Procurement strategy pointers: Making the submission and evaluation process more secure

When you’re procuring for a major project, running a secure and defensible bid submission and evaluation process is critical.

Extraordinary sums of public money are likely to be at stake – in today’s times, many infrastructure initiatives run as high as 10 figures – and taxpayers deserve and demand to know that their funds will be spent properly, with a supplier that can deliver on time and on budget.

For bidders, meanwhile, developing a bid requires a significant investment of time and resources. Without confidence they’re competing on a level playing field and won’t be disadvantaged by unfair or unsecure procurement processes and practices, some may be reluctant to make that investment.

Locked box submissions and an impartial evaluation process can help keep bid management fair and accountable. For project teams operating in manual mode, maintaining security and a clear audit trail through this phase of a major project tends to be enormously challenging.

That’s why it’s worthwhile exploring the benefits of digital technology when planning your next submission and evaluation process.

Struggling to store and share sensitive documentation

Collecting submissions manually, via email or through a basic e-procurement portal can be time consuming and risky.

Where they should store bidder submissions - a large volume of confidential documents - is one of the questions project teams operating in legacy mode grapple with. How they’ll duplicate and disseminate these documents securely to all the parties involved in the assessment process is another. And then there’s the issue of clarifications – when and how they’ll be requested from bidders and the responses submitted and shared.

It’s a modus operandi that’s inherently inefficient and unsecure and the risk of a data breach is ever present. It can be all too easy for paper-based bids to be misplaced, stolen or copied, while submissions lodged via email can be accidentally or deliberately forwarded to unauthorized parties.

There’s also the danger of documents being improperly accessed by hackers and cyber-criminals while they’re in electronic transit, between suppliers and the agency, or amongst assessors.

Should a data breach occur at this critical juncture, the repercussions are likely to be negative – for the project team and the senior stakeholders responsible for the successful carriage of the project.

Tools to make the task easy

This is where technology has a transformative role to play. It can fortify the locked box submission and evaluation phase of your upcoming procurement process.

Using a single, secure, online data repository that allows bidders to lodge their submissions directly into a digital locked box ensures bids remain private until the submission deadline has elapsed. Stringent security settings can be deployed to prevent bids being accessed or tampered with, by saboteurs or colluders seeking to pervert the procurement process. Should administrators deem it necessary to open a locked box while the submissions process is underway, their actions can be tracked in real time, via a live audit trail which can’t be edited or erased.

The same locked box facility can be used by the admin team to redact bidders’ details and pricing data before submissions are sent on to the evaluation team. This minimizes the potential for bias or conflict of interest and makes it difficult for unsuccessful bidders to later allege preferential treatment was given to the successful supplier.

Utilizing a consistent evaluation methodology and easily auditable digital communication channels adds rigor and integrity to the evaluation process and minimizes the possibility of damaging data leaks.

Streamlining and centrally managing these workflows allows project teams and evaluators to maintain the comprehensive audit trail necessary to demonstrate that their procurement decisions are data-driven and defensible.

Optimizing your upcoming procurement with virtual data room technology

Given the obvious benefits, it’s not surprising a growing number of public sector entities are investing in virtual data rooms to help them manage their major infrastructure initiatives, from conception to conclusion.

The term is used to refer to a secure online space where confidential documents are stored and shared with authorized parties.

It’s enabling technology that helps government agencies implement streamlined, secure procurement strategies and processes that will stand up to the most stringent of scrutiny.

Adding a virtual data room to your technology stack eliminates much of the risk and complexity that used to be part and parcel of managing large volumes of highly sensitive documentation across the lifecycle of a major project. It’s an investment in efficiency and integrity that makes it easier for project teams to do their jobs well.

Securing your procurement process

Progressing a major project is simpler with the right tools. A digital data room will enable your team to run a secure, defensible submission and evaluation process, one that makes it easier for senior leaders to make smart procurement decisions.

Select a solution that’s been developed by professionals with firsthand experience planning, procuring and overseeing major infrastructure initiatives and you’ll stand the best chance of capitalizing on the benefits this transformative technology can deliver.

If you’re interested in getting more details on how digital data rooms are being deployed by public sector project teams or would like to see for yourself how this transformative technology can be put to work, Ansarada is here to help. Get in touch with one of our customer success specialists.