A large tender was issued in the public sector which required a consolidated consortium approach. Multiple meetings were held, outlining the requirements and responsibilities by each contributing company. The tender team from the lead company formulated a requirements list and proceeded to compile the tender documents.
The consortium team met several times prior to the final submission review date. The weekend prior to the submission date, the consortium lead had compiled all the required documentation from their side and were waiting on the consortium partners to provide their documentation. The tender submission was due to close at 12pm on the following Tuesday.
The rush to the final submission
The documentation from the consortium partners came in dribs and drabs, with no concern on the final compilation procedures. The company booked a flight for a member of the tender compilation team in order to finalize the submission agreement in the hotel near the submission office. The tender administrator was given 6000 pages of loose tender documentation packed into 2 suitcases to try and finalize the submission document.
The tender administrator worked through the night in a hotel room filled with the 6000 loose pages.
After 24 hours of tender compilation and 2 hours of sleep, the final rush began. Consolidating each of the required documents into a single tender pack. Only then did members of the consortium start sending through parts of their submission, requiring the tender submission pack to be unbundled and rebundled a number of times. Eventually having to make the call to take whats been compiled and bundle the remaining items together. Three weeks of preparation bundled into a 24 hour tender compilation.
The tender administrator and colleague then rushed to drop off the tender. Racing down the highway at speeds of 150km p/h. Eventually getting to the front gate with 7 min to go. The security protocol forcing the driver and passenger to get out the car to check it, and thereafter forcing them to wait to sign in. Only to then take the car through the entrance and then to let the passenger to climb in on the other side. The two colleagues then rushed to the entrance with the documentation, only to see see someone talking to the tender clients and then refused to take the submission because it was now 2 minutes late.
A R740m opportunity lost. Shortly thereafter, the tender administrator had their contract terminated by the company.
Why should companies utilize technology in supplier sourcing
Efficiency:
Technology can help streamline the supplier sourcing process, making it faster and easier to identify and evaluate potential suppliers.
Cost
Technology can help reduce the cost of the supplier sourcing process by automating many of the tasks involved.Accuracy:
Technology can help ensure that the supplier sourcing process is more accurate, as it can help identify and eliminate errors that might occur during manual processes.
Visibility:
Technology can provide greater visibility into the supplier sourcing process, helping companies to track and monitor the progress of their efforts.
Sustainability:
TSustainability: Technology can help companies identify and select suppliers that are more sustainable and have a lower impact on the environment.
