Atlet cautions against e-tendering

Atlet has warned that etendering is treating forklifts as a commodity and could mean end users get a raw deal long term, despite a good price up front.

Chris Bates, national sales manager at Atlet, says the recession has tended to push procurement and purchasing away from operations to dedicated procurement departments, who are more preoccupied with cutting costs than adding value.

“This is a disaster. All of a sudden materials handling equipment is seen as merely a commodity. If a decision is made that all equipment or suppliers are the same, then the cheapest bid wins,” says Bates.

“We advocate more of a consultancy style approach. It's about delivering a materials handling solution, rather than simply products. Customers must look at payback from their investment.”

Bates says online procurement in the form of e-tenders are especially problematic, with bids compared purely in terms of numbers which don't tell the end user about the quality of the product or value of the solution.

“The earlier we get an opportunity to really talk to the customer and understand their needs, the more we can help them to get a payback on their investment,” he says.