The evaluation period that takes place after bids are received and before a contract is awarded can be a complicated, quarrelsome process. Beyond that, it's also subject to intense scrutiny and regulation.
From CAPPO's website:
"The receipt, opening, and evaluation of requested documentation from potential suppliers must be carried out by a competent evaluation panel and in accordance with all applicable laws, as well as the principles of impartiality and transparency. Those involved in the process must maintain integrity and professionalism in all aspects of evaluation. All submissions received must be kept secure during the evaluation process. The confidentiality of the submitted documents must also be maintained subject only to applicable freedom of information or public records legislation."
And Hawaii has an entire website dedicated to the procurement process and a whole chapter on evaluation.
Agencies can bypass the often-complicated, politically-fraught process of evaluating bids by going completely paperless.
"An online Project Evaluation process is a time saver, and it's defendable," says Janice Unger, Retired Director of Purchasing at East Side Union High School District. "Trying to get 12 people in a room and trying to get them to be confidential about what they're doing just didn't work at all. The ability for your evaluators to do this work online anytime they want before the deadline – and on any device – is huge. Your evaluators can easily access, score, and comment from anywhere in the world, at any time. This gives them greater flexibility to be a part of your evaluation team and meet your deadlines."
PlanetBids recently announced new Project Evaluation features to their robust, proprietary cloud-based procurement software.
"Hands down, this is what our clients have been asking for," says Ria Diaz, Director of Client Services for PlanetBids.
Evaluation Management, part of the suite of interconnected modules that comprise the PB System™, enables an agency or organization to interactively conduct the evaluation process entirely online. It allows the buying officer and the evaluation committee to fairly assess a bidder's qualifications and to identify the best proposal – confidentially and impartially.
"There are safeguards in the way the Evaluation Management is set up that keep everyone involved – evaluators, procurement professionals, facilities professionals, and the purchasing manager – honest," Unger says. "The scoring cannot be challenged, and the evaluators are safe because the entire process is confidential. Evaluators cannot see each other's scores."
The PB System™ enhancements include:
- Two scoring methods to choose from: Weighted and the new Rubric method.
- Additional evaluation rounds that allow purchasing managers to set custom criteria in later rounds and do deep-dive evaluations.
- Automated and custom email communications with evaluators.
To learn more about PlanetBids' Evaluation Management features, check out our product page or contact our procurement experts now.
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