Preparing your print quotation requests

Re-establishing price* can be done by obtaining quotes from all suppliers on the lot. YPO can support you with this process by obtaining the quotes on your behalf, entering them onto the online marketplace tool and coming back with total cost of ownership quotes for your requirements.

It is important you promote a fair and transparent tendering process that results a best value contract award that is bespoke to your requirements as a valued customer. Once you have chosen a safe route to market by transacting through our framework, you will engage with pre-approved suppliers. All terms have been negotiated, vetted and approved via the framework and governed by the authority for compliance throughout your contract term.

Configuring your quotation and contract…

Manufacturers will design their device models based on a ‘standard’ specification that can then be built up with ‘optional’ features to create a ‘fit for purpose’ device. In standard configuration – most models will come with basic functions and ‘must have’ ‘additional’ optional features specified to design the final device. It is extremely important when publishing your requirements that you follow a checklist to capture your requirements accurately. Ensure suppliers propose each device and component part as a ‘mandatory’ specification alongside associated costs.

By following this process it ensures that customers ultimately receive quotations based on correct specification that are all ‘compliant’ and ‘like-for-like’ to ensure fairness and ease of review before award. This also removes the incidence of new device arriving at your site(s) and not fulfilling your expected specification requirements – at this point – it may be too late and cannot be challenged.

Remember optional features (in most cases) have an additional cost so careful consideration of your published requirements to suppliers is extremely important to avoid unnecessary changes.

Configuring your device specification checklist…

SPEED of print output required; an extremely important factor to include on your mandated specifications to suppliers (and can determine cost of device more than any other feature).  A simple method of determining this is to check the speed of your current installed model (for direct replacement) if applicable.  This ‘current’ speed can usually be obtained from the supplier machine model number (eg; MX5020 – the 1^st  or 2^nd two digits in the model number will denote the machine print speed (available web data may help you confirm which digits denote speed if unsure). Please note – current machine speed is a good guide but end user engagement with your staff may determine if this is ‘fit for purpose’ or may need increasing or decreasing in the new replacement device.

NON STANDARD FEATURES; most manufacturers will design a device model with a ‘standard’ specification.  It is important to note that ‘standard’ features vary across manufacturers.  To avoid uncertainty or error in requesting a feature set – it is strongly advised you consider the following list of features (standard and optional) when requesting your quotes:

• Reverse Automatic Document Feeder (RADF); required to enable auto duplex copy and scan of documents (can be single pass or dual pass)
  
  
• Paper Tray Capacity; you must determine the number and type of paper sources your require.Consider here how many A4 and A3 enabled trays you require and the stock holding capacity of each or as a total.Typically – manufacturers will include a certain number/type of trays as standard but you must ensure that ‘optional’ additional trays are requested (if applicable) when configuring your device.A checklist against a current machine for direct replacement can be a guide here also
  
  
• On-line FINISHING; will in almost ‘all’ cases be an ‘optional’ feature so must be correctly requested and mandated in your quote request.Finishing options you need to consider include;>STAPLING>BOOKLET OR SADDLE STITCH>HOLE PUNCH
  
  
• Other features to consider and request (if applicable);>FAX>WIFI CARD>SECURE PIN AUTHENTICATION>USAGE REPORTING & MONITORING>COLOUR OR MONO>SCANNING

*Re-establish price: When we evaluate at framework level, we evaluate a basket of goods for each supplier and establish a ceiling price. This means that this is the highest price a customer would ever pay for a device on the framework per specification / supplier. To re-establish price means to do a quote to all suppliers to get their price for your requirements.

Click here for more information on the framework.