Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
SAIA portal a positive for auction industry and clients
THE SOUTH African Institute of Auctioneers (SAIA) has launched a communication and database portal that will do away with 90% of paperwork associated with membership renewal and accessing essential regulatory documents.
The streamlined process will make compliance simpler for auction houses to maintain their membership and thereby ensure consumer rights are protected by the industry oversight body’s rigorous complaints and disciplinary procedures.
The portal also offers a new communication feature that provides instant access to newsletters, industry alerts and SAIA notifications.
SAIA chairperson John Cowing says the tool auction houses will find most useful is the digitised annual membership renewal process. “Wearisome describes the membership renewal procedure in place previously,” he says.
SAIA public relations director Joff van Reenen says in the past the onerous process had seen renewals delayed beyond memberships lapsing.
“The new portal simplifies processes to prevent this, ensuring auctioneers remain accountable to the public in accordance with SAIA’s Code of Conduct.
“When members log into the new portal they will find all their membership info preloaded.
“Renewal documentation is completed on the portal and submitted with one mouse click. Provision is made for quick uploading of supporting documents.”
The portal’s development has been spearheaded by SAIA administration executive Sonja Styger, who says the streamlined and print-free process involves a few steps:
Members must log into their portals, check and update info before the December 31 deadline; all sections must be completed and carefully checked because incomplete or inaccurate info could delay invoicing and issuing of certificates and members’ privy seals; all necessary supporting documents should be uploaded; and
members must ensure the information is saved and submitted for capturing.
“The SAIA administration and finance department will generate invoices in the first week of January 2018, and membership certificates and privy seals will be sent to members and uploaded onto the portal for easy access,” says Styger.
“The portal is a one-stop repository of all regulatory documents members can access all year round.”
SAIA was founded in 1989 to provide clear auction industry professional standards that promote ethical practices. It is the national association for auctioneers, stakeholders and clients.
Van Reenen says another element of the portal is the database of info for each registered member that entitles them to a privy seal.
“Privy seals are embedded in email signatures, social media profiles, websites and digital signatures.
“These enable SAIAaccredited auctioneers to protect the integrity of their qualifications, designations, standards and licence, and reassure the public they are dealing with a company that has all bona fides in place.
A complete list of SAIA’s accredited auctioneers is at https://www.auctioneering. co.za/.
SAIA-registered members have to be legally compliant in every way, be in strict compliance with the Industry Code and the SAIA Code of Conduct and be members of the requisite affiliated associations. Van Reenen says crucial portal component is members’ enhanced, one-click access to information, industry news and SAIA notices.
“We’ve provided this channel to encourage members to make greater use of valuable resources available on the association’s website and app.
“Our traffic statistics have been showing steady growth in 2017, both from the market and within the industry, but we have no doubt those numbers will rise substantially with the new functionalities that have just been launched to assist our members.”