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Horsham Rural City Council
Horsham City Council has been utilising eProcure for over two and a half years. It would not be an overstatement to say that it has revolutionised our procurement activities. The ability to quickly and securely call for tenders, quotes, expressions of interest etc. has greatly improved our productivity, whilst vastly improving our reach, to ensure Council receives the best possible value for money in our purchasing.
The ability to call for open tenders as well as invited quotations has speeded up our processes to market and, at the same time, the comprehensive audit trails automatically provided through our procurement processes have given our auditors and senior management a high level of comfort.
The free, easy, registration process has been well received by our contractor and supplier base, and they have found that doing business via our Portal aids in streamlining their responses allowing many small to medium enterprises to vie for Council Business.
It has saved me many hundreds of hours previously spent in managing the difficult process of not only ensuring fairness and equality of opportunity via our procurement, but in the comfort of knowing “best practice” procurement is embedded in our culture at Horsham.
The support from eProcure has been outstanding in terms of both the support given to me in the management role and for the hundreds of suppliers and contractors registered on our Portal.
I would have no hesitation in recommending the eProcure solution to any organisation looking to improve productivity, probity and governance in any sized organisation.
MICHELLE PLAIN
Contract Manager – Horsham Rural City Council
Central Goldfields
Central Goldfields were not new to utilising an e-procurement portal, having recognised the benefits that this technology can bring to Council a number of years ago.
With the recent introduction of our contract management system, we took the opportunity to upgrade our e-procurement portal and chose the eProcure solution.
We have found the Portal intuitive, easy to use and very powerful. The supplier interface matches more closely our Council website and our suppliers have found the change seamless.
The features are very comprehensive and we can see that they have been well designed and thought through, perhaps because of the continuous improvement processes at eProcure and the feedback sought from their existing local government clients.
The reports provided via the Portal are easy to produce and access, and the question and answer forum, with corresponding communication reports, means we are very comfortable in ensuring we meet our legislative obligations and keep our auditors happy.
The training given to us was thorough and the support, especially during initial implementation stage, has been fantastic. The support team are helpful and courteous at all times, for both the support offered to our staff and the suppliers using the Portal.
The eProcure solution meets all of our requirements and would not hesitate in recommending it to any local government organisation looking for a state of the art solution from a local supplier that delivers very high standards of probity, security and accountability.
GRAEME GILMORE
Central Goldfields
TS Constructions
TS Constructions have been using eProcure for almost two years. It has proven to be a great management tool that has streamlined our systems and provided us with a higher level of control of our tender process.
Our business requires us to subcontract out specialists trades and compile our own tender submission. Deadlines and accuracy are critical, which are two components that eProcure provides for us.
We generally operate on a closed tender system, with an invitation sent to prequalified subcontractors. One of the biggest benefits has been the ability to see which subcontractors have downloaded documents and when, providing an insight as to the likely response to each component of our tender compilation.
If it looks as if we may have an issue with a particular trade we can expand the number of subcontractors invited which ensures we meet our submission dates. The eProcure system has also been hyperlinked to our website.
Subcontractors who wish to work with us can easily and quickly register, providing us with an increased number of potential subcontractors to prequalify and select from. This has been particularly important for when we are tendering for work outside of our regular geographical reach.
The system is simple to use which is particularly important for some of our subcontractors who are not necessarily ‘computer savvy’. Almost every subcontractor has picked up the concept quickly and have told us they appreciate the immediacy of it.
Rather than waiting for hard copies of plans to be produced, or for slow internet connections to deliver multiple copies, they have access to all the relevant information instantly.
This enables them to manage their time more effectively and ensures we get quotes in on time. TenderSearch have demonstrated their ability to adapt their programming.
A feature of the last update is the ability to send out relevant documents to subcontractors by Trade classification, ensuring that our subcontractors only receive the relevant details to their trade. From our perspective it has saved considerable time and resources in preparing and issuing tenders.
We also find the Q & A function assists in ensuring all tendering subcontractors are kept up to date with all aspects of the tender. The reporting function is important for our ISO 9001 certification as it provides a method of auditing our processes. We would have no hesitation in recommending TenderSearch to others.
TONY O’CONNELL
TS Constructions
Link Housing
Link Housing has been using eProcure (previously TenderSearch Procurement Solutions) for all of our planned maintenance tenders and quotes since December 2011 and, up to date, we have used it for over 150 separate contracts.
The electronic tendering system is easy to use and is getting easier with the various modifications and updates that eProcure are making to the Portal. eProcure listens to the end users and makes improvements to cover off on their requirements where possible. Their after-sales service is outstanding and cannot be faulted.
This electronic tendering system covers off on all of our probity issues surrounding submission of tenders and quotes. The contractors have also stated that this is a good system because submitted prices for tenders and quotes cannot be opened until the appointed closing time and date, therefore they have confidence that their pricing has not been given to a competitor.
The time saved by our organisation in using eProcure compared to the way we were sending out tenders and quotes would be in the order of 50%.
Documentation is easy to distribute to contractors, and when they have questions they ask these through eProcure, and when we answer the question it is sent to every contractor and this keeps them all on a level playing field in relation to the specific job.
Link Housing has no hesitation in recommending eProcure as an electronic tendering provider to any organisation as we have found it to be most beneficial to our organisation, and we continue to reap these rewards.
JOHN TWYNAM-PERKINS
Contracts Manager – Link Housing
Pacific Link Housing
Until eProcure approached Pacific Link some 2 years ago, we had not considered electronic tendering. Today, I would not look back and would recommend it to any organisation. One of the many advantages of this facility is the broad exposure to service providers, which would not always be available through print media, cost effectiveness and documentation control.
Since Pacific Link has been using eProcure we have used both the private and public invitations for a range of services. If the facility is used correctly by all users, everyone is kept informed, up-to-date, and documentation is secured until the tender is closed. To cap it off the staff at eProcure are always helpful. Pacific Link has no hesitation in recommending eProcure as an electronic tendering provider to any organisation, regardless of your size.
LISA KONTOGIANNIS
Asset Manager – Pacific Link Housing
AFL
I have been using eProcure now for almost three years, both in my current capacity at the AFL and as the Procurement Manager for the Melbourne Cricket Club at the MCG.
The ability to call for both open and private (invited) tenders and quotes via our Portal, has had a huge impact in terms of the amount of time and effort required to successfully manage the demanding processes required.
The Portal is easy to use, for both the administration staff and the contractors and suppliers quoting for the work.
In utilising the question and answer forum, contractors and suppliers can be sure of a prompt reply and the ability to post answers which are automatically forwarded to the registered suppliers, which saves us time and ensures probity.
The Audit trail provided by using the Portal is invaluable in ensuring that our Auditors can be satisfied that our procurement processes stand up to scrutiny.
During my time in using the Portal, I have seen a genuine commitment from TenderSearch to seek feedback from us for improvements and with three upgrades in less than 12 months their continuous improvement efforts have been impressive.
Their service, both in terms of their user support and the support for our many suppliers and contractors has been outstanding.
MATHEW DIERKX
Procurement manager– AFL
FAST-GROWING CITY COUNCIL REPLACES OUTDATED PROCUREMENT PROCESSES WITH A MODERN, EASY-TO-USE ONLINE SOLUTION DELIVERING END-TO-END FUNCTIONALITY.
Big and growing fast
With approximately 245,000 residents and currently the second-largest city in Victoria, the City of Greater Geelong is growing fast. Replacing end-of-life infrastructure with future-proofed facilities is no easy challenge, particularly when conducted within a procurement environment characterised by multiple stakeholders, budget pressures and intense public scrutiny.
But operating within this environment is standard practice for Paul Taylor, Coordinator of Procurement Services for the City of Greater Geelong. Managing a team of four and using a centre-led procurement model, Taylor calls upon decades of procurement experience gained within many industries, spanning both the private and public sectors.
Things had to change
Shortly after joining Geelong, Taylor realised that a major upgrade of procurement toolsets was required for his team to deliver the best outcomes for the City and its ratepayers.
A procurement process relying on a collection of outdated, unsupported and independent toolsets wasn’t capable of scaling up to meet the probity, transparency and pace demands of a team conducting 50-80 tenders per year, with a combined annual spend of approximately $200 million.
“We needed to give it a massive shake up. Bring it into the 21st century.”
The search
Taylor and his team identified six key requirements for a new procurement system. It had to deliver an end-to-end process, offer more user control, contain an integrated evaluation module and, importantly for a centre-led procurement model, be intuitive and easy to use for staff, suppliers and externally appointed evaluators. The new system also had to be modular in design, allowing the option to access a wider range of functionality over time. And, of course, it had to represent great value for money too.The search
Given Taylor’s extensive procurement background, he was already familiar with a number of solutions and was quickly able to shortlist three options. After comparison, which included a technical assessment by Geelong’s own IT team, Taylor settled on the eProcure solution, rejecting the others as being:
“Too pricey, too specialised, or a bit outdated and clunky.”
During the selection process, Taylor paid close attention to eProcure’s evaluation module.
Impressed by the way it was integrated within the overall workflow, Taylor also noted that its scoring system didn’t round to whole numbers, allowing scoring to accurately reflect the true relative position of tender submissions. The ability to separate sections of the tender submissions during the evaluation and scoring stages also offered tangible usability and probity benefits.During the selection process, Taylor paid close attention to eProcure’s evaluation module.
Transition
After making the decision, the process of moving from the incumbent to eProcure was quick and painless. Because the eProcure system is externally hosted, the transition required very little change to Geelong’s IT infrastructure, apart from updating text and links in the relevant sections of the City’s website. Specialist eProcure support staff assisted by configuring Geelong’s new eProcure system, populating existing supplier details, and advising them of the upcoming change.
Mindful that the shift would impact approximately 3,500 potential supplier organisations, Taylor and his team developed best-practice techniques by conducting a few internal trial tenders in the new eProcure system. As Taylor notes:
‘‘We wanted to iron out the wrinkles and learn how to use the system to its fullest potential, from both a staff and supplier perspective.”
To ensure a smooth transition for suppliers, Taylor also made the decision to temporarily run parallel systems to complete any tender projects initiated in the incumbent system.
The results are in
Taylor and his team began using the eProcure system in October 2018. Since implementation, it has been used for 70 tendered projects, the most recent being a high-profile, $200 million construction project to develop new administrative offices for the City. Having cut their teeth on smaller projects, Taylor’s team was confident that the flexibility of the eProcure solution would allow them to separate the project into its various components, write specific requirements for each, select and weight evaluation criteria, and then assign received submissions to a group of subject matter expert evaluators, some of whom were external to the City of Greater Geelong.
This confidence was well-founded, with many participants providing positive feedback about how easy the system was to use. This bodes well for the trend towards centre-led procurement, which is often reliant on contributions from those who are not directly connected to the procurement function on a full-time basis.
Testament to eProcure’s flexibility and ease of use is that since its introduction, Taylor has seen the system successfully used in unexpected ways, including for land asset sales and grant applications. Looking even further ahead, Taylor can see potential for the eProcure system to be integrated with complementary enterprise-wide solutions.
However, Taylor’s satisfaction is not limited to the technical functionality of the system alone. He has also been impressed with the levels of support and the willingness of the eProcure team to develop the product. Taylor sees this as a true partnership, commenting that:
“They are very open to feedback. They listen, decide, and act.”
As is always the case, change most often results from some degree of dissatisfaction with the present, with the largest inhibitor often being the change decision itself. For the City of Greater Geelong, Taylor recognised that change was required, made the decision and then systematically worked with eProcure to implement a much-needed improvement to the City’s tendering practices. The upside to this decision is best expressed by Taylor himself, stating that:
“We now have a smooth system that works from planning to award, one that people like to use, where we have control and can go to market with exactly what we want. Best of all, it’s still easily within the financial reach of many councils.”
FOR PORT STEPHENS COUNCIL, THERE IS NO GOING BACK. EVER.
For procurement professionals in government, expectations are high
As Port Stephens Council’s Rex Morrison puts it:
“We are procuring goods and services on behalf of Council, with a commitment to ensure probity in the tender procurement process. Our executive leadership team relies on this process to ensure compliance when following federal, state and local government guidelines and laws. We are entrusted with ensuring corporate risk is minimised and that there is less chance of corruption.”
For Rex, eProcure’s ability to help him meet these expectations first piqued his interest.
“Our previous eTendering software was not flexible enough. Many critical functions had to be done manually—this left us open to risk.”
A better user experience
First encountering eProcure at the 2019 LGP Conference, Rex was impressed by the design, the user experience and the potential time savings.
“By contrast with our incumbent software, eProcure is streamlined, fully online, and allows us flexibility and customisation. We can build in as many forms as required so that each tender is customised making it a better experience for Council’s team and suppliers. It is a user-intuitive interface where information any user needs is at their fingertips. Support for Council and suppliers has always been fantastic and open, with a dedicated help desk and chat line. Being fully online, eProcure reduces paper. The best part is the evaluation process and integration of data when preparing tender reports.”
Switching to eProcure in April 2020, Rex identifies a number of areas where eProcure has made a particularly big impact.
Faster, smoother evaluation
“Suppliers go to great lengths to be sure they supply the correct data in support of their tender documents. It’s only right that evaluators take the time to consider each submission diligently.”
However, as Rex notes, evaluators are often time-poor.
“The way eProcure is designed, it enforces evaluators to look at each question and submission. Importantly, the evaluation outcome is a better result, backed up by data and evidence that submissions have been reviewed. Because we can customise eProcure, we can specify detailed methodologies for evaluators for each schedule or question. A project manager can say, “We are looking for XYZ as a response to this question”. We can give all evaluators examples, specify response times, include a compliance rating, develop an evaluation scale and attach worksheets. eProcure ensures that the evaluation process is smooth and transparent. Every recommendation is backed up by science or data.”
Peace of mind for the executive leadership team
There are features built into eProcure that enhance confidence in the procurement process.
“Evaluators must declare that they have read the tender scope, specifications and the evaluation notes for each tender. The declaration of a conflict of interest is captured online in eProcure. As procurement professionals, we have a role to protect and ensure Council’s standards of governance. We have a role to ensure that all suppliers’ submissions are evaluated equally and fairly. eProcure takes the emotion out of the equation, and the tender process becomes data driven. We can ensure that the appropriate links are in place and evaluations summarised succinctly enough that our executive leadership team has confidence in the probity of our tender procurement process. The checks, assurances, compliances and supporting data are there.”
Time saved at every stage
With 50 projects crossing his desk each year, the ability to save serious time has made a big difference to Rex’s professional life.
“We save a lot of time at the front end— in preparation and documentation. We have templates in the eProcure system. If everything’s ready, I can release a new project in 10 minutes. It’s an easier process. We save time at the back end in evaluation and reporting. eProcure gives us more time to address our wish list—the things that every procurement team would like to do but can’t. Or couldn’t until now.”
5 days saved per project
“I calculate that I reduce 5 days off the previous tender procurement process using eProcure. This allows more time to be spent on value-adding activities. Across 50 tenders per year, we can save an equivalent of 250 days of tender-processing time with eProcure.”
Total control of the process
Now for the first time, Rex feels he has absolute control of the entire process.
“No matter the size or value of a project, the same disciplines and the same methodologies now apply. We have more control over automated tender release to market, submissions, communication, evaluation and reporting. Project teams are customised with the right amount of access. We can demonstrate more value to the executive leadership team.”
eProcure results in better submissions
Switching to eProcure has elevated the quality of submissions. This benefits Council, but also suppliers.
“The ability to pre-qualify suppliers is a great feature that can minimise our evaluation time. There is also a compliance function which assists evaluators. Non-compliant submissions can be eliminated. This allows more time to be spent on compliant tenders where a more comprehensive evaluation can be completed. There is less paper, less risk. Plus built-in checks and balances.”
Tailored to match Council’s branding
An important feature of eProcure is the ability to customise the look and feel to match Port Stephens Council’s brand marketing.
“Council can present a consistent brand to the public, users and suppliers. This adds a level of professionalism not possible with our old system.”
Enhanced supply chain management
“Progressive councils and organisations are recognising their procurement team’s contribution to supply chain planning, understanding cost structure and whole-of-life value.”
eProcure builds procurement reputations
“eProcure gives executive leadership teams more confidence in the tender procurement process by demonstrating probity, assessment and evaluation of submissions. This in turn delivers tangible outcomes by saving Council time and money.”
EPROCURE BUILDS ON WHAT CENTRAL NSW JOINT ORGANISATION’S LEGACY E-PROCUREMENT SYSTEM DID, IN A MODERN AND STREAMLINED WAY.
For procurement professionals in government, expectations are high
As Port Stephens Council’s Rex Morrison puts it:
“We are procuring goods and services on behalf of Council, with a commitment to ensure probity in the tender procurement process. Our executive leadership team relies on this process to ensure compliance when following federal, state and local government guidelines and laws. We are entrusted with ensuring corporate risk is minimised and that there is less chance of corruption.”
For Rex, eProcure’s ability to help him meet these expectations first piqued his interest.
“Our previous eTendering software was not flexible enough. Many critical functions had to be done manually—this left us open to risk.”
A better user experience
First encountering eProcure at the 2019 LGP Conference, Rex was impressed by the design, the user experience and the potential time savings.
“By contrast with our incumbent software, eProcure is streamlined, fully online, and allows us flexibility and customisation. We can build in as many forms as required so that each tender is customised making it a better experience for Council’s team and suppliers. It is a user-intuitive interface where information any user needs is at their fingertips. Support for Council and suppliers has always been fantastic and open, with a dedicated help desk and chat line. Being fully online, eProcure reduces paper. The best part is the evaluation process and integration of data when preparing tender reports.”
Switching to eProcure in April 2020, Rex identifies a number of areas where eProcure has made a particularly big impact.
Faster, smoother evaluation
“Suppliers go to great lengths to be sure they supply the correct data in support of their tender documents. It’s only right that evaluators take the time to consider each submission diligently.”
However, as Rex notes, evaluators are often time-poor.
“The way eProcure is designed, it enforces evaluators to look at each question and submission. Importantly, the evaluation outcome is a better result, backed up by data and evidence that submissions have been reviewed. Because we can customise eProcure, we can specify detailed methodologies for evaluators for each schedule or question. A project manager can say, “We are looking for XYZ as a response to this question”. We can give all evaluators examples, specify response times, include a compliance rating, develop an evaluation scale and attach worksheets. eProcure ensures that the evaluation process is smooth and transparent. Every recommendation is backed up by science or data.”
Peace of mind for the executive leadership team
There are features built into eProcure that enhance confidence in the procurement process.
“Evaluators must declare that they have read the tender scope, specifications and the evaluation notes for each tender. The declaration of a conflict of interest is captured online in eProcure. As procurement professionals, we have a role to protect and ensure Council’s standards of governance. We have a role to ensure that all suppliers’ submissions are evaluated equally and fairly. eProcure takes the emotion out of the equation, and the tender process becomes data driven. We can ensure that the appropriate links are in place and evaluations summarised succinctly enough that our executive leadership team has confidence in the probity of our tender procurement process. The checks, assurances, compliances and supporting data are there.”
Time saved at every stage
With 50 projects crossing his desk each year, the ability to save serious time has made a big difference to Rex’s professional life.
“We save a lot of time at the front end— in preparation and documentation. We have templates in the eProcure system. If everything’s ready, I can release a new project in 10 minutes. It’s an easier process. We save time at the back end in evaluation and reporting. eProcure gives us more time to address our wish list—the things that every procurement team would like to do but can’t. Or couldn’t until now.”
5 days saved per project
“I calculate that I reduce 5 days off the previous tender procurement process using eProcure. This allows more time to be spent on value-adding activities. Across 50 tenders per year, we can save an equivalent of 250 days of tender-processing time with eProcure.”
Total control of the process
Now for the first time, Rex feels he has absolute control of the entire process.
“No matter the size or value of a project, the same disciplines and the same methodologies now apply. We have more control over automated tender release to market, submissions, communication, evaluation and reporting. Project teams are customised with the right amount of access. We can demonstrate more value to the executive leadership team.”
eProcure results in better submissions
Switching to eProcure has elevated the quality of submissions. This benefits Council, but also suppliers.
“The ability to pre-qualify suppliers is a great feature that can minimise our evaluation time. There is also a compliance function which assists evaluators. Non-compliant submissions can be eliminated. This allows more time to be spent on compliant tenders where a more comprehensive evaluation can be completed. There is less paper, less risk. Plus built-in checks and balances.”
Tailored to match Council’s branding
An important feature of eProcure is the ability to customise the look and feel to match Port Stephens Council’s brand marketing.
“Council can present a consistent brand to the public, users and suppliers. This adds a level of professionalism not possible with our old system.”
Enhanced supply chain management
“Progressive councils and organisations are recognising their procurement team’s contribution to supply chain planning, understanding cost structure and whole-of-life value.”
eProcure builds procurement reputations
“eProcure gives executive leadership teams more confidence in the tender procurement process by demonstrating probity, assessment and evaluation of submissions. This in turn delivers tangible outcomes by saving Council time and money.”
UNIVERSITY STREAMLINES TENDERING PROCESS AND STANDARDISES EVALUATION METHODOLOGY BY ADOPTING SPECIALISED ONLINE PROCUREMENT SOLUTION.
Complex and costly
Modern universities are complex organisations providing leading-edge teaching, research and multi-use student facilities for staff and students from many corners of the world. Their outputs shape society and, accordingly, expectations are high. Quality doesn’t come cheap, with similar expectation levels placed on the way universities manage public-purse expenditure.
Melbourne’s Victoria University is no exception. Ranked in the top 2% of universities worldwide, Victoria provides services to nearly 40,000 students, and employs over 4,300 staff.
Keeping abreast of the operational requirements of such a large organisation is no small challenge for Procurement Director, Adrian Wong, and his team of 13. Luckily, Adrian is no stranger to universities, having spent 15 years at Swinburne prior to joining Victoria University.
Adrian and his team operate a centre-led procurement model, managing an annual addressable spend of approximately $140 million. Because managing the tendering process is an integral part of the team’s activities, streamlining this was one of Adrian’s first priorities after arriving in the role two and a half years ago.
Simple, consistent process
Adrian inherited a tendering process that worked, but it relied on a combination of various toolsets, only some of which were designed specifically with procurement in mind. This created process risk and administrative inefficiencies for his team. But of greatest concern was the evaluation stage, with two problems immediately apparent.
First was that much of the evaluation was conducted manually, increasing the potential for error as well as risking transparency and probity issues.
Second was that although evaluators were skilled, they each used their own methodology, resulting in differing approaches being used to justify tender award recommendations.
This prompted too regular discussions around process, which in turn led to a pragmatic decision to standardise the methodology. As noted by Adrian:
“We had different people doing different things in different ways, meaning different experiences for our internal clients, mostly senior management. We wanted to standardise this by bringing as many processes as possible together in the one toolset.”
Three birds with one stone
Having implemented a procurement solution to solve similar issues at Swinburne University, Adrian was familiar with the change process,
along with his options and requirements. He was seeking a:
“100% online system that delivered a consistent process and methodology for running tenders, from release to market and receipt of submissions, through to evaluation and award.”
Adrian was also keen to adopt the use of standard templates when going to market with tender requests. And he had budget parameters to which any new solution needed to align.
Adrian and his team compiled a shortlist of solution options, which included the incumbent. In addition to checking for relevant functionality, another key criterion was the provider’s development ‘roadmap’, indicating the planned improvements they intended to make to the solution, along with indicative timeframes.
After assessing each option against their needs, Adrian decided that the best-fit solution was eProcure. He liked the:
“Simple design of standard tendering processes in one package, the interface which was easily usable by a wide group of people, and the price point.”
Adrian was also impressed with the responsiveness of the eProcure team and their commitment to maintain a proactive approach to product development.
Change can be swift and good
Adrian couldn’t fault the implementation, which was swift and efficient, describing eProcure’s overall client approach as:
“Friendly, responsive, and personal.”
In just a matter of days, the solution was configured and ready to use. And use it they have, publishing and managing over 80 tendering notices since its implementation in 2017.
Such usage vindicates the decision to change and Adrian has been impressed with the way the eProcure system has been embraced by internal clients, commenting that they:
“Have been very supportive and complimentary of the solution.”
Evidence of this is the fact that it has been successfully used by some of the most senior staff in the University, including those in Council.
Adrian and his team firmly believe the change has been a real success. Apart from the obvious reductions in administrative time and paper waste, with one decision they’ve managed to standardise tendering processes, rationalise their evaluation into one accepted methodology and introduce a system that finds favour with their internal clients. All this in one cost-effective package.
Such sentiments are best summarised by Adrian himself, commenting that:
“Bang for buck, eProcure is an effective solution that allows procurement teams to simplify their RFx processes, while managing compliance and creating positive procurement engagement with internal clients.”
That’s a very positive outcome indeed.
