ABSTRACT
Successfully getting what’s required, procurement, involves three steps: specification and bid request, evaluation and selection, and order placement and expediting. Broadly, procurement is the same for most items or articles, varying only in degree depending upon the complexity and cost involved. The intent of a specification is to state clearly and explicitly what is required and the desired terms of purchase. For ease of compilation, a specification is usually comprised of two sections: technical and commercial. The data sheet should anticipate the evaluation process by including those items needed for evaluation. Included in these are pressure ratings, load ratings, bearing sizes, and other dimensions or coefficients to enable a comparison of the equipment offered. Most evaluation procedures involve two steps: assessment of mechanical equivalence, during which some offers may be eliminated, then an assessment of the “cost of ownership.”.
