Buyer Journey
From demand to close-out — the complete buyer/procurement officer experience on AzaniaSCM. Follow each step to see how the platform manages the full procurement lifecycle.
Step 1: Create a Demand or Tender
Start by creating a procurement request — whether it's a simple RFQ for goods, a formal tender for services, or an RFP for complex requirements. AzaniaSCM guides you through defining the scope, specifications, evaluation criteria, and budget.
The system automatically applies the correct procurement method based on the estimated value — aligned with PPPFA thresholds and your organisation's delegation of authority.
Step 2: Advertise the Opportunity
Publish the tender to your chosen advertising platforms — AzaniaSCM supports multi-channel publishing so you can list on your website, government portals, and industry platforms simultaneously. The system tracks which channels the opportunity was published on, creating the advertising audit trail.
Supplier eligibility is enforced automatically — only suppliers whose Supplier Passport meets the minimum requirements can view and download the tender documents.
Step 3: Receive and Seal Bids
As bids come in through the secure portal, each one is cryptographically sealed immediately. The SHA-256 hash and timestamp are recorded — proving exactly when each bid arrived and that it hasn't been tampered with.
You can see the number of bids received in real time, but you cannot view bid contents until the closing date passes. This ensures fairness — no early access to competitor submissions.
Step 4: Evaluate Bids
Once the closing date passes, open the evaluation module. AzaniaSCM guides your evaluation committee through a structured, scoring-based process:
- Conflict-of-interest declaration — every evaluator declares any relationship with bidders before scoring begins
- Independent scoring — each evaluator scores bids separately on the predefined criteria
- Consolidation — the system aggregates scores and highlights any significant scoring discrepancies
- Recommendation — the recommended award is based on the PPPFA evaluation formula (or your organisation's adapted criteria)
Every evaluation action is recorded in the audit vault — who scored what, when, and any notes or justifications.
Step 5: Award the Contract
After evaluation approval, issue the award notification to the successful bidder. Unsuccessful bidders receive notification as required by regulations. The system generates the contract document from templates, populated with the evaluated terms, pricing, and delivery schedule.
Both parties sign electronically within the platform — creating a legally binding record linked to the original tender and evaluation.
Step 6: Manage the Contract
Track contract milestones, delivery dates, and performance indicators from the contract dashboard. The system monitors:
- Delivery confirmations against the schedule
- Invoice amounts against the contract value
- Performance scores from end users
- Contract variations and amendments
- Approaching expiry and renewal dates
Alerts are sent for approaching deadlines, underperformance, and budget thresholds.
Step 7: Three-Way Match and Payment
When goods are delivered or services rendered, the three-way match validates that the purchase order, goods receipt, and supplier invoice align. Discrepancies are flagged for review before payment is authorised. This is a critical internal control under PFMA and MFMA.
Step 8: Close Out and Audit
Once the contract is complete, close it out in AzaniaSCM. The system compiles the full evidence chain — from demand through to payment and performance review — in the Audit Vault. This is your permanent, tamper-proof record, structured for the Auditor-General's requirements.
Run analytics to identify savings achieved, cycle times, supplier performance trends, and process improvement opportunities for the next procurement cycle.