FEMC will be one of the service providers in this regard for tenders from Works departments. What next ? Electronic tender submission, of course. Now, this is much more complicated, both technically and commercially. Submission in soft copy on CD-ROM will be an interim measure. Works departments will implement in 2002, allowing hard copy submission in parallel in the beginning. As it gets more mature with ripples gradually ironed out, soft copy submission will be expected to become the norm. Internet submission will then be seriously considered. File format standardisation will be a key issue for soft copy submission. The current pain of having a handful of software vendors practically monopolising the market has been a deep concern. As far as possible, the industry would like to see a more open standard for data exchange to avoid being locked into proprietary softwares again. When it comes to internet tender submission, the issue of standardisation will go beyond file format. Platform, process, data structure and management will all have to be addressed. There are quite a few commercial setups offering such service to the construction industry in Hong Kong currently. Most of them are related financially to major developers or consultants. At this moment, none has a significant market share. Of course, the service is not free, though not grossly expensive. If the public sector leaves the choice of platform open, tenderers may have to subscribe to many of them just to have the chance to bid. If it settles on one, well, we cannot imagine what the cost will be. Bear in mind that cost is not limited to subscription but on softwares, training and continuous upgrading. Neither seems to be for the welfare of the downstream players including contractors. The I.T. revolution is irreversible. We can't and shouldn't try to stop it but we don't want to be victimised neither for the joy of others. FEMC will continue to monitor closely on this matter, voice our concern, propose reasonable and balanced solution and participate in the process as needed for the interest of members.
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