National Treasury’s eTender Portal bounces back this week with a variety of tenders to interest all sectors of the ICT industry.
Eskom is likely to attract the most interest, however, with its request for a customer chatbot. The beleaguered utility is one of the country’s most unpopular entities, as all sectors of society try to come to terms with the unreliable power grid.
The company says it is “currently making a concerted effort to limit losses” due to theft and overloading of networks, and has as a result, implemented planned load reduction on overloaded equipment, as well as a new process to identify low and no buying customers at the point of contact with the customer.
However, it notes these efforts have exponentially increased the volumes of calls (approximately 60%) in the telephony channel and have caused extremely low service levels.
This has resulted in an inability to handle all calls, meet NERSA service level requirements, and an increase in escalations and complaints.
As a consequence, Eskom explains: “An agentless platform needs to be implemented in order to facilitate automated case creation for self-service offerings to allow customers to interact with Eskom Customer Services through the chatbot, rather than a human being.”
Similarly troubled state-owned entity, Transnet, follows with a large-scale request for the hardware sector. The tender calls for thousands of laptops, desktops and all-in-one computers for Transnet Port Terminals in KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape.
While lower costs for better technology and services is a priority for Transnet, the company makes a point that it wishes to understand bidders’ positions “with regard to environmental commitments, including key environmental characteristics, such as waste disposal, recycling and energy conservation”.
The telecoms sector also gets an opportunity in this week’s top tenders with a call from the City of Cape Town (CCT) for a telecommunications infrastructure sales partner and carrier network services provider.
The municipality explains it owns extensive passive infrastructure primarily connecting its buildings, which it continues to invest in.
“However, the CCT would like to outsource the active layer of this network. It also seeks a partner which will lease and on-sell spare infrastructure capacity, which mainly takes the form of unused fibre pairs and switching centre facility rack space.”
Other tenders that make this week’s top 10 include:
- Mpumalanga’s Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Administration is looking for software development for veterinary services. This will replace its current manual systems for the processing of data and information it receives from clients, animals and environment with regards to diseases and conditions.
- The Cross-Border Road Transport Agency wishes to appoint a service provider to assist it with its IT security and cyber security strategy. This is as a result of its adoption of a digital IT strategy and a move to online services which attract IT and cyber security threats and risks.
KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of Health is advertising for the supply, delivery, installation, support and maintenance of electronic intensive care units. These units are made up of medical carts with antimicrobial work surfaces and easy to charge and replace lithium batteries, as well as a PC which allows for HD video conferencing and water-resistant, touch-screen monitors. These solutions will be implemented at three hospitals: Ladysmith, Greys and Madadeni.
Onderstepoort Biological Products is inviting proposals for the upgrade of its Navision ERP software to Microsoft Dynamic 365 Business Central. This will allow the organisation to improve workflow, process efficiencies, internal support and service to customers and stakeholders. It will also enable the integration of core business processes, and facilitate consistent, integrated reporting with fewer resources, it says.
In a second notice, Onderstepoort is calling for the supply, installation and maintenance of a voice over internet protocol PABX telephone system, call centre management system and IP phones.
The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) is looking for a service provider to assist it in the design and implementation of a technology solution which will be used to track the bank’s compliance against the various B-BBEE pillars. This system is required to enable the reporting and monitoring of DBSA’s performance on a monthly and quarterly basis.
Finally, the National Research Foundation (NRF) is inviting proposals for a feasibility study of e-procurement, which will enable simple, immediate, economical, compliant “click and order” procurement for the NRF.
New tenders
Eskom
The utility is advertising for a chatbot customer journey for a period of five years.
Tender no: MWP1833CX
Information: Nombulelo Molele, Tel: 011 800 4824, E-mail: molelew@eskom.co.za.
Closing date: 7 Mar 2023
Tags: Software, CRM, customer relationship management, chatbots
Transnet SOC Ltd
The company is inviting proposals for the once-off supply and delivery of 1 620 laptops, 1 270 desktops and 198 all-in-one computers for Transnet SOC Limited, operating as Transnet Port Terminals, for the Cape Town, Durban, Richards Bay (including Pendoring), Port Elizabeth (Lohathla), Ngqura, Saldahna and East London terminals.
Tender no: TPT/2022/08/0804/10650/RFP
Information: Thulile Ngcobo, Tel: 031 308 8347, E-mail: Thulile.Ngcobo@Transnet.net.
Closing date: 10 Mar 2023
Tags: Hardware, computing, mobility
Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Administration, Mpumalanga
The province is looking for software development for veterinary services for a period of 36 months.
Compulsory briefing: 15 Feb
Tender no: ALA/546/23/MP
Information: AL Nkambule, Tel: 013 766 6183, E-mail: lnnkambule@mpg.gov.za.
Closing date: 8 Mar 2023
Tags: Software, software development
City of Cape Town
The municipality is advertising for a telecommunications infrastructure sales partner and carrier network services provider.
Compulsory briefing: 14 Mar
Note: A compulsory briefing session will take place in person on 14 March at The Platinum Room, Ground Floor, Transport Management Centre Building, Goodwood, at 10h00. All correspondence regarding this tender should be sent via e-mail. Tenderers to note Notice 1 to Tenderers issued 13 February 2023.
Tender no: 254S/2022/23
Information: Charmaine Malyon, E-mail: CharmaineRenee.Malyon@capetown.gov.za.
Closing date: 12 Apr 2023
Tags: Telecommunications, networks
Cross-Border Road Transport Agency
The agency wishes to appoint a service provider for an IT security and cyber security strategy.
Tender no: RFP 01-02-2023
Information: Elizaabeth Moumakwe, Tel: 012 471 2163, E-mail: quotes@cbrta.co.za.
Closing date: 21 Feb 2023
Tags: Software, services, professional services, security, IT security, cyber security
Department of Health, KwaZulu Natal
The province is advertising for the supply, delivery, installation, support and maintenance of an electronic intensive care unit on a once-off basis.
Tender no: ZNB 5040/2022-H
Information: Demand Management, Tel: 033 815 8386, E-mail: SCM.DemandManagement@kznhealth.gov.za.
Closing date: 14 Mar 2023
Tags: Hardware, software, services, computing, peripherals, support and maintenance
Onderstepoort Biological Products Limited
Proposals are invited for the ERP Navision software upgrade to Microsoft Dynamic 365 Business Central for a period of three years.
Tender no: OBP0322IT01
Information: Indhir Naryan, Tel: 012 522 1500, E-mail: indhir@obpvaccines.co.za.
Closing date: 13 Mar 2023
Tags: Software, ERP, enterprise resource planning
A suitably qualified service provider is sought to supply, install and maintain an internet protocol telephone system and IP phones for a period of 24 months.
Tender no: OBP683/2022/23
Information: Indhir Naryan, Tel: 012 522 1500, E-mail: indhir@obpvaccines.co.za.
Closing date: 26 Feb 2023
Tags: Hardware, software, IP phones, VOIP
Development Bank of Southern Africa
DBSA wishes to appoint a service provider to design and implement a technology solution to track monthly performance of its broad-based black economic empowerment level.
Compulsory briefing: 20 Feb – Microsoft Teams
Tender no: RFP037/2023
Information: David Nyaku, Tel: 011 313 3767, E-mail: DavidN2@dbsa.org.
Closing date: 3 Mar 2023
Tags: Software, software development, broad-based black economic empowerment, BBBEE, BEE
National Research Foundation
Proposals are invited for a feasibility study of e-procurement (click and order) for adoption in an NRF context.
Tender no: NRF/SCM C1/2022-23
Information: Vuyelwa Vabaza, Tel: 012 481 4000, E-mail: VL.Vabaza@nrf.ac.za.
Closing date: 22 Feb 2023
Tags: Software, services, professional services, consulting, e-procurement
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