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.
Internal Bid Management
A structured stage-gate pipeline for managing your organisation's internal bids from opportunity to award
The Master Tracker is a dedicated stage-gate pipeline for internal bid management. Unlike generic task boards, it is purpose-built for the bid lifecycle — from spotting an opportunity to documenting the win or loss outcome. Every stage has a gate that must be passed before work progresses, ensuring your team invests time only in worthwhile opportunities.
Go / No-Go gate
Before committing drafting resources, complete a mandatory Go/No-Go checklist. This gate ensures your team only invests effort in opportunities that meet your win criteria, capacity, and strategic fit.
Compliance watchdog
The system automatically monitors expiry dates on compliance documents such as tax clearance and B-BBEE certificates. Alerts are triggered 30 days before expiry so your team can renew documents before a tender deadline blocks submission.
Post-mortem analytics
After each tender closes, record win or loss reasons and link them to practice area, fiscal year, and competitor data. This historical analysis helps your team identify which opportunities to pursue and where to improve.
Stage | Description |
|---|---|
Opportunity Identified | A new tender opportunity has been logged. Initial details are captured: client name, closing date, practice area, and estimated value. |
Go / No-Go Decision | The team evaluates whether to pursue the opportunity. A structured checklist must be completed before advancing. |
Drafting | Active bid writing. Write-ups, references, and compliance documents are assembled using the Knowledge Vault. |
Compliance Review | The compliance officer reviews all returnables and mandatory forms before submission. Blockers must be resolved. |
Submitted | The bid has been submitted to the client. Awaiting evaluation outcome. |
Awarded | The contract was awarded. Win reasons are documented and supplier onboarding begins. |
Lost | The bid was unsuccessful. Loss reasons are captured for post-mortem analysis and future strategy. |
Knowledge Vault
A centralised asset library for reusable bid content, evergreen compliance documents, and project references
The Knowledge Vault is the content backbone of your bid operation. It stores three types of assets — evergreen compliance documents, reusable write-up blocks, and project references — that can be quickly retrieved and included in any bid. The Smart Fill feature automatically suggests relevant content based on the tender's practice area.
Evergreen documents
Store standing compliance documents such as Tax Clearance Certificates and B-BBEE Certificates in one place. These are linked automatically to tenders when required. The compliance watchdog alerts you when any document is approaching expiry.
Write-up composer
Pre-approved methodology blocks, team structure descriptions, and approach narratives are stored as reusable write-ups. Select and compose bid sections from approved content rather than writing from scratch for every tender.
Project references
Maintain a library of past project references including client names, contract values, completion dates, and contact details. Filter by practice area and fiscal year to quickly find the most relevant track record for a specific tender.
When you open a tender in the drafting stage, Smart Fill analyses the tender's practice area and suggests the most relevant write-ups and references from your Knowledge Vault. You can accept, adjust, or discard suggestions.
Smart Fill prioritises content that has been used successfully in previously awarded tenders in the same practice area, helping your team build on what works.
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. |
External Supplier Portal
A multi-role procurement platform connecting internal staff, external suppliers, government evaluators, and administrators
The External Supplier Portal (EXT-SUP) extends the procurement platform to external parties. It provides role-based portals for four distinct user types, each with different access levels and capabilities. Together they enable end-to-end public tender management — from publishing to evaluation and contract award.
External suppliers
External companies register on the platform and go through a verification process before they can submit bids. Verified suppliers can browse published tenders, submit proposals in single or two-envelope format, manage their team members, and track the status of every submission.
Government evaluators
Government procurement officers publish tenders, manage the Q&A period, open evaluation panels, score submissions through multi-stage evaluation, calculate preference points, and document award decisions with a complete audit trail.
Platform administrators
System administrators verify supplier registrations, manage government organisations, monitor the audit log, and handle account suspension or rejection. They maintain the integrity of the supplier database and ensure only compliant companies can participate.
Internal staff
Your organisation's procurement team manages the internal bid pipeline, maintains the Knowledge Vault, and uses the Master Tracker to monitor all active bids. Internal staff do not access the external supplier portal directly.
Supplier Portal (EXT-SUP)
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.
How this helps your team
What a structured, transparent procurement process means for your organisation
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.
The internal bid pipeline (Master Tracker) is where your team manages bids your organisation is submitting to external clients. The external supplier portal (EXT-SUP) is where you publish tenders to invite external vendors to bid on what your organisation is purchasing. They are two sides of the same procurement process: as a bidder in the internal pipeline, and as a buyer in the external portal.
The Knowledge Vault is a centralised library of reusable bid content. It contains three types of assets: evergreen compliance documents (Tax Clearance, B-BBEE Certificates), write-up blocks (pre-approved methodology, team structure narratives), and project references (past client engagements with contract values and contact details). The Smart Fill feature automatically suggests relevant content when drafting a bid based on the tender's practice area.
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.
After registering, your account is reviewed by a platform administrator. They check your company registration number, tax clearance, B-BBEE certificate, and CSD registration before approving access. This process typically takes 1–3 business days. Ensure all required documents are uploaded during registration to avoid delays. You will receive a notification once your status changes.
Did this page help you?
Your feedback helps us improve our documentation.