Technology can be developed and configured to accommodate ever-changing legislation, but is ineffective in isolation when not supported by services, Catherine Hills, Client Services Director for Quadrem Africa, tells SmartProcurement.
Referring to Supplier Enablement (SE) technology services, which link buyers and suppliers, Hills says that without a comprehensive service provision, organisations will not be equipped to take full advantage of SE technology.
“It is essential that a SE service offers a bulletin of local leads and tenders for suppliers,” says Hills.
Such a tender and enquiry-based procurement service would offer local leads and tenders to small, medium and large organisations throughout Southern Africa.
The service would collect enquiry and tender information throughout South Africa, thus giving its subscribers access to a comprehensive list of nationwide purchasing and tender information. It would eliminate the need to subscribe to or trawl newspapers, numerous websites and tender bulletins and would provide daily exposure to many new buying departments and organizations, explains Hills.
Quadrem Africa, through its Daily Leads and Tenders product, publishes open and closed, short- and long-term tenders and enquiries from approximately 4000 Southern African Buyers. These purchasing requirements are issued by Government Departments (National & Provincial), District and Local Municipalities and Private Companies.
The Daily Leads and Tenders product gives access to Requests for Quotations (RFQs) below formal tender value and online access to Tender Collect / Tender Return services from Skynet Worldwide Express.
“The product offers Africa’s largest tender and enquiry-based procurement service,” says Hills.
Quadrem Africa breaks down the purchasing information into various geographical areas and product groups. Subscribers will, accordingly, receive a daily notification via email or fax of purchasing information and tenders relevant to their core business. Responses to formal tenders still have to be completed on the tender documents, however, for enquiry / quotation level purchasing, suppliers are required to respond through Quadrem Africa / TradeWorld, either electronically, or on the standard quotation form.
The system offers a significant time saving, says Hills:
• Receive information relevant to your business via e-mail or fax. Or simply access the Quadrem Africa / TradeWorld website.
• Receive new leads and tenders relevant to your business profile from 16 000 commodities each day.
• Eliminate the need to call on buyers daily for their purchasing enquiries.
• Quotations can be done online, or faxed for capturing into an electronic format.
More than 45 000 orders a month, worth around R950-million, are processed through this system, making Quadrem Africa the largest provider of trade leads in Africa.
“The act of commerce demands communication between buyer and supplier. The communication needs to be fast, reliable and secure – and as integrated as possible into the transaction systems of the trading parties…”
– Andy Kyte
Gartner Vice President and Fellow
For more information, contact Catherine Hills on 021 680 4604 or email her at chills@quadrem.com
