IBM Assists Slovakian Government With Major e-Government Transformation

Integrated System Makes Slovakia First EU Member in Eastern Europe to Benefit From e-Tendering

WebKnowHow
Friday, July 7, 2006; 08:34 AM

IBM announced that in an agreement set to transform the way the Slovakian government leverages its procurement services, the company is supplying the Slovak Republic's Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications with an integrated system for electronic public tendering.

The solution will reduce the time needed for the preparation and execution of public procurement, and decrease the costs related with repeated tenders. The aim is to make the process completely paperless. The electronic tool will enable a more transparent process for the acquisition of goods, complying with EU directives as well as with new local laws.

The computerised procurement solution will help the Slovakian government transfer public procurement to the internet and supplier bids will in future only be accepted electronically. IBM consultants will assist the Slovakian Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications in realising its e-government vision. The project fully fits into the official government plan Minerva, aimed at reaching knowledge based economy, and the Roadmap for electronisation of public administration, outlining the competitive strategies of the Slovak Republic until 2010. Electronic tendering ranks among the most important issues of this strategy.

"The savings we expect from this contract with IBM will contribute to both operational and process innovation and simplification, which improves services to our citizens," says Frantisek Jablonicky, project manager of the Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications of the Slovak Republic. "IBM's world-class expertise and experience in procurement are key in the development of our tendering processes."

The electronic tendering system (called EVO) will support the tendering cycle, from notifications to national and European agencies, to publication of tender documentation, enquiries, submission of binding offers and the evaluation of bids.

"IBM's ability to share with clients the procurement expertise we have gained from our own business is a unique value proposition," says Boris Kekesi, General Manager, IBM Slovakia. "Both large and small organisations benefit from e-tendering, which delivers short and long term economic benefits."

The complex solution offered by IBM has already been successfully implemented in several other European countries, including Portugal. The Slovakian implementation is expected to be completed in the next few months.