3.5.2 SERVICE PROVIDER RECOMMENDED ATTRIBUTES

Further, it would be appropriate and interesting to show the results of the service providers' survey and these results are shown in Figure 15. These figures are presented based upon the replies received from the questionnaires.

The service providers' perception is that the most important single issue is the "methodology". The service provider's main concern is to demonstrate how the plans, equipment, and strategy are to be utilized to meet the maintenance requirements stated in the contract. There is a somewhat significant gap to the next important factor which is the past experience of the service providers'. This factor is a measure of past performance of the service providers from past contracts and is seen as an important indicator by the service providers'. This factor demonstrates the accountability, trust, and performance of the service provider. This is an important observation, which makes sense to the obvious observer. However, there are very few contracts that have an interactive past experience rating system, which would affect the potential to win contracts. This may be due to labor, union issues, and the legal implications of this type of practice.

Figure 15 Contractors' Survey on Quality Selection Factors

There is another gap to the next important attribute which is the relevant experience, which indicates that lack of experience is not desired and may have a negative influence on performance. These three attributes account for approximately 42% of the most important factors when the winner of a publicly tendered maintenance contract is to be determined. Then the next important aspect is QC plans, followed closely by technical skills, project management skills, partnering, and innovation.

It is quite interesting that these top five factors account for about 63% of the criteria. It can be assumed that these are core issues encountered by the service providers when a contract is tendered and what issues are needed to actually perform the works.

Also, similar to the client response, such parameters as environment, traffic management, equipment, and affect on small business were not considered as being so significant. However, the contractors did not consider traffic management as important compared to the client's response.