Technology to make tenders more transparent

Mr. Director:

The ProCompetencia network released a survey containing the opinion of 86 experts from the public and private sectors. While 44.7% of them consider that the market most exposed to anti-competitive practices in Chile is public tenders, 38.8% consider it essential to establish a mandatory control of the bidding conditions when they are "large".

For many years, public and private procurement markets have had to streamline and optimise transparency and competition in the purchase and sale of inputs and the procurement of services. The implementation of regulatory frameworks, incentives for value-based business cultures and higher levels of compliance have not been sufficient to ensure ethical, free and competent markets, so it is positive that experts are now recommending a direct involvement of the National Economic Prosecutor's Office in the so-called "digital economy".

In several areas, and even more so since the beginning of the pandemic, technology has been key to business continuity. In procurement processes, for example, the use of digital tools, capable of opening up the supply market without barriers to entry or information asymmetries, has not only allowed higher levels of competition and efficiency, but also high levels of transparency in the processes and the opportunity for suppliers, no matter how much capital they have, to have opportunities and capabilities to compete on equal terms. Finally, another good formula for increasing quality standards in this area is the correct use of analytics, indispensable tools for identifying patterns that escape from the desired good practices, especially in these times, where remote work and less control prevail.

Felipe Manterola – Co Founder Wherex

See opinion in biobiochile.cl