Procurement Management
A compliant, auditable procurement system built for structured tendering and disciplined financial control.
Overview
Datar's Procurement Management module enables organisations to manage the full procure-to-pay lifecycle with control, transparency, and accountability. From tender publication to supplier performance tracking, the system ensures every procurement action is documented, auditable, and aligned with budget and policy requirements.
Structured tendering
Create, publish, and manage formal tenders with multi-stage evaluation workflows, compliance validation, and structured bid adjudication.
Supplier engagement
A secure self-service portal for vendor registration, bid submission, compliance documentation, and status tracking.
Financial discipline
Real-time budget tracking, commitment monitoring, spend threshold alerts, and full purchase order lifecycle management.
Tender & Bid Management
Create, publish, and manage formal tenders with structured evaluation workflows
The tendering module supports the complete lifecycle from demand identification through to award documentation. It ensures fairness, auditability, and regulatory compliance throughout every tender process.
Public or restricted publishing
Publish tenders openly to all registered suppliers or restrict visibility to a pre-qualified panel. Configure scoring models, evaluation criteria, briefing requirements, and budget ranges.
Multi-stage evaluation
Evaluate submissions through administrative compliance, technical mandatory, functionality scoring, demonstration, special conditions, and price and preference stages. Stage-gate controls block advancement until requirements are met.
Two-envelope system
Support single or two-envelope submissions. Technical proposals are evaluated before financial envelopes are opened, ensuring merit-based selection before price is considered.
Preference point scoring
Automatic B-BBEE preference point calculation using 80/20 and 90/10 systems. Structured bid adjudication with documented award decisions and full state snapshots.
Step 1: Create the tender — Enter a clear title, description, closing date, and scoring model. Configure evaluation criteria, briefing requirements, and envelope system.
Step 2: Add requirements — List specific items or services needed, including quantities, quality standards, delivery timelines, and mandatory compliance documents.
Step 3: Publish — Publish the tender to make it visible to suppliers. Manage amendments, Q&A, and addenda as needed during the bidding period.
Step 4: Evaluate and award — Review submissions through structured evaluation stages. Score bids, calculate preference points, and award with documented justification.
Each tender displays a status so you can quickly see where it stands:
Status | Description |
|---|---|
Draft | The tender is being prepared and has not been published yet. All details can still be edited. |
Published | The tender is live and accepting bids from registered suppliers. |
Under evaluation | Bidding has closed and submissions are being evaluated through the multi-stage process. |
Awarded | A winning bid has been selected, documented, and the supplier has been notified. |
Cancelled | The tender was cancelled before a bid was awarded. |
Supplier Portal
A secure external portal for supplier engagement and self-service interaction
The Supplier Portal gives external companies a self-service interface to participate in your procurement process. It reduces administrative overhead while improving supplier transparency. Suppliers can register, browse published tenders, submit bids, manage their team, and track compliance documents from a single centralised portal.
Vendor registration
Suppliers register with company details, registration numbers, tax and VAT numbers, B-BBEE level, and banking information. Administrators verify accounts before suppliers can submit bids.
Bid submission
Submit bids against published tenders with compliance documentation, technical proposals, and pricing data. Support for both single and two-envelope submission formats.
Status tracking
Track the status of all submitted tenders in real time. View evaluation progress, amendments, and award notifications from the submissions dashboard.
Centralised supplier database
All registered suppliers are maintained in a searchable directory with verification status, B-BBEE level, compliance history, and past performance ratings.
After registration, your company goes through a verification process. An administrator reviews your details and documents:
Status | Description |
|---|---|
Pending | Your registration is being reviewed by an administrator. |
Verified | Your company has been verified and can submit bids on tenders. |
Suspended | Your account has been suspended. Contact the administrator for details. |
Rejected | Your registration was not approved. Review the feedback and re-apply if needed. |
Purchase Order Management
Manage the complete purchase order lifecycle with built-in approval controls
Purchase order management provides structured financial control and clear accountability for every procurement transaction. From PO creation through goods receipt and reconciliation, every step follows policy-based approval routing.
PO creation — Create purchase orders from awarded tenders or manual requests. Select the supplier, enter items, quantities, and agreed pricing.
Policy-based approval routing — Depending on the amount and your organisation's policies, the PO is automatically routed to the appropriate approver. Approval thresholds ensure the right level of oversight for every purchase.
Order issuance and notification — Once approved, the PO is issued to the supplier with automated notification. The supplier confirms receipt and begins fulfilment.
Goods and services receipt — Confirm delivery of goods or completion of services against the PO. Note any discrepancies such as missing items or quality issues for resolution.
Closure and reconciliation — Close the PO after delivery is confirmed and issues are resolved. This updates budget records and triggers payment readiness.
Status | Description |
|---|---|
Draft | The PO is being prepared and has not been submitted for approval. |
Pending approval | The PO has been submitted and is waiting for policy-based approval. |
Approved | The PO has been approved and is ready to issue to the supplier. |
Issued | The PO has been sent and the supplier has been notified. |
Delivered | Goods or services have been received and confirmed against the PO. |
Closed | The PO is complete. All items received and reconciliation finalised. |
Rejected | The PO was not approved. Review the comments and revise if needed. |
Budget & Spend Tracking
Maintain visibility over allocated, committed, and actual expenditure
Budget tracking prevents overspending and improves fiscal discipline by maintaining real-time visibility over allocated, committed, and actual expenditure. Every purchase order and transaction is checked against budget limits before approval.
Real-time budget tracking
See your total allocated budget, actual spend, committed amounts, and remaining balance at a glance. Budget data updates as purchase orders are created, approved, and closed.
Spend threshold alerts
Automatic warnings when spending approaches budget limits. Purchase orders that would exceed the remaining budget require additional approval from senior management.
Commitment monitoring
Track committed spend (approved POs awaiting delivery or payment) separately from actual spend. This reserved amount is deducted from available budget even though funds have not yet been disbursed.
Financial reconciliation
Three-way matching between purchase orders, delivery receipts, and invoices ensures you only pay for what was ordered and received. Discrepancies are flagged before payment is authorised.
The Procurement dashboard shows your budget overview at a glance. You can see:
Remaining balance — How much of your budget is still available, calculated by subtracting actual and committed spending from the allocated budget.
Spending by category — A breakdown of where your money is going, organised by item category or department to identify areas where spending is higher than expected.
Trend analysis — Historical spending patterns to support forecasting and budget planning for upcoming periods.
Supplier Performance Management
Maintain long-term supplier accountability and performance insights
Supplier performance management supports better sourcing decisions and strategic supplier management by tracking delivery, quality, and compliance over time. Historical records and scorecards build a data-driven view of each supplier's track record.
Delivery tracking
Monitor whether suppliers deliver on time and to specification. Late or incomplete deliveries are recorded and factored into future evaluations.
Quality assessments
Rate the quality of goods or services received against what was specified in the purchase order and tender requirements.
Supplier scorecards
Multi-dimensional ratings across quality, timeliness, communication, compliance, and value for money. Scorecards aggregate across contracts to provide a holistic view.
Historical records
Complete procurement history per supplier: tenders participated in, contracts awarded, delivery performance, and past ratings. This data informs future sourcing strategy.
After completing a contract, evaluators rate suppliers across these dimensions:
Quality — Did the goods or services meet the expected standards?
Timeliness — Were deliverables completed on or before the agreed dates?
Communication — Was the supplier responsive and easy to work with?
Compliance — Did the supplier meet all contractual and regulatory requirements?
Value for money — Was the pricing competitive relative to the quality delivered?
Compliance & Scoring
B-BBEE preference points, SBD forms, and scoring models
The procurement module enforces configurable compliance requirements at every stage, including B-BBEE preference point calculation, SBD compliance forms, and multi-stage evaluation workflows. Compliance validation and scoring (including preference point systems) ensure regulatory alignment throughout the tender process.
Preference points (80/20)
For tenders up to R50 million. 80 points allocated for price, 20 points for B-BBEE status level. The system automatically calculates scores based on the supplier's B-BBEE level and bid price.
Preference points (90/10)
For tenders above R50 million. 90 points allocated for price, 10 points for B-BBEE status level. Higher B-BBEE levels earn more preference points.
B-BBEE Level | Points (80/20) | Points (90/10) |
|---|---|---|
Level 1 | 20 | 10 |
Level 2 | 18 | 9 |
Level 3 | 14 | 6 |
Level 4 | 12 | 5 |
Level 5 | 8 | 4 |
Level 6 | 6 | 3 |
Level 7 | 4 | 2 |
Level 8 | 2 | 1 |
Non-compliant | 0 | 0 |
Tenders may require specific Standard Bidding Documents (SBD) to be submitted:
SBD 1 — Invitation to Bid (completed and signed)
SBD 4 — Declaration of Interest (conflict of interest, state employment, collusion prevention)
SBD 6.1 — Preference Points Claim (B-BBEE level declaration)
SBD 7 — Contract Form (terms and conditions acceptance)
Additional documents: Tax Clearance Certificate, B-BBEE Certificate, CSD Registration. Legal panel tenders may also require a Letter of Good Standing, Fidelity Fund Certificate, and Admission Certificate.
For tenders that use the two-envelope system, technical and financial proposals are submitted in separate sealed envelopes. The technical envelope is evaluated first. Only bidders who meet the functionality threshold (typically 70%) have their financial envelope opened. This ensures that evaluation is based on merit before price is considered.
Every action taken during the procurement process is recorded with the actor, timestamp, and details. The system enforces policy checks including:
Approval thresholds — Purchases above a certain amount require approval from a higher level of management.
Minimum quotes — The tender process ensures a minimum number of vendor quotes are collected before a purchase can be approved.
Vendor certification — The system flags when a vendor does not meet required certifications or registrations.
Three-way matching — Invoices are matched with purchase orders and delivery receipts to ensure you only pay for what was ordered and received.
Business Outcomes
Measurable improvements to your procurement operations
Procurement transparency
Every tender action is documented with full audit trails. Structured evaluation stages and documented award decisions ensure fair and defensible procurement outcomes.
Reduced process risk
Compliance validation at each stage gate, mandatory document checks, and policy-based approval routing reduce the risk of non-compliance and procedural errors.
Controlled expenditure
Real-time budget tracking, commitment monitoring, and spend threshold alerts prevent overspending and improve fiscal discipline across the organisation.
Faster adjudication
Structured evaluation workflows, automated scoring, and stage-gate controls streamline the tender adjudication cycle from weeks to days.
Supplier accountability
Multi-dimensional supplier scorecards, delivery tracking, and historical performance data build long-term accountability and support better sourcing decisions.
Self-service efficiency
The supplier portal reduces administrative overhead with self-service registration, bid submission, compliance tracking, and real-time status updates.
Quick Reference
Common questions answered at a glance
A tender is a formal invitation for suppliers to submit proposals or pricing for goods or services your organisation needs. A purchase order is the confirmation of a purchase sent to the selected supplier. Think of a tender as "requesting proposals" and a purchase order as "placing the order." Tenders ensure fairness and pricing transparency for larger purchases.
Not always. For smaller purchases or when you already know which supplier you want to use, you can create a purchase order directly. However, your organisation's policies may require a tender process for purchases above a certain amount. Check with your manager or the finance team if you are unsure. The system will flag when a tender is required based on configured thresholds.
In a two-envelope tender, suppliers submit technical and financial proposals in separate sealed envelopes. The technical envelope is evaluated first through administrative and functionality stages. Only suppliers who meet the minimum functionality threshold (typically 70%) have their financial envelope opened. This ensures evaluation is based on technical merit before price is considered, preventing cost from overriding quality.
The system supports both 80/20 and 90/10 preference point systems. For tenders up to R50 million, 80 points are allocated for price and 20 for B-BBEE status. For tenders above R50 million, the split is 90/10. Price points are calculated using the formula relative to the lowest bid, and B-BBEE points are looked up from a standard table based on the supplier's verified B-BBEE level.
You will receive a notification when your purchase order is approved or rejected. You can also check the status on the Procurement page at any time. Look for the status indicator next to your PO: Approved means it is ready to go, while Rejected means you will need to review the feedback and make changes.
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