The tendering basket adds a webshop-like feel to minicompetitions

Minicompetitions are an everyday activity for our customers and often involve quite a lot of manual work. The specifications of the object of the procurement are being rewritten time and time again, appendices are built on separate Excel templates and similar product descriptions circulate from one organisation to another in slightly different forms. Hansel’s goal for 2025 was to make all this smoother and more consistent.

We have developed the free Kisa-apuri tool to make it easier to carry out internal minicompetitions in joint procurements. In spring 2025, the Kisa-apuri tool was expanded with a new functionality, as the tendering basket added a webshop-like feel to mincompetitions without compromising on flexibility according to the needs of procurement.

The tendering basket adds predefined product options to the product catalogue in the Kisa-apuri tool, from which the user can compile their own tendering basket and use it directly in the request for tender. In practice, this changes the preparation of tendering from compiling appendices towards clear, step-by-step implementation. The products are selected from the predefined catalogue, specified if necessary and the package is published as part of the request for tender.

Expertise complements the existing foundation

The benefit is particularly evident in the definition of the object of the procurement. Once the product options are ready, manual work and the need for separate Excel sheets is reduced. At the same time, the specifications become more comparable. When the basis is uniform, it is easier for both the client and the candidates to understand what is being tendered and under what conditions.

However, the tendering basket does not force all minicompetitions to be cast in the same mould. In addition to predefined product alternatives, separate specifications can still be used in the tendering process. This is especially important when the organisation has special requirements or the procurement situation is exceptional. The idea is that the basic framework is quickly found and expertise is used for what really requires consideration.

In the spring 2025 deployment, the most important thing was not just a new feature, but a change in the way of working. It is now easier to start and finish preparing a competition and reproduce it in high quality. At the same time, we recognise that a webshop-like feel does not just come from the user interface, but that real value comes from maintaining product descriptions, having clearly defined ownership and providing our customers with the right support for day-to-day work.

The next step is to ensure that the Kisa-apuri tool and the tendering basket serve an increasing number of joint procurements and that product descriptions live with the procurements. When the basics are ready and up to date, the procurement expert can spend their time on the essentials so that the tendering process truly produces the best result.

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