briefing stage' as the area where organisations spend too little time: “We merely take an e-mail brief, for say, the replacement of 5 computers in a department. We then draw up a hurried request for quotation (RFQ) and let rip. Right there is the start of the inefficiencies in our South African system”.

“It is critical that the driver of the tenders process, which is normally procurement, sits down with the end-user and takes time to develop a detailed 'terms of reference'. If that is done thoroughly and upfront in the process, then a lot of waste and cost is stripped out of the process".

SmartProcurement agrees and is therefore taking the initiative to facilitate an intensive 2-day conference with 1-day technical workshop. We will get several experts in their respective fields to revisit the A-to-Z of tenders, and cover all the essential issues and topics. The conference will specifically explore the role of tenders in both government and the commercial world.

Should you have any questions, comments or suggestions on tenders, please send them in to: admin@smartprocurement.co.za. You will receive two FREE SmartProcurement pocket notepads which are proving to be highly popular.