Supplier Radar handoff
Supplier Radar lets you hand over your local supplier shortlist without your whole ops thread getting lost in translation.
See support and counter hour brief. Email magic@bizmagic.co.za.
Also see supplier notes and projects.
Handing off your shortlist
You’ve got your Supplier Radar shortlist in shape. Now, it’s time to hand things to the next person or supplier hub, without the usual scramble for WhatsApp screenshots or half-baked Google Sheets. For example, if your Upington logistics coordinator is picking up the next supplier round, or your bookkeeper in Mitchells Plain is tracking new purchase orders, everything they need should be clear and in one place. Don’t make them guess why you chose Tina’s Tiles over Kareem’s Ceramics this time round. The handoff note and attachments save everyone time and keep each quote request on track.
What goes in the handoff note
Each handoff should be simple and direct. Here’s exactly what to include: the Supplier Radar shortlist scorecard (filled out), your quote request cues, local supplier finder notes (with points of contact, locations and last quote date), and any supporting docs like B-BBEE affidavits or municipal permits. Attach all files, PDFs and spreadsheets, with filenames that make sense to the next person. For example, use ‘SRadar-June2024-UpingtonTiles.pdf’ rather than just ‘tiles.pdf’. If you’re routing to a supplier hub, mention which one (such as Observatory HQ) so there’s no confusion.
- Filled-out Supplier Radar shortlist scorecard
- Quote request cue list
- Supplier finder notes (contacts, locations, quote dates)
- Relevant compliance docs (B-BBEE, trading permits, FICA)
- Clear filenames with region and month (e.g. SRadar-June2024-MitchellsPlain.xlsx)
- Reference to supplier hub location if relevant
Where and how to file everything
Always keep copies in your shared business folder. Use subfolders by year, then region or project (for example, ‘2024/SupplierRadar/Upington’). If a new hire or bookkeeper joins and you only send them a flood of unlabelled files, you’re just inviting chaos. Save your own time too: a Supplier Radar shortlist should be ready to grab when SARS or a new supplier wants proof of process. For more on keeping your supplier handover routine practical, see our checklist, the Supplier Map Ritual and how to respect your own time with supplier shortlists.
Email tips and subject lines
When you’re ready to hand off, send everything by email to magic@bizmagic.co.za. In the subject line, include your business name, the region or branch, and the month or batch. For example: ‘UpingtonTiles Supplier Radar Handoff, June 2024’. In the body, state who’s picking up the process (e.g. Nomsa the bookkeeper or the Mitchells Plain branch ops), and mention any urgent supplier deadlines, like a 24-hour quote expiry or a courier cut-off around load-shedding Stage 4. If something is meant for a BizMagic supplier hub, like Observatory HQ, say so up front. No need for long explanations or repeated details.
A handoff that almost unravelled
Sipho from Mitchells Plain Hardware once handed off his Supplier Radar scorecard with files just called ‘scan1.pdf’ and ‘quotes.xlsx’, with zero context. His new hire Litha spent three days phoning Upington and Paarl suppliers, only to find out half had already said no or were now on annual shutdown. The month-end deadline for VAT201 was almost missed. They fixed it by renaming all files, adding last contact dates and supplier phone numbers, and keeping it all in a shared folder by month. They learnt their lesson, its now part of their onboarding for every new team member.
