For the efficient acquisition of rolling stock, a certain number of steps are essential and must be followed. A central procurement office can also be an interesting alternative mode of acquisition.
Defining the need:
This aforementioned step is absolutely necessary. It involves responding to the following different elements:
- What is required? A standard vehicle, articulated bus, minibus, etc. It must be in keeping with the local context, the operating constraints and the needs that it must fulfil. Each need must be the subject of a separate consultation.
- With what equipment? It involves thinking about the main guidelines regarding additional facilities, e.g. passenger information, ticketing, etc. However, problems surrounding the potentially hazardous maintenance and running of high-tech equipment sirens should be avoided. It will probably be better to retain some independence in this area and keep its elements outside the tendering process so that they can be submitted as part of parallel bids. This will preserve genuine independence, and the necessary technical and financial control. Scalability over time will also be desirable.
- Sourcing:
It is extremely important to conduct a review of the manufacturers on the market. First of all, this provides an overview of the status of the market and the equipment available to meet your own needs.
It is also a way of making the tendering process efficient, by analysing the solutions proposed and by guiding it in view of this first level of analysis. Indeed, it is very important to avoid making a theoretical approach to the market, i.e. setting one’s sights on non-existent, unsuitable or economically outmoded facilities, while missing out on other relevant ones.
Finally, it is a good way of finding out which manufacturers are likely to respond and to make oneself known to them.
This step should ultimately provide the most comprehensive inventory possible of the equipment available that corresponds to the needs defined and is likely to be delivered locally within the set deadlines.
