1. What estimates, quotes or tenders have you prepared?
Answer: I have prepared offers against tender enquiries floated by the Government of Australia (state-wise) for preparing and maintaining empty land by horticulture so that the end effect is aesthetic. I have also prepared tenders for maintaining small water bodies by growing horticultural plants and providing running water so that there is no pest/epidemic problems like malaria which occur when mosquitoes breed on stagnant water.
2. What process do you use in preparing estimates, quotes or tenders?
Answer: There is a process, which has to be segregated into distinct action steps so that a tickler list can be made.
1. The first and most important part is to segregate the NIT into technical and commercial parts. It is usually a good idea to delegate the responsibility of the commercial portion to someone else so that the time is not over run, which is a very easy thing to happen.
2. On the technical side, the first thing to be done is to make a Bill of Materials with approx. quantities mentioned. Next thing will be to float enquiries to vendors who supply or deal with the material.
3. So, now you have a basic cost of what it is going to cost you. All taxes and third party benefits have to be added to it.
4. To that figure the cost you expect to incur is added along with contingency funds and your profit Margin.
3. How much time is taken up by submitting estimates quotes and tenders?
Answer: At the very least 65% to 70% time is taken up by submitting estimates, quotes and tenders. This is because it is the most vital part of the tendering process.
4. Where do you obtain information about unit rates?
Answer: the sub- contractor usually gives Unit rate. There is also an approved rate schedule of the government, which gives the rates. Should any doubt arise they can always be worked out by estimating the work output of labour/day-both skilled and unskilled as well as the consumables, which goes into the work of an unit amount. This will give the unit labour cost. The material cost can be added to it to give the unit cost. A 10-15% profit for the subcontractor should also be added.
5. What are the enterprise procedures for project costing?
Answer: Before a tender is floated, there is usually a project cost mentioned. The client’s engineers arrive at this cost by taking budgetary quotations from the service providers. The working of the cost is perused and the estimate is submitted. A variation of 10% to 15% on the same is allowed but the quoted tenders should not vary beyond those limits.
6. What portion of your work depends on submitting estimates, quotes or tenders?
estimates, quotes or tenders?
Answer: The submission of the tender is about 90% of my work. Negotiations and post tender meetings will still be there.
7. Describe the time taken between the initial request for an estimate quote or tender and you submitting the same.
Answer: If justice is to be done, a minimum period of 30 days is required to prepare a tender.
8. What percentage of estimates, quotes and tenders submitted do you win?
Answer: For a niche area like Horticulture, the % of success should not be less than 33.33% which should be improved to 50% and above.
