PTQ help

[bf220]

I am filling out a Pre Tender Questionnaire and have come stuck on the following questions. Our company is not 9001 certified. If anyone could explain what the questions mean and even give some examples that would be superb. :)


H1. Bidders must demonstrate that the project will be managed, and the product developed, in accordance with either:

· a BS EN ISO 9001 quality system which has been approved by a UKAS certification body and registered with DIUS, or

Tick to confirm 

· an alternative management system which will ensure that contractual requirements can be met and that conformity to equivalent quality standards is assured.

Tick to confirm P


H3. Bidders must further demonstrate that the scope of supply detailed in question H1 covers, as a minimum:

· Activities relating to nature of the contract to be let

Details enclosed separately  (tick)

· All activities intended to be supplied under this tender

Details enclosed separately  (tick)


H5. Do you have an escalation procedure for issues that arise throughout the life of the Project? If so please enclose details.

Details enclosed separately  (tick)



Thank you in advance.

BF

[mke]

ISO9001 is a procedural standard for businesses. In this country it is overseen by the British Standards Institute. Indeed it used to be called BSI5750 prior to international agreement and consolidation. There are several awarding authorities so don't go direct to BSI, they charge much more than most.

There is a cost of certificationand you will need an annual procedural audit. Search the web for DIY methods and for the list of issuing bodies. You can hire consultants to analyse your procedures and draw up the standard for you.

If you get desperate, PM me and I'll try to introduce you to a very good consultant I used to work with.

[bf220]

Thanks for the reply MKE. Currently I am not looking to be certified by any body though. I just simply need help on how to answer the above questions.

Another Ive just come stuck on is the following:

Provide an outline of your organisation’s general support facilities with respect to
services that may be supplied, and your measures for ensuring quality (you may refer
to your response to section H in respect of quality).

Details enclosed separately 

What are General Support facilities? How should this be planned and laid out?

[neillucey]

I am not able to help you with your question but will happily advise you on how to present the tender professionally to increase you success chances.

[mke]

BF, these people are looking for proof of written procedures which have been practised over a period of time. If you haven't got them there is little point in waffling because assessors who don't know what they are doing rely entirely upon such pieces of paper for shortlisting purposes and then at final assessment and award.

The best thing you can do is find out what this is all about. Then go about setting your business some procedures and sticking to them. Whether or not you go for accreditation you will at least have an idea which contracts you are qualified to bid for - not by resources or expertise or capability but in the vacant space of the mindless box ticking bureaucrats who decide these things.

[bf220]

Thanks again MKE for your quick response.

I understand that their needs to be a paper trail for all these things, and not just a case of saying "we do that!".

Are you (or anyone else) able to give me some guidance on how to start this paper process and what to put in it.

Thank you.

[bf220]

Can anyone explain what the questions mean? Ive probably already got it, just dont know what they're asking for.

[mke]

he standard itself is an audit trail of how you go about doing things, ensuring you do them in a consistent way and that that ways documented for all staff involved in the process can be clear about their role within those procedures. But it is far too long winded to go into detail here.

There may be a book on the topic or on quality standards i general available at your local business library - if in London try London Wall,it has everything - or a good book in the management section of one of the larger bookshops.

There most certainly are very many web sites offering DIY manuals for ISO 9001 and the going rate appears to be around 150 quid. That will not include accreditation but it will give you all the manuals you need to fill in and advice on all the things you need to do to achieve accreditation.

Your best bet is probably to get a book to start off with. Arm yourself with notepad and make notes about what your business does, or more aptly, how it does them, as you go through. That will give you a good starting point.

[Techy]

Hey BF220,

You need some procedures in place.

PM me and I will let you have whatever is needed, although you will need to revise these to suit your current siuation.

[bf220]

Again, thank you MKE - but thats still not helping me answer the question... I know what ISO's are, so thats not what Im asking.

I am asking how to answer the questions if you do not have ISO's. In H1 it says "OR an alternative management system".

Techy - Ive PM'd you.

[mke]

Wise move. That's a fantastic and generous offer from Techy. I can't answer all your questions here. It's far too involved.

You don't have procedures in place so you cannot, with all the help from the whole of these forums, answer those questions. That is implicit but should nevertheless be clear in each post I have made here.

[Techy]

BF,

Have sent you all the stuff, hope it's useful and if you need any further help let me know. My contact details are in my email.

[bf220]

Thank you very much Techy, just having a read through the documents now.

Very good of you to go to this effort to help me out :)

[Techy]

Hey BF,

Thought this is why this place existed!

Hope all is good.