Entities advised to interact with bidders

By Billy Rwothungeyo               

Procuring and Disposing Entities (PDEs) of both public and private bodies have been advised to dialogue with bidders who do or are interested in doing business with them.

“Entities tend to look at suppliers as practical people who are just going to provide a good and service, but it should be more than this,” said Colline Mpaata, a procurement specialist and project manager at Strategic Insights Consults.

“Look at a supplier as a strategic partner—someone who can add value to you, and who you can also add value to. There are some public entities that have recognized the need and importance of meeting with suppliers.”

Mpaata made the remarks on the sidelines of the first ever Buyer Minds Meet at Makerere University recently.

The meet is a Procurement and Supply Chain platform that brings together practitioners and professionals to debate industry issues with other like-minded individuals.

“Suppliers are very resourceful in helping you know exactly what is on the market. It is better than an entity simply relying on what a user drafts at work using an online resource. An online resource can sometimes not be accurate. You may use information of 2010 when on the market, things have greatly changed,” he said.

“Entities should engage suppliers beyond the bid meetings and informing suppliers about what has happened to their bids.”

Jimmy Ameny, a procurement specialist was the main discussant at the event. He talked about tendering as one of the key feature that will be shaping the feature direction of procurement and supply chain in Uganda.