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QSs should not use email as a method of exchange for electronic tendering, the RICS has advised, claiming the medium is an 鈥渋nformal process鈥� not proper for the exchange of tender documents.

In a new guide issued this week, the RICS lists seven disadvantages to the use of email, which include: potential security issues; lack of inherent version and revision control; the limits to the sizes of files that can be sent; and legal ambiguity concerning receipt of documents. It states that email can be used for exchanging documents that support the tender process such as questions or queries.

The 44-page guide advises that discs or web-enabled tender systems are more suitable to use for e-tendering, with the former method more appropriate for smaller schemes and the latter for bigger and more complex projects.

Steve Pittard, development director at digital estimating and tendering systems provider Elstree Computing and who worked on the guide, said there were dangers in using email for tendering: 鈥淚t鈥檚 very difficult to track, you have to get some sort of audit system. There鈥檚 no reason why you can鈥檛 use emails to inform people of certain thing but as part of the formal tendering process it鈥檚 not the preferred method.鈥�

The guide also defines e-tendering as well as a ten-point plan outlining the key stages in e-tendering (see right). In addition, it considers the use of online auctions and concludes that they are most appropriate for 鈥渃ommodity based purchases, and procuring items where there is a clear definition of specification which avoids ambiguity鈥�. It adds that most construction projects, including related professional services, 鈥渇ail to meet these requirements at the time of auction鈥�.

It鈥檚 fairly basic stuff and it should be relevant not only for RICS members but anyone involved in the tendering process

Steve Pittard, development director, Elstree Computing

Pittard said the guide鈥檚 aim was to reduce the level of uncertainty over the practice. He said: 鈥淎 lot of people have got frightened about e-tendering 鈥� especially in relation to reverse auctions. Auctions are one option but they are not e-tendering. Hopefully the time is right for the guide. It鈥檚 fairly basic stuff and it should be relevant not only for RICS members but anyone involved in the tendering process.鈥�

Pittard said the use of e-tendering would accelerate significantly following the government鈥檚 decision to use it for upcoming framework deals. 鈥淭he government is going pretty hard at this. They are using a preferred system and whether that鈥檚 the best or not is kind of irrelevant. It鈥檚 a bit like (Microsoft) Windows, that will be the enabler to the use of e-tendering.鈥�

The team who worked on the guide, which also included Davis Langdon partner Peter Sell, Richard Alport from Shepherd Construction, BCIS director Joe Martin and Russell O鈥橦are from Gardiner & Theobald, is now working on a new report assessing the different web tendering systems that is due out next year. The guide is available at www.ricsbooks.com, or email mailorder@rics.org for more information.