Preliminary report on joint procurement developed
A comprehensive preliminary report is prepared for each new joint procurement procedure. The content, preparation process and guidelines for the preliminary report were further developed in 2023.
The preliminary report has been divided into two parts: future joint procurement procedures are first approved by the Executive Committee and added to the tendering calendar. Once the preliminary report is complete, it is presented to the Executive Committee for approval.
The number of specialists involved in the preparation of the preliminary report was increased during the reform. In addition to the category manager, a lawyer and a tendering consultant and a procurement specialist and a lawyer from the procurement support unit will participate in the definition of the future joint procurement approach if necessary. In addition, the preliminary report is discussed with the customer relations unit before being presented to the Executive Committee.
Risk assessment, data protection and preparedness included in the preliminary report
The content of the preliminary report was also revised. A risk assessment was added to the preliminary report, to be prepared with the assistance of the Hansel security team. In addition, the data protection level of joint procurement is classified on a three-level scale, depending on whether there are specific data protection requirements, and whether an impact assessment or changes to the contractual terms are necessary. Similarly, the information security level of joint procurement is classified on a three-level scale, depending on whether the joint procurement involves classified, critical or secret information.
The preliminary report also assesses the level of preparedness of a future joint procurement procedure on a three-level scale, depending on whether the functionality of the joint procurement is relevant for customers’ operations in normal or emergency situations. The need to use alternative procurement channels is also assessed in this connection.
In future, the preliminary report will also identify the risks of the shadow economy in procurement.
The segmentation in connection with the preparation of a preliminary report was revised to take the complexity of the procurement object and the manageability of the supplier market into account. The segmentation takes into account the characteristics of the product or service to be procured, the customer perspective of the procurement, the delivery process, and the expertise and resource requirements based on the procurement object. From the supplier market perspective, the characteristics of the industry, the status of the supplier market and the attractiveness of the future joint procurement are taken into account. Comprehensive environmental, social and economic responsibility and innovation aspects were included in the segmentation, both from the perspective of the complexity of the procurement object and the manageability of the supplier market.
The preparation of the preliminary report also includes a new sustainability analysis directly in the ERP system. The persons in charge of the project are supported in the preparation of the analysis by Hansel’s sustainability team.
Approaches to joint procurement
A large group of Hansel’s specialists developed new guidelines for the selection of future joint procurement approaches when the preliminary report process and guidelines were revised. The aim was to identify best practices and make the joint procurement services as easy to use as possible, while contributing to the functioning of the markets.
The guideline on approaches describes the different forms of joint procurement. The following are possible:
- A framework agreement with one supplier
- A framework agreement with several suppliers
- A dynamic purchasing system
In the case of a framework agreement, the terms and conditions may be binding, or some may be left open. In the latter case, the supplier selection mechanism is a simplified tendering process. A hybrid framework agreement is also possible. In this case, the supplier may be selected directly with fixed terms and conditions based on an order of priority, for example, or if a deviation from the terms and conditions is made, a simplified tendering process is used. A dynamic purchasing system can be framework-based, i.e. a basic system, an order-type system or a supplier register system.
The guideline for specialists working on Hansel’s tendering projects provides tips on the preparation, tendering and contracting stages of joint procurement, as well as examples of how the different approaches work, and how they can be used in different procurement procedures. It also comments on the weaknesses of the approaches and situations in which each new approach may cause problems.
The new guideline was introduced in the autumn of 2023, and all new preliminary reports since then have been prepared using the new approach.
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