Performing Purchasing Agent Duties

What is the general purpose of the software or the hardware? 

The question is essential because it will enable Waters Inc. management to understand the functions of both the software and hardware. The question will also help in determining the problem that both the software and the hardware will help in addressing.

What is the intended goals and objectives of software and hardware? 

Understanding the objectives that the clients intends to achieve using the hardware and software that the company is about to achieve. Acquiring this knowledge will be helpful because it will help in designing an appropriate plan intended to achieving such objectives.

Do you require creation of any form of documentation regarding the use of software about to be implemented? 

The client might require the organization to write a report about the work performed using the software or even leave some comments that can be useful in facilitating the engagement between the organization and the client.

What features do you perceive to be most important in this hardware and software? 

It is essential to understand the audience that the client targets to exploit the program with because it will enhance understanding on the nature of features that will suit such people the best. For instance, the program will consider the unique needs and objectives that the target audience has or would consider important.

Do you perceive any changes to the project to be undertaken and will you need services from our company? 

The questions seeks to understand whether the clients some advancement on the software and hardware in future. The knowledge is essential because it will help the management to create a flexible design that will accommodate changes in future. Taking the measures when the projects begins is essential because it protects the client from incurring an additional cost once the project is completed.

What is the environment in which the hardware or the software is going to operate? 

Understanding the environment in which the program will operate is essential because it helps in perceiving possible threats that might hinder its success. The knowledge will help in introducing measures that will help in overcoming the challenges.

What parameters will determine the success of the project? 

The question is essential because it helps the management of the organization align with the objectives of their client. While creating the hardware or the software might seem to be a straightforward task, it might fail to meet the intended objective. Asking the question will help the organization into designing a program that will focus on meeting the intended goals and objectives, which make the project more successful.

What types of technology will be involved in the project? 

Creating a hardware or a software might require the organization to integrate a lot of technologies. It is essential to analyze these technologies and determine whether it will be possible to provide maintenance services and also ensuring that the organization has adequate skills to operate the involved technologies. The question is essential because it helps the management of the organization to organize for training on how to use the technology if a need arises.

What is the nature of data that the software will be processing? 

Raw data fed in a hardware or software can either be qualitative or quantitative, and that have no context. The expected deliverables will determine the nature of data to be used. The question is essential because it will help in equipping staff members that will operate the program with skills needed in analyzing the data.

Which is the most suitable programming language needed in both the software and hardware? 

A programming language must align with the functions that the program is intended to solve. If the intended purpose is complex, more than one programming language might be required to be integrated into the program to make it more efficient.

Part 2: RFP 

Background/Introduction 

Waters Inc. is a company that deals with customer fulfillment services. Therefore, the company has been acting as the link between businesses and their customers as it ensured that orders made online have reached the target audience. It is in the course of its operations that the management identified an existing gap in the market as several organizations outsourced customer services to overseas companies. The management resolved to fill in the gap and introduced several services aimed at meeting the needs of businesses locally and at an affordable cost. Purchasing agent duties is among the introduced services. The company would act on behalf of other organizations in procuring equipment and services needed by a specific organization to continue with its business operations. Waters Inc. has acquired some experience in this field because it has offered similar services to other customers. Therefore, the management is confident that it will purchase the computer equipment and software needed by the client and deliver it on time for the training program to begin.

Project Goals and Scope of Services 

Waters Inc. will have the responsibility of purchasing some computer equipment and software needed by the new client aimed at enhancing its customer services. The company targets at training 75 customer service representatives, who will be subdivided into three-eight hour shift a day. That means that any given time, the customer service team will comprise of a team of 25 individuals. Therefore, the goal should be to get 25 computer equipment and software to meet the number of customer care representatives that will be working for every shift. The company will use a software by the name LiveAgent since it will create an opportunity for the customer service representatives to have on time chats with their customers. Such a platform will play an essential role in enabling the organization to give timely responses to the concerns of their clients, which will help in improving customer satisfaction (Bošković, 2020). The computer equipment that will be needed in this package must include the CPU, monitor, keyboard, mouse, graphic cards, sound card, and data storage. Furthermore, to regulate the usage of the equipment in the customer service office, it will be essential to purchase headphones such that only the specific representative will listen to the plight of the concerned customer. The measure will help in retaining the confidentiality of the customer. Additionally, it will be possible to enhance accountability by tracking the customer care representative that engaged with the consumers.

The CPU should have a processing speed that is above 2 GHz for it to maintain the processing needs of a business. It is essential to note that the higher the processing speed, the fast it will be in attending to customer needs. Moreover, it is essential to have a suitable memory to accommodate the processor speed. The preferred size of RAM to be used in this case should be 2-chips each 8GB. The storage area will be sufficient enough to accommodate intense software applications required by the customer care representatives. It is essential to note that each of the representatives will be required to retrieve data and customer information when responding to customer inquiries. Therefore, it will be essential to have equipment that will be fast enough to prevent delays and allow the representatives to meet the demand of customer care services. The preferred monitors will be 22 inches long such that it will be possible to compare at least two documents on the same screen when a need arises.

The award to supply the client with these gadgets will be given to a company that can provide all the computer equipment as a set and that has a warrant policy. The company that will supply the LiveAgent software might be available to provide updates on the program when the need arises or when new features are required. In either cases, the company that will win the award to supply any of these items must be ready to provide technical assistance whenever it is needed or provide guidance or how to resolve emerging issues.

Anticipated Selection Schedule 

The anticipated selection schedule targets at reviewing the tender proposals submitted and evaluate the best suited company to supply the above equipment or the software. The company that will win the tender for either the hardware or the software will be announced within a period of two months to allow a comprehensive sorting process. All the applicants are advised to check Waters Inc. website on 27 th April 2021 when the winner will be published.

Time and Place of Submission of Proposals 

All interested vendors are required to download a form from the website under careers category. The vendor should read the advertisement made on the page and identify the necessary requirements including a copy of standard bidding document, which is basically a declaration of interest form. Additionally, the vendor should submit a copy of the B-BBEE certificate, tax clearance certificate, past supply chain management practices, and a price catalog for all the equipment outlined above (van Rooyen, 2021). Attaching these documents is mandatory because they will be used in the elimination process to determine an eligible vendor that will not delay the purchasing process. The interested vendors must submit the application form and all the necessary documents before 5 th March 2021 after which the submission link will expire.

Timeline 

The interested vendors should review the following timeline and assess whether they will be able to deliver the products within the schedule. Water Inc. is strict on timelines and failure to abide with them will be a breach of contract that the winning vendor will sign. It is essential to note that such an act has some associated repercussions, which makes it essential to ensure that the vendors abide with the timelines.

Develop a checklist – Already completed

Searching for a suitable company to work with and conduct a background search – 23 th April 2021

Review qualifications against the checklist – 27 th April 2021

Submit samples – 5 th May 2021

Work on feedback – 30 th May 2021

Deliver the entire package – 1 st August 2021.

Elements of Proposal 

The interested vendors are required to include the following critical information in their tender proposals to qualify for selection;

The tender form- The form will be downloaded from Water Inc. official website

Preliminaries- The vendor should outline other companies that they have created successful engagements in the past.

A pricing document – The pricing document will provide the price catalog for all the equipment being sold

Company background – The vendor should provide a brief background information about the organization aimed at creating familiarity.

Equipment specifications – The information provided in this section will be essential since it will help Water Inc. procurement officers analyze whether the company is eligible for this specific tender.

Necessary documents – It is vital for the organization to provide all the necessary documents required to be eligible for the tender. Review the above sections for the required documentations.

Evaluation Criteria 

Waters Inc. will follow a simple but intense evaluation process since it intends at settling on a company that will engage in successful operations. For instance, the procurement officers will review whether the applicant has met all the eligibility requirements. Secondly, the procurement officers will check on the specification of the equipment that each vendor has and determine the ones that match the needs of our client. Price catalog is another feature that the procurement officers will check aimed at identifying the vendor that meets our budget. Finally, the organization will rely on reviews from other companies and past engagements to determine whether it will be wise to engage in business with a specific vendor. Given the urgency of the present business, the management prefers to work with companies that have a clean track record.

Possible Roadblocks 

The possible roadblock that might delay the tender process involves customer engagement. Waters Inc. management intends to have intense engagements with representatives from the present client who will be responsible in approving or disagreeing with some of the decisions made by the organization. The engagement is vital because it aims at minimizing the likelihood of encountering challenges after the entire procurement process is complete. Furthermore, Waters Inc. values stakeholder engagement since it is this vice that enable the organization to achieve customer satisfaction (Al Alawi, 2015). Another perceived roadblock is risk management because the organization does not have the capability to evaluate the financial strength of the vendor. In case the vendor is dishonest and lacks adequate funds to facilitate the entire process of supplying the equipment, some delays might be expected (Wang, 2013). Nevertheless, Waters Inc. has considered such an occurrence and given a much tight schedule to the vendors to leave more time to get another supplier if the first one fails. Waters Inc. will rely on a positive brand image in the selection of the most suitable vendor to supply the organization with the preferred equipment. It is likely that a company can have a clean performance record in the past and yet have issues supplying the current order. Consequently, Water’s Inc. must acknowledge this factor and take relevant precautionary measures such as leaving adequate time to have another vendor supplying the same equipment.

Budget 

The budget outlined below is an estimate on what the company is willing to work with when purchasing from the vendors. However, it is essential that each party submits its preferred catalog since that will be a factor of consideration for the procurement officers. Additionally, even though price deviations are allowed, the vendors must keep them very reasonable. Below is a preferred price list per unit:

CPU- $250

Monitor - $100

Mouse -$4

Keyboard - $6

Storage - $39

Sound card -$10

Graphic card - $50

Headphones - $35

LiveAgent software – Subscription fee $120 annually

Part 3: Timeline of Tasks and Activities 

After the interested parties submit their forms to engage in the tendering process, the management must engage in a few other activities before the actual delivery of the equipment is made. The preferred vendor will be announced on 27 th April 2021 when the business representatives will be contacted and informed about the decision. On the same date, a tender briefing conference will be scheduled within a span of 7 days. The conference will also allow the parties to sign a contract of engagement. The parties will discuss specific timelines on when the sample gadgets should be delivered for evaluation and allow feedback to be given before processing the entire package. The parties should negotiate about the prices after the feedback is given and the two parties satisfied on expected deliverables by 1 st July 2021.

References 

Al Alawi, A. (2015). The Role of Engagement on Stakeholder’s Satisfaction with the Destination Marketing Organization’s Performance. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/90664/4/Amal_Sulaiman_Sa%27ud_Al%27Alawi_Thesis.pdf 

Bošković. (2020). Customer Satisfaction Assessment by Online Shopping Service: A Case Study of Serbia. Tehnicki Vjesnik - Technical Gazette , 27 (5). https://doi.org/10.17559/tv-20180116163213 

van Rooyen, W. (2021). Which documents do I need to tender? | SA-Tenders.co.za . Sa-Tenders.co.za. https://www.sa-tenders.co.za/content/hints-tips-and-news/which-documents-do-i-need-tender 

Wang, H.-J. (2013). Brand Affect and Brand Trust: Who Actually Cause the Brand Loyalty ？ A Dynamic Perspective Research. Acta Psychologica Sinica , 44 (6), 830–840. https://doi.org/10.3724/sp.j.1041.2012.00830