Selection box

The procurement process is one that demands some careful preparation. Taking into consideration the advice contained in the first two thirds of The Security Institute's (TSI's) 'Guide to the Procurement and Management of Manned Security Services' ('Guard right', SMT, December 2003, pp26-29 and 'Shift in emphasis', SMT, January 2004, pp30-32), and with a comprehensive service specification document available, it's now time to find the right supplier.

Of course, many in-house professionals operate a list of preferred security services providers, and there may only be a handful of firms that can meet your company's specific needs. Remember that if the organisation is subject to OJEC guidelines – the European standards for procurement and tendering – then further selection procedures could well be obligatory.

As John Julian – senior consultant at IJA – points out in the Guide, when drawing up your initial list you'll ideally select ten or twelve companies to invite to tender for the job. Any more than that could well be counter-productive, as some will consider the likelihood of their success to be marginal at best. Contact those companies you have selected, and spell out what you're looking for. The responses from all concerned will then allow you to shorten the original list.

What if you are selecting a security services provider from scratch? Well, there are a number of ways in which you can identify contractors with the best credentials and – just as importantly – resources. The British Security Industry Association's (BSIA) membership list (to be found at www.bsia.co.uk) is a good place to start. That said, there are some excellent companies out there who aren't affiliated to the industry's major trade association... but where can you find them?

There are several alternative methods of sourcing contractors. For example, Merlin Scott Associates Ltd publishes a list of 600 security companies (including details of their size and financial strength). The Top 20 companies are detailed on the excellent manned security web site infologue.com, or you could engage a reputable security consultant to offer their expertise as to which companies they have dealt with.

Alternatively, check with your local Yellow Pages, and enquire at local companies where you've noticed that good security services are in evidence at all times. Ultimately, the Security Industry Authority's Approved Contractors Scheme ('Look of Authority', SMT, January 2004, pp20-24) will also contain details of all the most reputable companies in the sector. In the meantime, just have a browse around on the web. Call a few security companies, and request their brochures. Perhaps ask if you can visit some of their sites to see how they really do business.

Pre-qualification questionnaires
In order to assess the capabilities and qualities of each of the security companies in which you're interested, it's best to prepare and send out a pre-qualification questionnaire seeking evidence regarding the quality, performance and costs of the service offered. The glossy brochures mentioned don't always tell you the whole story.

Ask the service provider about the business sectors in which they operate. What experience do they have of working with your type of organisation? If guarding services are not the contractor's core business, how can they prove they'll deliver on their promises?

The degree of officer training and skills levels will be crucial. Does the guarding company you're looking at have its own in-house trainers, or does it look to other organisations to meet training and development needs? Do they keep up-to-date records of all staff training? What formal qualifications are employees encouraged to possess? This can be a sure sign of their seriousness of service. Similarly, so will the degree of ongoing in-service training that's conducted.

What of management resources? John Julian poses some very salient questions here. "Is there an existing management structure able to support your operational requirements? Are there – and indeed will there be – sufficient staff to support your contract, and does the service provider have all the necessary infrastructures in place to offer, say, remote monitoring, dog handling and other specialist tasks?"

Quality management is absolutely vital. It's all very well the guarding company starting on your site(s) and promising a good service, but if that service isn't prone to constant check mechanisms and deteriorates then problems will arise. In an ideal world, the contractor should be ISO-certified for whatever tasks they're being asked to perform. Existing customers and referees should be available for you to call upon so that you can check on degrees of service satisfaction. Importantly, can the company you're vetting certify their compliance with security industry Codes of Practice such as BS 7499? On top of all this, you should also be demanding to see accounts (perhaps for the previous three-to-five years, as you don't want bad debts mounting up). Don't forget this one!

At this point, the tender process proper goes into full swing. First off, a timetable for the tender process must be decided upon and included in the information to be sent out to potential bidders (see Table 1), together with details of who's managing the process (for example, the end user or a Facilities Management/procurement company). Customers should also include a copy of their trading terms and conditions.

Crucially, John Julian states in TSI's Guide: "It's important that the tendering process timetable allocates sufficient time to allow the bidders to construct robust and clear responses."

Then it's time to look at the bid specification document. With the companies you've invited to tender now selected, you have to present each of them with a clear explanation of the requirements for your particular contract. You need to cover the:

• nature, quantity, quality and scope of security services demanded;

• standards of staff, management and supporting services required;

• qualifications, terms and conditions applied;

• cost factors applying to the project;

• customer company issues, policies or systems that have to be incorporated into the bid.

Full details of how you would set out your bid specification document can be found on page 23 of the TSI Guide.

All tendering companies should be invited to a briefing on your operational requirements and to discuss the bid specifications. "This is an opportunity for the purchaser to emphasise the importance and priority of key specification requirements, and for them to ask questions," adds Julian. "To help them meet your needs, tendering companies should be offered the opportunity to visit the sites you have included within the tender, or at the very least a representative sample of sites which they can then use as the basis of their bid."

This is the perfect time for the end user to develop and cement a rapport with the potential contractor. You might want to consider asking each security company to list two or three existing customers of their services and to make arrangements for you to visit their sites. Ideally, your approach thus far will have ensured you'll find it easy to compare each bid and separate out any suggested or innovative solutions. The stage is then set for the bid analysis.

Bid analysis and presentations
It's possible your company's procurement procedures may dictate how tender bids are opened and analysed, including the requirement that all bids be sent in unmarked packaging to the client's address. This avoids any possibility of documents being intercepted and possibly altered. "In any event," continues John Julian, "all bids should be formally evaluated against clearly established and agreed criteria to enable the selection of the most suitable and tender-compliant bid."

What, then, are the most important components to be considered when analysing the submissions? A clear and cogent plan to transfer the service to the new supplier. Value for money. Delivery of services and staff appropriate to the customer's needs. Quality and continuity of performance. Innovation and added value. Appropriate management. Staff development and low turnover. Quality of references. All of these areas must be covered.

Julian continues: "It's important that all of the information submitted during the bidding process is verified to guarantee compliance by using the bid presentation stage to ask searching questions in areas where you have doubts, and then make a note of the answers. If necessary, those questions can be followed up in writing at a later date. Additionally, consider linking the most important areas of claimed compliance back into the contract so there's no doubt what terms and conditions have been agreed between the parties involved."

If the security contract you're offering is of sufficient value to potential contractors, it may be worth asking each of the two or three finalists to present their proposals and thus give you a chance to test their thinking and resolve any outstanding last-minute questions. Consider inviting stakeholders from within your own organisation to these presentations. They may well be able to help you make the final decision.

It's important that readers of SMT take note of John Julian's final comment in this section of TSI's Guide. He states: "It is very tempting to choose a supply partner simply because they are the least expensive of the bidders. This is often a mistake, and by taking a wider view of the tender responses, you may find that some bidders have offered innovative solutions that appear more expensive, but which actually offer substantial hidden benefits. The whole package – including the price – must meet your stated needs without increasing risk or reducing service standards."