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Welcome to the PURCO SA Staff Guide

This guide serves as a comprehensive resource for PURCO SA staff, providing the tools, workflows, and best practices required to support member institutions and suppliers effectively. Whether you're managing tenders, facilitating contracts, or ensuring compliance, this guide will help streamline your day-to-day tasks and enhance the quality of service PURCO SA offers.

About this Guide

The PURCO SA Staff Guide is designed to:

  • Provide clear instructions for handling internal systems and processes.
  • Offer guidelines for interacting with member institutions and suppliers.
  • Serve as a repository for policies, templates, and important documents.
  • Streamline workflows to improve operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities of Staff

As a member of the PURCO SA team, your responsibilities include:

  • Tender Management: Ensuring tenders are published, managed, and evaluated in a transparent and compliant manner.
  • Supplier Engagement: Managing relationships with contracted suppliers and ensuring adherence to negotiated terms.
  • Member Support: Providing timely assistance to member institutions, including guidance on platform usage, tender processes, and contract negotiations.
  • Compliance and Reporting: Maintaining accurate records, managing audits, and ensuring adherence to procurement policies.

Staff Tools and Resources

TenderBox

The TenderBox system is used to manage online tender submissions. Staff responsibilities include:

  • Publishing tender opportunities.
  • Monitoring submissions and drafts.
  • Allocating access.
  • Evaluating bids and awarding contracts

Q&A System

The centralized Q&A system ensures clear communication between suppliers and tender authors. Staff are responsible for:

  • Moderating supplier queries.
  • Approving responses from tender authors.
  • Maintaining an auditable trail of all interactions.

CiviCRM

CiviCRM is the core system for managing contributions, events, and member data. Staff use CiviCRM to: - View supplier records - View and update contract records - Generate reports for members and suppliers.

Reporting Tools

Staff have access to export features for: - Evaluation spreadsheets. - Contract documents. - Bid letters and other administrative files.

Policies and Procedures

Communication Policies

  • Ensure email communication adheres to PURCO SA's reputation management guidelines. Avoid sending bulk emails indiscriminately and monitor bounce reports for compliance.

Tender Management Policies

  • Follow best practices for publishing and managing tenders, including verifying that all required information is complete before publication.
  • Maintain transparency and compliance with PURCO SA's tender evaluation guidelines.

Supplier and Member Relations

  • Engage with suppliers and members professionally and respectfully. Ensure all queries are addressed promptly and accurately.
  • Use the provided tools, such as the Q&A system and member contact database, to facilitate effective communication.

Getting Help

If you encounter issues or have questions about the system, start by asking your colleagues or manager, if you still need system or technical assistance reach out to info@assocworks.co.za.

Additional Resources

We are proud of the important role PURCO SA plays in advancing procurement professionalism within the higher education sector. Your work as part of the PURCO SA team ensures that members and suppliers receive the best possible support and value from their partnership with us.

Let’s continue working together to deliver excellence in every aspect of procurement and supply chain management.