Procurement

Procurement is the acquisition of goods or services. It is favourable that the goods/services are appropriate and that they are procured at the best possible cost to meet the needs of the purchaser in terms of quality and quantity, time, and location . Corporations and public bodies often define processes intended to promote fair and open competition for their business while minimizing exposure to fraud and collusion. As part of Shiva Consultancy Project Management delivery service we are often asked to procure various services and items of plant on behalf of the client and manage the whole process as part of a turnkey offering.

The reason why many clients choose to use Shiva Consultancy in this way is many fold but the key client benefits are as follows:

• Identification of need: This is an internal step for a company that involves understanding of the company needs by establishing a short term strategy (three to five years) followed by defining the technical direction and requirements.
• Supplier Identification: Once the company has answered important questions like: Make-buy, multiple vs. single suppliers, then it needs to identify who can provide the required product/service. There are many sources to search for supplier.
• Supplier Communication: : When one or more suitable suppliers have been identified, requests for quotation, requests for proposals, requests for information or requests for tender may be advertised, or direct contact may be made with the suppliers. References for product/service quality are consulted, and any requirements for follow-up services including installation, maintenance, and warranty are investigated. Samples of the P/S being considered may be examined, or trials undertaken.
• Negotiation: Negotiations are undertaken, and price, availability, and customization possibilities are established. Delivery schedules are negotiated, and a contract to acquire the P/S is completed.
• Supplier Liaison: During this phase, the company evaluates the performance of the P/S and any accompanying service support, as they are consumed. Supplier scorecard is a popular tool for this purpose. When the P/S has been consumed or disposed of, the contract expires, or the product or service is to be re-ordered, company experience with the P/S is reviewed. If the P/S is to be re-ordered, the company determines whether to consider other suppliers or to continue with the same supplier.
• Logistics Management: Supplier preparation, expediting, shipment, delivery, and payment for the P/S are completed, based on contract terms. Installation and training may also be included.
• Additional Step - Tender Notification: Some institutions choose to use a notification service in order to raise the competition for the chosen opportunity. These systems can either be direct from their e-tendering software, or as a re-packaged notification from an external notification company.

The range of activities performed by our procurement team is equal to those covered by the client's own procurement team – except focused fully on the project being undertaken by Shiva Consultancy with the aim of ensuring the project is completed safely, on time, cost & quality. In summary the Shiva Consultancy procurement team is not distracted by on other site requirements and supports the Shiva Consultancy project team to ensure the project critical success factors are met.
Activities include, but are not limited, to the following:

• Preparation of a Procurement Plan
• Vendor sourcing and prequalification