eboxTENDERS provides tech solutions for procurement challenge

The fourth industrial revolution is upon us – a tech-driven transition that is re-shaping our entire way of life.

For businesses tech solutions have been accelerated by the onset of the covid19 pandemic, forcing adoption of systems and processes that, despite obvious benefits, had been slower to gain acceptance.

One company that has been providing solutions in the field of procurement and supply chain management is eboxTENDERS Ltd.

The company made it to the finals of the TT Chamber’s Champions of Business in the category of business technology.

Although the award was eventually won by medl Ltd, eboxTENDERS remains a champion in its field.

EboxTENDERS is a secure cloud-based platform that manages the procurement process from the initial request through execution and all processes in between, and is compliant with both private and public sector requirements.

The firm was established in 2016 by Marvin Marcelle, who made the decision to start his own company after being employed for some 20 years in accounting, sales, technical services related to IT procurement and management information systems.

Marcelle said, “It seemed like the right time to do it. The studies were already pointing the way forward, and digitalisation would be the future.

“The benefit is a more efficient, cost-effective and transparent process from start to finish. And we provide all our clients with technical and customer service support,” he said.

The company has been seeing steady growth with an uptake in the private sector and state enterprises as clients see the benefits of maintaining an annual subscription.

Admittedly, this may be more attractive to larger companies such as their international clients and regional conglomerates who may be managing multiple projects on an ongoing basis. For smaller companies and those with less tendering activity, Pay Per Tender was introduced.

With this, clients pay a flat fee of $4,500 and have full access to all services related to a robust tendering platform for the period of the project. There are no fees associated with sign-up or installation, and there is no lock-in contract. It also has the added benefit when compared to competitors, of reducing the upfront fees that are normally required for e-tendering.

Marcelle compares it to buying a time-share.

“It’s an easy way to rent a confidential single-tenanted eTendering portal only when you need it,” he explained.

However, clients may also choose to go the route of "white label," ie having the application repackaged and rebranded using the client’s own signage throughout. This is applicable for organisations inundated with procurement activity and as a result would subscribe on a longer-term basis.

The platform is browser agnostic and hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), a fully certified, best-in-class data centre with all the typical security features associated with a world-class eTendering portal.

EboxTENDERS has been successful in providing a number of procurement and sourcing initiatives to several companies including services such as strategic sourcing, spend analytics and reverse auctions.

Interest in the solution is steadily growing.

Marcelle said that last year, eboxTENDERS received over 520 request for quotations (RFQs), 33 request for proposals (tenders) 19 reverse auctions, seven forward auctions with an average total of 1,100 registered suppliers and 60 evaluators.

Most importantly, citing figures from 2020, companies using the platform saved over $1.8 million.

The pandemic could very well be turned into a positive for this company as they seek to expand usage of the e-platform.

With his personal credo, “Find something worth dying for, and live for it,” this tech entrepreneur is determined to show how tech can benefit procurement – and save clients money in the process.

The Chamber extends warmest best wishes to our readers and all in TT for the holiday season. Stay safe.