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Dear Sacha,
I
have an easier time working with something new when I'm introduced to
it in stages. I can get used to it and once I learn the ground
rules I can even anticipate what might come next. I wouldn't
expect anyone to go from using a typewriter one week to printing
documents with Microsoft Office 2003 the next. The same holds
true for an e-government product, no matter how user friendly it
is. Following a methodical progression when introducing a new way
of working yields better results than jumping straight to the finish
line.
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A measured approach
The
ElectronicTender System is a complete e-procurement solution, so it is
natural to ask, "Why should we not use the e-bid module?" To put
the question another way, why approach e-procurement in stages?
The answer involves to factors: the first is change and the second is
electronic bidding itself.
It is no secret that introducing
change to a department is a challenge and can quickly lead to unforseen
problems. This is the principle behind making the ETS
available without the e-bid component. By introducing the
ElectronicTender System, and thus change, at a controlled pace the
affected people can adapt to the new situation. They will be able
to work with the change rather then being overwhelmed by it.
The
reservation with this scenario is that with a step by step introduction
the workload will initially increase, rather than decrease. The
department will have to continue its normal work as well as
familiarizing itself with an online system. This is true initially.
Change requires additional work. The reason to go through with it
is that once the transition is complete, the full benefits will be
available to you.
The chaos that can be caused by change is not
one-sided. Any such change that a procurement department
introduces necessarily has an impact on its suppliers. Even if
you, as a buyer, are completely prepared with your e-procurement
product it may be a shock for your suppliers. This is
particularly true if the e-bid aspect is more advanced than simply
e-mailing the required documents.
More importantly, there is an
important difference between receiving and accepting electronic
bids. Using the ETS's full capabilities will allow you to receive
e-bids, accepting them in a legal sense is another matter
altogether. It is this latter that we have frequently encountered
as a stumbling block to the implementation of an e-procurement
system. This is, and remains, the most tangible hurdle.
It
is all the more challenging to overcome this setback because it does
not lie with the department to make the change to being able to accept
e-bids. This is another situation where introducing the ETS in
stages can prove beneficial. This holds true whether it involves
convincing a group of individuals or a change to existing laws.
In
some cases the Board of Commissioners is the final word on whether the
change to accepting e-bids goes through or not. It is only
natural for them to have the same reservations about introducing change
as anyone else. If they can see for themselves that the ETS
provides the promised benefits, accepting the switch to an
e-procurement system will not require a leap of faith from the
commissioners.
For others, accepting electronic bids requires
certain laws to be in place. The argument here runs in a similar
direction. If the procurement department is not in a position to
accept electronic bids, nor even explores the possibility, there is
precious little pressure to change existing laws. At the least,
with a system in place that can quickly lead to accepting electronic
bids, there is reason for the laws to be changed.
There is
certainly one other aspect that cannot be overlooked. While it
may take some work to push for going online, the decisions to do so may
come without any such effort. If the decision fails to take full
advantage of what e-procurement can provide, and you have already taken
steps to introduce your department to this eventuality, you will not
find yourself in the position of playing catch-up.
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Change
is work. The best we can hope for is to minimize the negative
impact it has on us during the transition. While it may not be
possible for you take advantage of the full strength of what the ETS
offers, if you take the first steps now the steps which remain will be
much less work.
It is when we try to do everything at once that
we are overwhelmed. To avoid this we need to approach a task this
large in a way that allows us to maintain an overview.
Sincerely,
Sacha Hartmann
YSER Inc.
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