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Dear Sacha,
So
far I've focused on government buyers - the procurement
department. That is because you, the procurement professionals,
are my target audience. Vendors have been rather peripheral
to the discussion. For example, recently I discussed what I
called a buyer centric system verus a supplier centric system.
Now, it's time for the vendors to have some time in the limelight.
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Vendor Limelight
The advantages of adopting the ElectronicTender System
(ETS) are well documented, for the buyers. After all, if a
procurement department adopts a particular solution then the vendors
must adapt to it. If an SMB decides to purchase a certain system,
the reverse is not true. It is outside the realm of the feasible
unless all vendors adopt that same system, and that is very unlikely
indeed.
Most vendors will not deal with more than one
procurement department, or they will do so rarely. Adapting to
the department's new solution may or may not be difficult, but it is a
one-time process. It is a passing pain after which business
continues as normal. However, there is one reality which does not
change.
When a solution is targeted to a buyer, its
functionality is almost exclusively reserved for the buyer. If
the solution is targeted at the vendor, its functionality is likewise
reserved for the vendor. Whichever path is taken, someone is left
standing out in the cold. This results in the current scenario
where buyer and vendor each seek an advantage for their business
without the two ever meshing.
This is the gap you, with the ETS,
can help bridge. The ElectronicTender System places the vendor on
an even footing with you. Moreover, it places them on an even
footing with other buyers in whom they may now be encouraged to show an
interest. Your vendors will find themselves in the pleasant
position of having their work made easier, and perhaps even their
business improved, through your efforts.
There is no question
that this is valuable. Whenever the point is raised, the subject
quickly becomes how difficult it can be to do business with the
government. The acceptance of the Internet was a landmark event,
yet in many cases it is a path that the government has only begun to
walk. Can you change this? Honestly, no. The
government is a behemoth and this is no small change. That's not
the point.
But there is one thing you can do. You can
exert influence to make change happen. You can be a catalyst to
improve the vendor experience.
This is the point.
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Resources |
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e-Government in America
I'd
pointed out previously that e-government is an extremely broad
field. Today its focus is on the Internet because that is the
newest and least developed arena. I'd given you a link to an
example of what they are doing in Britain. There is no lack of
e-government efforts in America, of course. One organization
making such efforts is the Software & Information Industry Association, some of whose efforts are documented on this page.
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The
easiest and cheapest methods of accomplishing a goal are those which
are adopted first and most quickly. This is straightforward and
logical. It is when these options have been exhausted that the
going gets tough. As I hope is evident now, for many the going is
not yet tough. There are inexpensive and easy options which
remain and should be explored. Not only for the benefit of you
and your department, but for your vendors as well.
Sincerely,
Sacha Hartmann
YSER Inc.
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