*Our team is currently at capacity for contractor prequalification. We are not taking on new clients for this service at this time.
Contractor prequalification is a relatively new phenomenon in Australia. As a result many are not yet aware of it or how to take advantage of the substantial opportunities it may provide to the savvy small business contractor.
To complicate matters, there are a number of players in the market- both local and international- including Avetta (formerly PICS) (PICS Auditing), Greencap (Formerly CM3), iPro Live, Rapid Induct and Pegasus, to name a few. And more are entering the industry all the time. How to make sense of it all?
On investigation, registering with a contractor management system can seem time-consuming and confusing. However, as this article will explain, the benefits of being a preferred supplier with clients who are offering ongoing and lucrative contracts can be HUGE.
6 reasons why getting prequalified early could give your business the edge against your competitors.
While the process of contractor prequalification can be time consuming and there is an associated ongoing cost, there are significant advantages to be gained by becoming registered with at least one of these schemes:
- Because the schemes are still in their early days in Australia, the pool of prequalified contractors is still small, so your chances of becoming the chosen preferred supplier are high.
- Once you are prequalified, you will have far less red tape to deal with when tendering for (in particular) large corporate and government goods and services procurement.
- Your business will be visible to a range of companies in your target market.
- When you are registered as a preferred supplier, it is much easier for companies to recognise your abilities and select you for their contracts.
- You can form ongoing relationships with the organisations active within your industry, and increase the likelihood of winning regular work.
- As part of registering, you get a complementary assessment of your company’s systems, (for example, OHS) and you are given access to a lot of resources to help you improve and fill gaps you may have, at no additional cost.
Get onto the list of preferred suppliers
Contractor prequalification puts you in the best position to win the attention of the companies you would like to work for. Your business is flagged for every opportunity that requires the competencies for which you have been certified, so you are easy to find. No longer do you need to provide the same information every time you submit a tender.
How to seek prequalification.
First you need to choose the qualification scheme that best suits you and the companies you hope to work for. If you hope to work globally and therefore need to be certified beyond Australia, consider choosing Avetta, however most industries have a prequalification scheme specifically to suit their industry needs. Registration is the beginning of an auditing process which then verifies that your existing processes and qualifications are legitimate. In particular, they assess the competency, training and safety of your staff and contractors. Where there are gaps, they will advise you on the steps you need to take to close them, so your certification can be completed. Once you receive certification, you become eligible to tender for contracts. In some cases, companies may approach you directly and invite you to submit a tender.
At Integrated Compliance Solutions, we are experts in services such as VicRoads prequalification and legislative updates. If you are interested in adopting a quality management system, we also have a number of ISO 9001 consultants who can help you do so. For more information about our specialist services, get in touch with our team today.