Call for mobile hardware for 4000 employees

Planning the new procurement of mobile devices

EVN will have to provide or replace 4,500 mobile devices for its employees over the next 3 years. Short product life cycles of the devices as well as changing user requirements and form factors ensure the need for almost permanent tenders. Due to the size of the project, an EU-wide, two-stage call for tenders is necessary. In order to increase the pool of suppliers, the tender is additionally divided into different lots. ReqPOOL assisted EVN in accelerating the tender within a few weeks.

The way to the call for tenders

In July 2018, e-VN began planning for a new round of mobile devices. Based on existing device specifications, modular requirements catalogs could be created for the required hardware. For example, three half-day workshops with the departments were sufficient to have all the necessary tender documents prepared by ReqPOOL within a few weeks. Both tendering procedures and award criteria for a targeted best bidder evaluation were introduced and agreed upon by ReqPOOL. The focus was on the qualitative aspect and possible evaluation criteria such as test positions.

Procedure of the EU call for tenders

The performance criteria for the hardware and the eligibility criteria for the first part of the EU-wide tender could already be fixed in August 2018. As a result, applications for participation from suitable providers could already be collected and evaluated in September. At the same time, the technical performance criteria catalogues were finalised as the basis for the second stage of the tendering procedure.

For the second stage of the call for tenders, All relevant documents were prepared by ReqPOOL for the department and purchasing of EVN up to the final stage. These were designed to evaluate comprehensive offers as quickly and efficiently as possible. This, too, made an important contribution to accelerating the call for tenders.

The previously defined award criteria for price and quality enabled the suppliers to be evaluated efficiently. The evaluation scheme also included benchmark tests for the hardware as well as a test with the departments, which also evaluated haptics, handling and optics. Due to the good preparation, the customer was supported to the extent that the entire tender evaluation and procurement could again be carried out by the department itself.

The way forward

After the successful, extensive, fast tender and adapted to the customer, further projects are already planned or in implementation. Following the tender project, several joint projects between EVN and ReqPOOL have already started and the successful cooperation in IT purchasing will continue.