A successful vendor application is what allows a customer to purchase goods or services and pay their supplier with pre-conditions. However, to get to the stage where business flows between a supplier and a customer, due diligence is essential to protect the customer and the supplier.
Part and parcel of due diligence of a vendor application is requesting documentation which confirms that the applicant is a good corporate citizen with good financial standing. However, many organisations request documentation that is not relevant or in a prescribed format and which will cost the applicant time and money.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of relevant information that could put an organisation applying to be a supplier into a favourable position. This list, however, excludes additional legislative expectations as set out by institutional bodies such as bargaining councils:
Trading name of organisation and registration details;
Require - organisation’s registration documents.
How an organisation was registered, whether as a Close Corporation, Proprietary Limited or Sole Trader;
Require - organisation’s registration documents.
Shareholder information;
Require - share certificates, Company Share Register and certified identity documents.
VAT statement;
Require - VAT Registration Certificate.
Tax Clearance;
Require - SARS Tax Clearance Certificate.
Contact information;
In most cases, this information only needs to be provided and not evidenced. Necessary information would include physical and postal addresses, telephone, cell phone and fax numbers, website address and, where possible, two contact email addresses.
Banking information;
Require - A certified letter from the bank to confirm account details, or a cancelled cheque.
B-BBEE threshold indicated by annual total revenue;
Require - B-BBEE Certificate, CIPC EME Certificate or an Affidavit.
Black’ Ownership and ‘Black’ Women Ownership Status;
Require - B-BBEE Certificate, CIPC B-BBEE EME Certificate, Affidavit, share certificates and identity documents.
Confirmation of safety and compliance standards, for example, NOSA certification; issued certificate.
Declaration of any ‘Conflict of Interest’.
Acceptance of an organisation’s terms and conditions.
Enterprise & Supplier Development Services are available to assist Members with understanding these requirements.