Tired of Rejection? eProcurement Can Fix That.

"I hate rejecting bids," she said. "We respect the relationship between the bidder and the town. We are thrilled when people want to bid for projects here and we are committed to making the process work."

Today, with bids&tenders, "we have confidence that it will be a good submission," she said.

"In the past, we had to review each bid against a checklist. We had printouts for all the documents available to vendors in our planning room. And it was our job to make sure they got the addendums. The time it took and the amount of paperwork was phenomenal."

But compliant submissions are just one way Milton’s use of bids&tenders for eProcurement helps vendors.

"In the past, before submitting their bid, many would stand there with four or five envelopes in their hands (pre-prepared bids) to see who else was coming in. Then a company representative would come in for one tendering opening, then move on to another," said Leslie.

Now, the process is "very, very transparent. They have all of the information they need," she said.

Vendors can preview documents for free and subcontractors can review the information easily. Members of the bidding site can view other bidders online, saving the trip to townhall. Addendums are ready the instant they’re posted to the bidding site and bidders are notified via email that the new information is available. Supplemental information including background studies is there too, just a click away. And results are up, available online, often within one hour of close.

"By far, bids&tenders is the best solution on the table," said Leslie. "Others are driven by non-procurement people telling buyers and vendors what they’ll get. Bids&tenders was created through a lot of communication, a lot of work with vendors, municipalities and key partners like the OCGA. Inclusion is the big deal."

So, what tips does Leslie have for vendors interested in the millions of dollars in projects posted by Canada’s fastest growing community?

"Embrace eProcurement. Keep your [bids&tenders] profile up to date so you don’t miss an opportunity!" (such as categories of work, contact information including email addresses and alternate email addresses, etc.).

For more information about bids&tenders, visit the website (www.bidsandtenders.ca) and sign up for a free webinar demonstrating the system and answering any questions you might have.