Sole tenderer for Enemalta
Only one company - IBM - is still interested in an Enemalta tender for an Integrated Utilities Billing System, after the other international companies lost interest and dropped out.The tender potentially covers everything from control of production and...
Only one company - IBM - is still interested in an Enemalta tender for an Integrated Utilities Billing System, after the other international companies lost interest and dropped out.
The tender potentially covers everything from control of production and distribution to customer service and billing, as well as asset management and enterprise resource planning.
Because it was aimed at identifying the best possible solutions for very complex systems, the tender was to be a negotiated one - a form of innovative procurement.
The international call for expressions of interest closed in January 2006 with positive replies from eight companies. Atos Origin Meda SAS then dropped out, leaving LogicaCMG, Soluziona Eliop, Accenture SPA, Tata Consultancy Services, Siemens SPA and consortium, Televent Energia y Mudia Ambiente SA and IBM Global Serv SA.
All seven companies were approved for the tender, which is split into the supply of the technical solutions and the possibility of a separate service contract.
The technical specifications were issued just before Christmas and submissions had to be made at the beginning of April. However, by the time the tender had moved on to the next phase, the request for proposals, all except IBM (as lead integrator with ABB and Enel) dropped out.
"This is hardly ideal. When you are looking at such an expensive system and such complex solutions, it is always best to have more than one offer on the table. You are also in a better negotiating position if there is an alternative," sources familiar with the tender said.
"And what if agreement cannot be reached with IBM for one reason or another? The whole process would have to start all over again."
Contacted for a comment, the Investment Ministry somewhat uncharacteristically referred Times Business to Enemalta. Enemalta CEO David Spiteri Gingell said that technical evaluation has been carried out and that the next stage would be to evaluate the financial cost of the programme. The intention is to conclude as early as possible this year.
The tender potentially covers everything from control of production and distribution to customer service and billing, as well as asset management and enterprise resource planning.
Because it was aimed at identifying the best possible solutions for very complex systems, the tender was to be a negotiated one - a form of innovative procurement.
The international call for expressions of interest closed in January 2006 with positive replies from eight companies. Atos Origin Meda SAS then dropped out, leaving LogicaCMG, Soluziona Eliop, Accenture SPA, Tata Consultancy Services, Siemens SPA and consortium, Televent Energia y Mudia Ambiente SA and IBM Global Serv SA.
All seven companies were approved for the tender, which is split into the supply of the technical solutions and the possibility of a separate service contract.
The technical specifications were issued just before Christmas and submissions had to be made at the beginning of April. However, by the time the tender had moved on to the next phase, the request for proposals, all except IBM (as lead integrator with ABB and Enel) dropped out.
"This is hardly ideal. When you are looking at such an expensive system and such complex solutions, it is always best to have more than one offer on the table. You are also in a better negotiating position if there is an alternative," sources familiar with the tender said.
"And what if agreement cannot be reached with IBM for one reason or another? The whole process would have to start all over again."
Contacted for a comment, the Investment Ministry somewhat uncharacteristically referred Times Business to Enemalta. Enemalta CEO David Spiteri Gingell said that technical evaluation has been carried out and that the next stage would be to evaluate the financial cost of the programme. The intention is to conclude as early as possible this year.