Purchase of micro computers

1
Purchase of micro computers

• Henry Alexandre, Deputy director / Central
  procurement agency

Cyprus, 2005, July 4th
2
Purchase of micro computers
11 answers
Austria Belgium Cyprus Denmark France Greece
Germany Ireland Italy Portugal Sweden
3
What standards are used? Is it the responsibility
of the purchasing department only or negotiated
with the future users?
Negotiated 3
Alone 5
Involved 3

• These standards are defined by (agency)
  without negotiations with future users on the
  basis of quantitative and qualitative analyses of
  past purchases. Moreover, PAs are not obliged to
  buy goods and services offered by our frame
  contracts.

• Both. The public organisations that reported
  the highest demands are actively involved into
  the development of the technical specifications.
  The (agency) finally decides over different
  requirements.

• The standards and the technical specifications
  are negotiated with the future users

4
How many different configurations?
1or 2 configurations 4 3 configurations
2 More 5
If you have not defined the configurations
precisely, does your contract cover a collection
of components with which the users build their
own configurations ?
All countries allow options but no one practices
a real assembling system
5
Do you specify only technical performances (e.g.
hard disk capacity, processor speed, amount of
RAM) or do you also (or only) specify the
functions or services which the machines must be
able to perform?

• Only technical performances

5

• Both

6
Processor (speed) Benchmark-value Bapco
Sysmark 2004 Office overall 178 For each
specified hardware configuration we also mention
the general tasks we assume the PC shall be able
to perform, and we require specific level of
benchmark test result (SYSmark).
6
but benchmark results are technical performances
7
Standard  median  EU LL desktop
512 Mb ram 2.8 gHz Hard disk 60 GB CD and DVD
drive CD writer but no DVD writer Integrated
audio 17' TFT
3
4
4
8
Prices
517
839 1219
500
1000
522 1090
641 Approx. 15
558
443 Approx 20
900
680 Approx 10-20
Price for the standard or most standard
configuration ()
Market price of the same machine
9
Lowest
Average
Top
Ram 256 512 512 Proc. Amd 2800 P4,
2.8GHz 3 GHz Disk 40 GB 80 GB 200 GB CD
d yes yes yes DVD d no yes yes CD
w no yes yes DVD w no no yes Screen TFT
17 TFT 17 TFT 19 Qy 40 000 15
000 ? Price 443 558 1000
10
Do you know, at the competitive bidding stage,
the number, even approximately, of devices which
are going to be bought?
Yes 8 No 3
Do you specify in the contracts the order
minimums, maximums, in number, in values ? More
generally, on what economic basis (forecast
sales) can competitors prepare their bids ?
The contract contains a commitment (min, max or
both) 6 An estimation is given during the
tendering phase 3 Nothing 2
11
Does the purchase include a period of maintenance
or is this service purchased separately

• Included 7
• - 1 year option 2 years (2)
• 2 years (2)
• 3 years (1)
• - 3 years option 2 years (2)
• - 5 years (1)

Separately 2
Delivery deadlines? 14 days, 5 to 10 days, 1 month
12
Contracts currently in force
Awarding date from March 2003 to June 2005
Monetary value from 0.8 M to ?
Length of contract (including prolongation) -
6 months 1 - 12 months 3 - 24 months 3 -
36 months 3
13
Auction format
Paper based single round 7
Open 10
Online single round 2
Online descending auction 1
 no auction  one
14
Awarding criteria
 economical 
 technical 
50 50
85 15
35 65
70 30
Price and discount, inclusive guarantee - Point
factor 4 Technical conditions - Point factor
3  Environmental conditions - Point factor 3
Assortment - Point factor 2
Meat (10)
Lowest price 1
Out of full 100 where product is 70 and
services is 30 the divide of the 70 of product
part, Economical point takes 45 and the
technical point 55 .
15
Do you purchase basic software (operating system
and office automation suite) in the same contract
as for machines or separately?
O S but no office suite in the same contract 5
O S and office suite in the same contract 5
O S and office suite bought separately 1
16
During the invitation to tender phase did you
require machines to be made available for
evaluation?
Yes 6 No 5 (1 will do it next time)
Leasing possibility? Yes 3, No 8
How many competitors bid for the contract (if
lots, how many for each lots) ? What types
manufacturers, distributors, assemblers?

• 7 D
• 1 M 4D 2 A
• 14 M or D
• 14 M or equal
• - 14 M
• - 80 mainly D and M

• 2 M 2 D
• 5 mainly D
• 5 D
• 5 D or A
• 6 M or D

17
Who uses the contract and how ?
State administrations only 5 All public sector
5
Ordering without formality 7 Prior formalities
3
Online ordering possible 7 Only fax or letter
3
18
What information must the contract holder provide
you with ?
 Reporting volume and value for each client 
8 - confirmation for each order 2 - monthly
3 - quaterly 1 - yearly 1 - unknown
periodicity 1
No report or unknown reporting 3
Do you receive a commission? Yes 3 No 8
19
Who manages complaints and claims? the central
procurement agency 4 the client administration
3 first the client then the agency 2 -
unknown 2
Do you provide for penalties? All countries have
penalties provisions for delivery delay. Penalty
is a percentage of the order value, minimum
penalty starts from 0.002 per day, max up to
twice the order value.
Who gets the value? Mostly the client
Are penalties usually applied? No or rarely 7
do not know 4
20
Innovative practices
Global contract with a service provider instead
of purchasing PCs The option exists in 1
country 5 countries are considering it
Outsourcing Rarely or partly 2 No 9