Electronic tendering is now the norm

Handling all tendering processes that exceed the EU threshold value electronically has been mandatory as of October 2018 and handling all joint procurement tendering processes electronically has been mandatory as of October 2017. Hansel’s joint procurement tendering was digitalised by the deadline, and the tendering processes of Hansel’s customers can also be digitalised through the Hanki service.

The Government prepared for the entry into force of the Directive that requires the digitalisation of procurement well in advance: most of the commissioning projects that enable electronic tendering were completed in the Hanki service in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, a total of 16 new governmental organisations started using Hanki, which increased the total number of users to 96 organisations. Hansel invested a great deal in the organisation of commissioning projects and commissioning support over the course of the year.

The electronic operating model has been well received: almost 2,500 electronic tendering processes were completed in 2018, compared to 1,431 in 2017. Most of the electronic tendering processes (over 600) were procurement projects that exceed the threshold value specified in the Directive, but there were also a large number of national tendering processes (over 700) and small procurement projects (over 300).

If one of Hansel’s customers only seldom carries out tendering, such as one tendering process per year or even fewer, using Hanki is not necessarily profitable for the organisation. Such customers can arrange their tendering electronically through Hansel’s tendering services.

Strong development continues

The Hanki service reduces the workload of a procurement unit by reducing the amount of routine work and making the tendering process more controlled.

“It clearly speeds up the opening and assessment of offers and the making of procurement decisions, for example. Furthermore, it is easier for tenderers to prepare their offers with the ready-made template. As invitations to tender and offers are in a structured format in the service, information that has been entered into the system can be reused as necessary,” explains Petteri Pohto, electronic procurement service manager.

Electronic tendering also saves time with automatic checks of statutory information. Automation has made tendering processes smoother for both the procurement unit and the tenderers, as the companies need not separately submit any of their information that is already included in official registers. The checks include the payment of taxes and social security contributions, for example. According to a calculation by the Ministry of Finance, approximately €5 million has been saved by checking the statutory information.

Hansel has also made major investments in further development of the electronic tendering system. In 2018, features to support framework agreements and mini-tendering was added to Hanki. They were well received. More than 200 mini-tendering processes were completed on the basis of framework agreements of Hansel and other governmental organisations in 2018.

Features for the establishment, maintenance and use of dynamic purchasing systems have also been in active use in Hanki from the very beginning. Despite their novelty, governmental organisations already established more than twenty dynamic purchasing systems and completed some 70 internal tendering processes on the basis of them in 2018.