Once you have decided to implement FPAL as a supplier information system, a company wide license is issued and access given to the system.
Full training on the FPAL Service and its operation as a Qualification System within EU Procurement Legislation will allow you to utilise the system for identifying potential suppliers and managing information on your existing suppliers.
When you have a requirement for a contract or other purchase, FPAL allows you to search for potential suppliers or contractors in a fair and consistent manner, by applying objective criteria against the information provided by each supplier.
The FPAL search facilities allow easy identification of supplier capabilities. The information purchasers are able to use as search criteria include: Product/Service codes; financial information (last three years of audited accounts); QA and HSE standards/certifications; references.
This will result in a list of suppliers or contractors that meet the criteria applied, which can then either be used as the final tender list or as the ‘first pass’ for further information to be asked, depending on the nature of the contract being sourced.
Purchasers typically use FPAL to pre-qualify suppliers and contractors for contracts both above and below the EU thresholds, depending on the particular nature of the goods, services or works being procured.
Suppliers wishing to register can join online and will be asked to complete an online registration questionnaire. The information gathered includes, financial performance, health, safety, environmental policy, CSR, products and services and is checked for accuracy prior to being made available online for the purchaser to access.
As soon as the supplier is fully registered all purchasers can access the information. The supplier’s registration is valid for 12 months and has to be renewed before the end of this period.
For details on the information provided by suppliers please see the Registration section under supplier services.