Our first class will be on Monday January 13th at 5:00 PM in T1004. Looking forward it!

New things I learned:

-Piggybacked purchasing

-Pokoled purchasing

-Consortium purchasing

-Formal cooperative purchashing

SILEx

-Group research report and presentation

-Work with a local public agency to learn about their issue and present solutions

-In-class working period with professor feedback

Avoiding means trying to stop the risk from happening. We can ask questions, think of other options, or even cancel the project if needed.

Transferring is about giving the risk to someone else, like a supplier. We use insurance so if something goes wrong, their insurance pays, not ours.

Managing happens when the risk is small enough to handle. Good contracts and planning help control the risk.

Learning these steps showed me how important it is to think about risks before starting a project.

The Law of Agency is about one person acting for another. In procurement, a worker (agent) can make deals with suppliers for the company or government (principal).

In Canada, Contract A and Contract B happen during procurement. Contract A is about the rules of the bidding process. Contract B is the real contract with the winner of the bid.

It was interesting to see how many steps and rules are needed to make sure everything is fair and official.

Our group did Executive Summary for the Hamildon's Wiper Blades case study.

We've discussed each factor that we had to include in our executive summary based on our individual analysis.

We finally sumitted to the drop box before the end of the class on Monday February 10th.

Well done, group 7!!

An RFI is used to gather information, not prices. An RFEI checks if suppliers are interested. Both are not binding.

An RFPQ is the first step to find qualified suppliers before letting them bid.

An RFQ and RFT both ask for prices, and usually the lowest price wins. RFT is often used for bigger projects like construction.

An RFP asks suppliers how they will do the work, not just about price.

I also learned about non-competitive procurement, like sole sourcing and negotiation. It was interesting to see all the different ways to find suppliers depending on the situation.

Specifications explain what a good or service should look like, do, or how it should perform. It helps the public know what the agency needs.

I also learned there are different types of specs, like design, performance, brand names, and industry standards.

Good specs are really important because they are the starting point for the whole bidding process.

When price isn’t the only thing that matters, agencies use evaluation criteria to decide who wins. Each project has different criteria, so suppliers need to read carefully and match their response.

I also learned about debriefing. It’s when agencies tell suppliers why they didn’t win and how they can do better next time. I think it’s a good way to keep things fair and help suppliers improve.

A contract needs an offer and acceptance, intent, consideration, legal capacity, and a legal purpose. Without these, the contract won’t hold up.

I also learned more about supplier debriefs. After a project is awarded, suppliers can meet with the procurement team to hear what they did well and what they can improve for next time.

I think debriefs are a great way for suppliers to get better and stay competitive.

BPS agencies, like hospitals and schools, get money from the government but aren’t actually part of the government. The BPS rules make sure they spend public money in a way that’s open, fair, and transparent.

I thought it was interesting that they have 25 rules to follow, but some places, like cities and long-term care homes, don’t have to follow them.

We also talked about trade agreements. They help Ontario trade with other places and make sure buying and selling is done fairly.

Overall, it showed me how important it is to have clear rules when spending public money.