BRADENTON, Fla., April 26, 2001 - Apartment managers and maintenance supervisors now have the opportunity to use special templates to prepare RFQs (Request for Quote) for suppliers of contractor services. Created by HandySource.com, a bid and purchase portal for the multi-housing industry, the HandySource RFQ / Bid System provides an online source to help expedite the bidding process.
Through an easy and convenient template approach in specifying contract services, the HandySource RFQ / Bid System allows buyers to select category, such as asphalt, landscaping or plumbing. Once a category has been selected, the buyer uses a template designed specifically for that purpose to write the job specifications. The template functions like a checklist to ensure that all of the information needed for an accurate bid is included.
"The manual process of writing and sending bid specifications can be very time consuming," stated John Lie-Nielsen, Chief Executive Officer, HandySource. "The HandySource Bid System empowers the purchasing manager by simplifying the process through the advancements of the Internet. The system will dramatically increase turnaround time while decreasing the amount of effort required to complete the project."
Once a specification sheet is completed, the HandySource system sends the RFQ electronically to vendors selected by the buyer. They may be members of the HandySource network or their favorite vendors outside of the network. All transactions are recorded creating an audit trail for owners or lenders. HandySource will contact the buyer's preferred outside vendors to build larger networks in a particular geographic area.
John Inman, president of HMI Properties in Atlanta, says of the Handy Source e-commerce bidding system, "The biggest benefit is being able to streamline the bidding process in its entirety that enables you to solicit ten bids in the time it would normally take you to solicit one." Patti King, property manager at Sunset Palms Apartments in Tampa adds, "It's going to be a great tool for the property management industry. You can get anything you need over the system - from RFQs to supplies. Plus it's customized to your property which is extremely important."
HandySource.com is a business-to-business e-commerce bid and purchase marketplace for the multi-family real estate industry. The company was formed in 1999 as a sister company to HandyTrac Systems, Inc., a leading supplier of computerized key control systems to the multi-housing industry. The company's corporate office is located in Bradenton, Fla. It also has a regional support / training center in Atlanta, Ga. with an additional five centers (Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, San Francisco and Washington) planned throughout the United States.
