In August 2012 the Uk authorities introduced the award of the contract to manage the West coast main line to FirstGroup. Initially this deal was considered to have saved substantial cash for “the tax payer”. Subsequently yoursite.com was found that the procedure was flawed, owing to numerical errors that were only discovered following a lawful challenge by Virgin Trains, the incumbent service provider. As a consequence of the problems the tender approach has been restarted and Virgin Trains has experienced its contract extended until finally completion of the method.

The important stage is that while on paper in an RFQ reaction the headline quantities and positive aspects can look to make a compelling scenario for adjust, you may possibly realise they are fully baseless in truth when you dig deeper…

The case in point of the West Coastline primary line received wide protection and received a substantial profile due to the fact of the dimensions of the budget and due to the fact it concerned public money. The fact is problems are made in all kinds of RFQ processes for the provision of companies, such as with vendors of logistics solutions.

When carrying out an RFQ approach for logistics provider companies, it is usually a good idea to keep the incumbent in the approach right up until the ultimate phases. The incumbent has knowledge of your business currently and their response (note Virgin Trains) must at the quite minimum act as a excellent check when comparing other responses.

The essential issue to ensure is that if you are presented considerable rewards in an RFQ response compared to the present procedure then you recognize how/if they can be reached:

• Check out info – see The significance of correct details in supply chain techniques

• Comprehend what is driving price enhancements e.g. efficiency enhancements

• Are proposed programs in a position to handle your specifications?

• What assumptions had been produced in the absence of info? What is the influence?

• What implementation assistance will be presented throughout transition of suppliers?

Don’t forget when you alter supplier make sure that owing diligence is extensive and the possible benefits are significant. By no means take the selection to adjust supplier evenly and ensure that somebody with immediate expertise manages the procedure from start off to finish.

Taking into consideration the over, it’s not astonishing that in a higher proportion of instances the incumbent retains the contract at the finish of the tender process. Prior to you start a tender procedure, be positive that you are truly prepared to change suppliers. Then just take the time to put together correct data and athorough description of the needs to guarantee providers are effectively engaged. This will provide out the best in all the providers – incumbent integrated.

If on the other hand you are broadly pleased with the incumbent and just searching for a benchmark, a robust agreement evaluation approach is an alternative to a full tender that typically provides considerable benefits.