E-Procurement and Tendering Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Procurement Managers, Strategic Sourcing Specialists and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-P-052

Before you join: Participants should understand basic procurement terminology, including requisitions, purchase orders, suppliers, RFQs, contracts and invoice approval.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

E-procurement programmes often underperform because organisations digitise existing paper-based steps without fixing specifications, approval rules, supplier data, tender governance or contract handover. The result can be low supplier adoption, poor catalogue content, unmanaged exceptions, weak audit trails and limited visibility of spend. Procurement teams need to design source-to-pay processes that make compliant buying easier than off-system purchasing while preserving fair competition and accountable decision-making.

This course examines the operating model, process design and control requirements behind e-procurement and electronic tendering. Participants learn to map requisition-to-pay and source-to-contract workflows; define user roles, approval thresholds and catalogue rules; prepare electronic RFIs, RFPs and ITTs; manage supplier onboarding; and run transparent evaluation and award processes. The course also addresses e-auctions, electronic signatures, contract data, spend analytics, information security and implementation governance. Participants apply recognised approaches including the Open Contracting Data Standard, UNCITRAL procurement principles and ISO 20400 sustainable procurement guidance.

Teaching combines focused instructor briefings with procurement cases, process-mapping work, tender-document reviews, supplier-data analysis and simulated system decisions. Cases reflect public-sector, banking, NGO and corporate procurement settings, including competitive tendering, framework call-offs and controlled catalogue buying. Participants leave with an e-procurement operating model, a tender workflow design, supplier onboarding checklist, evaluation structure and 90-day implementation plan that can be adapted to their own organisation.

The course is suited to procurement professionals responsible for purchasing systems, tendering processes, supplier management, procurement governance or source-to-pay improvement. It is equally relevant to finance, supply chain and contract-management staff who need to work effectively with e-procurement controls and data.

What you will be able to do

  • Map source-to-pay workflows using process maps, control points and ownership matrices
  • Design electronic tender processes aligned with competition, audit and approval requirements
  • Configure catalogue, requisition and purchase-order rules for compliant guided buying
  • Develop supplier onboarding requirements, data standards and adoption communications
  • Prepare electronic RFQ, RFP and ITT documentation with clear evaluation criteria
  • Apply weighted scoring, moderation and audit-trail controls to tender evaluations
  • Assess e-auction suitability and define auction rules, safeguards and supplier communications
  • Produce a 90-day e-procurement implementation plan with measurable adoption indicators

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Ability to translate procurement policy into workable electronic workflows
  • Practical tender templates for electronic sourcing events
  • Stronger capability to challenge poor supplier and catalogue data
  • Confidence managing evaluation governance within online tender platforms
  • A structured plan for leading e-procurement adoption initiatives

For your organisation

  • Higher purchase-order compliance through clearer guided-buying and approval rules
  • More consistent tender governance with documented evaluations and audit trails
  • Faster supplier onboarding through defined data, validation and communication requirements
  • Better spend visibility from cleaner supplier, catalogue and transaction records
  • Reduced off-contract purchasing through usable catalogues and controlled exceptions

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can define an e-procurement operating model linked to procurement objectives, user needs and measurable performance targets.

  • Source-to-pay process scope from demand request through invoice reconciliation
  • Business case drivers: compliance, cycle time, spend visibility and transaction cost
  • Operating-model roles for procurement, finance, IT, budget holders and suppliers
  • Maturity assessment across process, data, technology, governance and user adoption
  • Procurement policy translated into workflow rules and controlled buying channels
  • Key performance indicators for adoption, compliance, cycle time and savings

Participants can map and improve requisition-to-pay workflows with clear roles, controls and exception routes.

  • Swimlane mapping of requisition, approval, ordering, receipt and invoice stages
  • RACI matrices defining accountability for each source-to-pay decision point
  • Three-way matching between purchase order, goods receipt and supplier invoice
  • Approval matrices using spend thresholds, budget ownership and risk categories
  • Exception handling for urgent purchases, sole source requests and non-catalogue items
  • Segregation-of-duties controls across requisitioning, approval, receiving and payment

Participants can specify supplier master-data and catalogue-management controls that support reliable transactions and reporting.

  • Supplier master-data fields for legal identity, tax, banking and contacts
  • Data validation checks preventing duplicate suppliers and inaccurate payment records
  • Catalogue taxonomy using UNSPSC codes, item attributes and unit measures
  • Hosted catalogues, punch-out catalogues and free-text buying control points
  • Supplier onboarding workflow covering due diligence, data collection and activation
  • Catalogue content governance for prices, descriptions, images and contract references

Participants can select and plan suitable electronic sourcing events based on requirement complexity and market conditions.

  • Sourcing strategy selection using spend, supply risk and market competition
  • RFI, RFQ, RFP and ITT selection criteria for electronic events
  • Tender timetable planning with clarification, submission, evaluation and standstill stages
  • Lotting strategies balancing supplier access, aggregation benefits and delivery risk
  • Specification development using output requirements, service levels and acceptance criteria
  • Bidder communication protocols preserving equal treatment and documented clarifications

Participants can prepare controlled electronic tender documentation that produces comparable and auditable bids.

  • Electronic tender pack structure: instructions, specification, pricing and terms
  • Mandatory requirements distinguished from scored technical and commercial criteria
  • Bid response schedules designed for structured comparison and automated reporting
  • Clarification logs recording questions, responses, issue dates and recipients
  • Version control procedures for amended documents and tender extensions
  • Submission controls using deadlines, access permissions, encryption and timestamp records

Participants can run defensible electronic tender evaluations using scoring models, moderation procedures and documented approvals.

  • Weighted scoring models combining price, quality, delivery, risk and sustainability
  • Evaluation guidance defining evidence standards, scoring anchors and assessor responsibilities
  • Conflict-of-interest declarations completed before access to bidder submissions
  • Individual scoring completed independently before consensus moderation meetings
  • Moderation records explaining score changes, disagreements and final recommendations
  • Award approval papers documenting value, risks, evaluation results and conditions

Participants can assess e-auction suitability and establish rules that protect competition, quality and supplier confidence.

  • Reverse-auction suitability assessed against specification stability and competitive supplier markets
  • Auction formats: English, Dutch, Japanese and sealed-bid procedures
  • Lot design, starting prices, decrement rules and extension settings
  • Supplier qualification completed before auction access and commercial bidding
  • Auction rules covering confidentiality, technical support and bidder conduct
  • Dynamic purchasing systems for recurring requirements and pre-qualified supplier pools

Participants can connect tender awards to contract records, supplier obligations and ongoing performance management.

  • Award-to-contract handover checklist covering scope, pricing, contacts and milestones
  • Contract metadata fields supporting expiry alerts, renewals and obligation tracking
  • Service-level agreements linked to measurable performance indicators and remedies
  • Supplier scorecards tracking quality, delivery, responsiveness, risk and improvement actions
  • Change-control procedures recording scope, price, term and approval changes
  • Framework call-off controls preserving agreed rates, terms and supplier selection rules

Participants can define procurement data measures and controls for transparent reporting and protected information handling.

  • Spend cube analysis by supplier, category, business unit and transaction channel
  • Compliance dashboards measuring catalogue use, purchase-order coverage and maverick spend
  • Open Contracting Data Standard fields for planning, tender, award and contract records
  • Audit trails capturing user actions, approvals, document versions and timestamps
  • Role-based access controls limiting visibility of bids, prices and supplier records
  • Retention schedules for tender records, contracts, communications and evaluation evidence

Participants can build a phased e-procurement implementation plan with governance, adoption actions and review measures.

  • Requirements prioritisation using MoSCoW categories and process criticality criteria
  • Implementation roadmap covering design, configuration, testing, rollout and stabilisation
  • User acceptance testing scenarios for requisitions, approvals, orders and invoices
  • Supplier enablement plan covering segmentation, communications, training and support
  • Change-impact assessment for requesters, approvers, buyers, suppliers and finance teams
  • Ninety-day action plan with owners, milestones, risks and adoption measures

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Source-to-pay process map template
  2. E-tender planning and documentation checklist
  3. Weighted tender evaluation scorecard
  4. Supplier onboarding data checklist
  5. Catalogue governance model
  6. 90-day e-procurement implementation plan

Who should attend

  • Procurement Managers — responsible for improving buying compliance, visibility and process performance
  • Strategic Sourcing Specialists — conducting competitive electronic tenders and supplier evaluations
  • Procurement Systems Leads — translating procurement requirements into system workflows and controls
  • Category Managers — building catalogue, framework and supplier-content strategies
  • Contract Managers — connecting tender awards, contract records and supplier obligations
  • Finance and AP Managers — strengthening purchase-order compliance and invoice matching controls

Skills and tools covered

Source-to-pay designElectronic tenderingSupplier onboardingTender evaluationCatalogue managementProcurement analytics

Tools and standards

Open Contracting Data Standard, UNSPSC, ISO 20400, UNCITRAL Model Law on Public Procurement

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to establish methods, standards and decision criteria, followed by facilitated case work drawn from purchasing, tendering and supplier-management situations. Participants map workflows, review tender packs, diagnose supplier-data issues and make sourcing-platform design decisions in small groups. Simulations address evaluation moderation, approval routing and e-auction safeguards. Throughout the programme, participants apply the material to a current procurement process and build an implementation plan for their own workplace.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should understand basic procurement terminology, including requisitions, purchase orders, suppliers, RFQs, contracts and invoice approval. At least one year of experience in procurement, purchasing, finance operations, supply chain, contract management or a related role is expected. Participants should be able to interpret a simple purchasing process and discuss their organisation's approval practices. Prior experience with a specific e-procurement platform is not required. No technical configuration, coding, systems-integration or advanced data-analysis background is assumed.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should understand routine purchasing and basic tendering terms, such as purchase orders, RFQs, suppliers and contracts. You do not need experience with a particular platform, technical configuration or coding.

Bring a current purchasing, tendering or supplier-onboarding process that you would like to improve. If permitted by your organisation, anonymised policies, approval matrices or tender templates will help you apply the methods directly.

It is designed for procurement, sourcing, purchasing, contract-management, finance operations and procurement-systems professionals. It is particularly useful for staff involved in introducing or improving source-to-pay and electronic tendering processes.

A general procurement course usually focuses on category strategy, negotiation and supplier selection. This course concentrates on the process, data, system controls and governance needed to conduct purchasing and tendering electronically.

You will be able to review an existing workflow, identify control gaps and define practical improvements to approvals, supplier data, catalogues or tender evaluation. The templates and implementation plan can be adapted for a specific system project or process-improvement initiative.

The programme provides approximately 32.5 contact hours, normally delivered from 08:30 to 16:30 each day. Time is divided between instructor input, cases, group analysis, simulations and structured application planning.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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