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2008-12-02: JW Supply Chain workshop empowers suppliers

JOHANNESBURG Water (JW) recently hosted a large number of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME) suppliers, including those who are on the JW Supplier Development Programme, as well as corporate members of Corporate SMME Development Forum (CSDF) to promote interaction between member companies and SMMEs.

The CSDF held its monthly meeting at the Johannesburg Water (JW) offices and this was followed by a SMME workshop with the main purpose of enhancing members' efforts towards preferential procurement, facilitating procurement opportunities for SMMEs and as a vehicle for the development of SMME.  The workshop provided guidance on government procurement policies and procedures, assist corporate members to increase their BEE procurement spend as well network business linkages.

Emerging and matured suppliers benefited from the workshop as information, knowledge and experience in the various sectors and industries they operate in was shared.

JW took the opportunity to conduct a presentation on procurement processes and procedures within the organization.  Some of the topics covered included, quotation procedure, tender process, tender advertisement periods, tender evaluations, tender validity periods and tender awards. The presentation also touched on the introduction of Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) as an evaluation method for preferential procurement in JW, and suppliers were advised of the seven measured elements that are assessed in a typical BBBEE scorecard, such as ownership, management, employment equity, skills development, socio economic development, enterprise development and preferential procurement.

The workshop presented  great networking opportunities for SMME suppliers who were able to interact with other service providers and representatives from big corporates such as Coca Cola, Saint Gobain, City Power, Rand Water, PPC Cement, Howden and ABSA.

JW is a member of the CSDF and some of the benefits of being a member include, access to a database of qualified services providers; information sharing, networking, business linkages and free advertising space on the CSDF website, to name a few.

JW closed off the occasion by inviting all service providers to utilize the services in the JW Tender Advice Centre,  access available training opportunities and contact the JW Supplier Development  Office for any queries that they may have regarding tender processes and other Supply Chain related issues.