Tendering process: essence, features, and importance of technology

Participation in tenders has already become an ordinary part of operations activities for medium and large companies engaged in various fields: construction, communication, transportation, pharmaceuticals, hosting of events and others.

Technology development had become the impetus for increasing the scale of transactions and the number of participants. There are already frequent cases of participation of startups and relatively small contractors in the tendering processes.

Customers, in turn, had the opportunity to spend less time and get more accurate information through the use of electronic platforms and automatic selection of candidates. At present we have got a strong tendency for eTendering development. Thus, both trade and technologies associated with it are developed.

How does the tendering process begin?

The typical tender process begins with the formation of a document that includes the budget, the requirements of the customer to the performers and his selection criteria. The document may be presented in a paper, digital or both types – depending on the legal aspects of a particular industry or region. The customer can be a government or a large commercial organization.

This document will be the starting point for all subsequent contacts between the customer and contractors, as well as the main one, among all the documents required in the tendering process.

Each e-tender refers to the initial conditions for concluding a contract, and when you using an automated selection of candidates, criteria are drawn from it. Also, the request may contain requirements relating to insurance liability and the safety of the supplier’s products.

How is the tendering process going?

After passing the first stage, the request is entered into the system. If we are talking about a competition initiated by the government, the Electronic Public Procurement System (ePPS) will be used here. The initiator establishes a time frame (from two weeks to six months), and potential performers respond if they consider that they have sufficient resources to complete the task.

As applications become available, a list of participants is formed. It allows you to compare potential contractors on various parameters. After the automatic and manual screening of unsuitable candidates, the worthiest candidates will have selected.

Often, the customer makes an appointment to clarify all the details and form the brief. A briefing can be held with one or several applicants at the same time, in face to face, or the format of an online conference. General presentations can save time, but they are not always convenient regarding information perception.

After discussion, there are two possible variants: choosing the worthiest candidate and beginning cooperation, or conducting 2nd round, which implies a test development of the concept. The first option is typical for the choice of carrier or supplier:

  • products;
  • raw materials;
  • equipment;
  • components.

The second approach applies to the creative field. It will be optimal if you want to:

  1. Develop a corporate design, branding;
  2. Launch an advertising campaign;
  3. Work on the image;
  4. Organize a thematic event.

In all four cases, it is difficult to make a final choice until you see the visualized concepts, isn’t it?

How can technology be useful in the tendering process?

Currently, most customers seek to use a web platform to select candidates and are moving to eTendering, so technology is crucial in this case. Without the correct functioning of specialized resources, bidding won’t be possible.

Besides, some companies specialize in connecting and technical support for desktop and online applications that focus on simplifying communication between customers and contractors. They can create such resources themselves or support and sell ready-made IT solutions.

If you want to get a complete solution for your business, we recommend you to ask for the help of professionals.

Why should you contact with Boost Solutions?

Our company has been developing and supporting online resources and desktop applications for electronic tendering since 2015. We have got a talented and involved team, as well as an understanding of business processes and the value of integrating technology into a common organizational structure. Most importantly is the fact that, we have enough technical experience to develop such software from scratch.

One of the clear examples of our work is the French online resource Fretly, which was created to search for carriers and optimize the supply of products from local manufacturers. You can learn more about this project here.