Smart Procurement

A large number of tools are available on SmartTender.biz to help commercial customers conduct their tenders. But for really successful trades it is important to use the site's functionality correctly. In this article, Kateryna Kudrytska, leading specialist in the commercial direction of SmartTender, will talk about the TOP-5 tips that will help commercial customers improve the efficiency of their tenders and attract more suppliers to participate.

1. Determine the Terms of the Tender According to the Subject of the Procurement

The duration of the tender should clearly depend on its specifics: the more complex and extensive the technical task, the longer the duration of the tender should be on the site. For example, diesel fuel prices change quite dynamically and depend on the exchange rate, therefore, the purchase can be carried out in a few hours. If this is a tender for the development of design documentation or the construction of an object, its duration may be several weeks.

Also consider the date and time of the tender publication. I do not recommend posting the tender on Friday evening or on the eve of holidays, especially if the duration is short. You have the opportunity to create a tender in advance and schedule publication for a specific time – this will significantly increase the chances of its success.

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2. Prepare Procurement Documentation Carefully

The terms of reference and specification in the request for suppliers should contain detailed requirements, so be careful about their preparation. It depends on the clarity and completeness of the information whether they will contact you for clarifications. Some suppliers generally bypass tenders in which there is not enough information for the correct calculation and submission of a proposal, arguing that they would rather spend their time participating in a tender where the customer is more interested and provide a full specification.

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The most optimal option, in which it will be convenient for everyone, is as follows: immediately provide the most detailed information on the tender in the tender documentation, and just in any case add the number or mail of the contact for clarifications. In this case, suppliers will understand whether it is worth submitting an offer, ask clarifying questions much less often, and you will be less distracted from work by providing answers.

3. Choose the Right Tender Categories

After registration, participants select and subscribe to the categories of inventory items from the CPV classifier, of which they are suppliers or manufacturers.

That is why, when creating a tender, the organizer must choose the most suitable categories – this is how actual invitations will clearly go to potential participants. This stage is one of the key ones in the tender! To improve the result of the procurement, the customer can, in addition to the main category, add up to five adjacent ones to invite amore suppliers in the required direction.

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This opportunity is available in the new account of the commercial customer Smart Procurement: the system automatically suggests category options by keyword, which speeds up the work with tenders. Read more about this in the article.

4. Respond to Requests from Counterparties on the Site

Good communication is an important aspect of the bidding process. Customers can receive requests not only through personal contacts, but also directly through the tender page, when the participant writes questions/requests on the site.

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Both the question and the answer to it will be available for viewing by all users, therefore, an appeal left without the attention of the customer may negatively affect the further course of the auction. Therefore, check regularly for new messages from your bidders.

5. Inform the Participants About the Results of the Trades in Time

After the completion of the tender, the participants want to know its result, since this is the purpose for which they calculated the cost and submitted proposals. For many of them it is really important to get feedback from the customer, even if they didn’t have the best value. After making a decision in the company, you need to complete the tender in the platform system – only after that the mailing out to participants with a decision on the winner will start. However, the absence of such a message for more than two weeks can negatively affect your reputation as a customer.

How to Avoid Potential Bidding Errors?

A large number of nuances that can affect the effectiveness of the tender can be prevented thanks to the software settings of our site. In addition, a special module "Risk Indicators" is available on SmartTender.biz, which detects objective errors that were made during your tenders, and can theoretically affect their result. Find out more about the module here.

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Follow all these tips, and then your bidding is likely to be successful. If you want to better understand the capabilities of the site or have questions about its functionality, contact your personal manager at SmartTender.biz. The manager will advise you and provide the best possible solutions.

How to Start Conducting Commercial Tenders on SmartTender.biz?

If you plan to transfer your bidding online – leave a request to connect to Smart Procurement by phone: 0 800 75 10 10 (line №4).

Use convenient purchasing tools and be successful with SmartTender!