‘Meeting Public Expectations’ Public Procurement Service Strengthens Quality Control of Public Procurement Goods

The Public Procurement Service (PPS) is strengthening quality control of public procurement goods. The aim is to apply safety standards that meet public expectations and place greater emphasis on ensuring the safety of public items used in daily life.

According to the PPS on the 31st, the scale of domestic public procurement amounts to 200 trillion won annually, accounting for 9% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In particular, the fact that many goods supplied through public procurement are used in environments closely related to citizens' daily lives is a reason why the PPS cannot neglect quality control.

For the same reason, the PPS has so far encouraged procurement companies to enhance competitiveness and procurement efficiency through self-managed quality control.

Lee Sang-yoon, Deputy Administrator of the Public Procurement Service (second from the right), is explaining the plan to strengthen quality control of public procurement goods at the Government Daejeon Complex recently. Photo by the Public Procurement Service

One example is evaluating companies' quality management, process and performance management capabilities, and designating excellent products produced by companies as ‘Quality-Assured Procurement Goods’ for management.

The designation of Quality-Assured Procurement Goods is handled by the Procurement Quality Institute under the PPS.

The Procurement Quality Institute evaluates the quality management capabilities of procurement companies three times a year, selects products produced under excellent quality management systems, and designates them as Quality-Assured Procurement Goods.

As of the end of last month, 576 products from 178 companies have been designated as Quality-Assured Procurement Goods through this process. The scale of these products supplied to public institutions and others exceeds 1.6 trillion won annually.

The designation of Quality-Assured Procurement Goods is meaningful in that it encourages companies to manage quality on their own.

Also, companies that have established and applied the quality management system required by the PPS are evaluated highly because they can reduce human and material waste through work standardization and achieve increased work efficiency.

Performance testing of chairs scheduled for delivery to public institutions is underway at the Public Procurement Quality Service. Photo by Public Procurement Service

Additionally, the PPS plans to include 19 water supply items such as coated steel pipes in the safety management goods category (designation) and prioritize quality inspections and direct production verification, focusing on intensive quality control.

Considering the recent heightened public interest in water management, the PPS explained that it will significantly expand delivery inspections through specialized inspection agencies and strengthen sanctions against poor-quality deliveries to raise awareness.

Furthermore, if harmful substances are detected during delivery inspections of water supply goods, the suspension period for transactions within comprehensive shopping malls (such as the Korea ON-line E-Procurement System, KONEPS) will be extended by 1.5 to 2 times compared to general goods, enabling companies to focus on quality management themselves.

Han Chang-hoon, Director of the Defense Materials Quality Division at the Procurement Quality Institute, said, “We will strive to secure the safety of key goods closely related to daily safety through quality control that meets public expectations.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.