ABSTRACT
Let us assume that the steps outlined above have been taken to evaluate the overall benefits of outsourcing your records management function. In that case, and assuming you have received formal operational signoff, you now need carefully to create an SOR, which you can present to your procurement department in order for them to proceed on your behalf. This is the process used to invite potential suppliers to tender for the outsourcing project, in this case your specific records management function. Procurement would normally send out notification to 4-6 potential
suppliers informing them of the process that is going to take place and requesting them to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Procurement may well ask you for a list of recommended suppliers to invite, but they will do their own market research too. On receipt of the signed agreements, which can be by means of an electronic signature, procurement will then issue the SOR. Dates for returning the completed documentation will be clearly specified in the covering letter, including the return address or e-mail address according to whichever method is preferred. Some larger organizations may well use their own procurement portal to send out the tender documentation. The letter should also state that failure to respond by a certain date will disqualify suppliers from going through to the next stage. In most instances the next stage would be to issue a formal Invitation to Tender (otherwise known as an ITT). This will only be issued to potential suppliers who have provided a detailed response to the SOR and scored in accordance with the
required criteria pre-determined by the procurement team and the internal stakeholder.
