Quotes for IT hardware and software

What to put in your request

A supplier can only price what they can see. Answer these and the quotes come back for the same job, which is the only way they can be compared.

1. 1The specification that matters to you: processor generation, memory, storage size and type, screen size. Or the exact model if you have standardised on one.
2. 2Quantities, and whether you will accept an equivalent model if yours is out of stock.
3. 3Software: the product, the edition, the number of users or devices, and monthly, yearly or once-off.
4. 4Set-up you want done: imaging, enrolment in your management system, data migration, installation on site.
5. 5The warranty you need: carry-in or on-site, and for how many years.
6. 6Old equipment to be collected and disposed of, if any.
7. 7Delivery address and the date you need it by.

What to compare when the quotes come back

The lowest total is where comparing starts, not where it ends.

• The model numbers line by line. A cheaper quote is often an older generation of the same name.
• Warranty length and type, and whether it is honoured locally. Grey imports can carry no local warranty at all.
• For licences: the term, what renewal will cost, and who holds the licence account.
• Lead time, and whether the stock is in the country or still to be ordered.
• Set-up and installation priced in, or extra.
• The deposit asked for, and when the balance falls due.

On SupScope every quote arrives with the same three figures: the total, the lead time and the deposit. The first comparison is done before you open anything. The rest of this list is what to read in each supplier's notes and documents.

Paperwork worth asking for

ICASA type approval for anything with a radio

Wi-Fi routers, access points, phones and Bluetooth devices must be type-approved by ICASA before they can be sold or used in South Africa. Approved products carry an ICASA approval number.

An operator agreement, if they will handle your data

POPIA (section 21) requires a written contract with any provider that processes personal information for you, such as managed services, hosting or support with remote access, committing them to proper security measures.

A certificate of destruction when old equipment leaves

Drives and phones hold data. Ask for a certificate listing serial numbers, and confirmation that the e-waste goes to a licensed recycler.

And from any supplier

A SARS Tax Compliance Status PIN

It replaced the old tax clearance certificate. Checking it on eFiling shows the supplier's status on the day you check, not the day it was issued.

A B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit

Only if your own scorecard counts it. Small suppliers (turnover up to R10 million) may use an affidavit instead of a verified certificate.

Company registration and a bank confirmation letter

Worth having before the first payment, so the account you pay is the company you chose.

General guidance, not legal advice. Regulations change, and some depend on your municipality or the job, so confirm anything you rely on with the authority concerned.

How this works on SupScope

1. Step 1

   Post it once

   Describe the job and choose IT Hardware & Software and your province.

2. Step 2

   It reaches the right suppliers

   Only suppliers who work in this trade and cover your province see it.

3. Step 3

   Compare and award

   Quotes arrive side by side. Accept one and the others are told.