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Highway Construction Bidding System

On A Winning Streak

The Ministry of Transportation's Highway Construction Bidding System (HCBS) launched in February this year and since then has been embraced by industry. HCBS was honored with a variety of awards at three fairs in September and October.

HCBS, previously known as the Electronic Bidding System (EBS), is a web-based online initiative for the tendering process of MTO contracts. Previously, tendering was done through courier mail and/or faxing, involving paper documentation. As profiled in the November 2002 issue of Road Talk, HCBS allows for Internet transmission of project plans and specifications, tender announcements, and bid submissions and notification. The advantages of an online system are convenient, 24-hour accessibility; cost savings from vastly reduced shipping and printing for both MTO and contractors; and increased simplified communication with industry.

Industry support for HCBS has been very strong. Contractors participated in a two-week trial in November 2003, and 29% rated the system excellent. 60% gave a rating of above average, only 11% rated it average, and no one rated the system below average.

Doug Pennell of the Construction Office believes the warm reception to HCBS is a product of a stringent quality assurance process with MTO's Information and Information Technology Cluster. He also attributed HCBS being on time and on-budget due to the co-operation between business and information technology.

At Showcase Ontario, HCBS received an Award of Merit in the category "Business Solutions through Information Technology." This category rewards projects that have a high level of user acceptance, deliver significant benefits to customers, demonstrate the ability of the IT team to approach the problem from the customer's perspective, and are innovatively designed and user-friendly. Nominated projects may also support the potential of knowledge management in new, innovative ways.

HCBS was also honored at the Annual Distinction Awards Program as part of GTEC WEEK (October 18-20), the largest information technology showcase for the public sector in North America. HCBS won a Silver Award for Innovative Government in the Provinces. E-government refers to the transformation of government through electronic service delivery, by increasing connectivity and public participation, as well as supporting e-business in the global economy.

Recently, HCBS won an award at the Public Service Quality Fair. The fair awards projects to promote quality management principles and practices among the public sector. HCBS won a Silver Award, recognizing continual improvement while using several elements of quality management system.

HCBS is an example of how communication between government and industry in the developmental process can lead to an acclaimed web-based application. This highlights how MTO is implementing smarter strategies to create the best, most efficient systems possible.