A non-governmental organization working in Africa to protect wildlife has posted posters to find reputable suppliers for plant machinery and equipment for a wheat flour mill plant that can crush 25–50 tons of weight daily. Once the client approached us, our sourcing specialists sat down with the client to understand their specific needs so that we could find the best possible solution for them. After we understood the specific requirement of our client, we made a market analysis for suppliers who sell such equipment. We searched our database, researched online, and gathered intelligence through various networks to find 129 suppliers who fit the bill.
Once these suppliers were identified, the prescreening process was conducted. In this process, we telephoned and asked them whether the manufacturer of the plant and machinery we were looking for could offer after-sale services in terms of training operators and supplying them with spare parts, etc. Once the shortlisted suppliers had gone through the prescreening process, we mailed them RFI/RFQ documents. We made this document after consulting with our clients so that they get the best possible option for their needs. 18 suppliers responded to our RFI/RFQ, and we measured their responses on a scorecard and gave them weight. The scorecard we followed to give weight to the suppliers who responded to our RFI/RFQ document is the following:
- Business Information 30%
- Production 30%
- Quality Management 15%
- Social Responsibilities 5%
- Certificate/document/picture 5%
- RFQ: Product Capability 20%
Based on the scorecard, we shared our recommendation for a supplier who can sell at a minimum cost and those who are near our client’s location for further processing at their end. The process took 9 weeks to complete, and at the end, we submitted all the documents and charts to our client.