Conversion contractor selection, management & administration
Robert W. Brown
President & CEO
Baymont Technologies, Inc.
14100 58th Street North
ClearWater, FL 34620
Introduction
Once an organization has decided to implement an AMIFM system and has determined that they
do not have the in-house resources to perform the conversion, they have started down the road to
the selection of a conversion contractor.
At that point, they mayor may not have selected an AM/FM maintenance system (hardware and
software). If a system has already been selected, it mayor may not have been installed. Each of
these scenarios will affect the selection process in a different way. If there is going to be an inhouse
system, the optimum time to take delivery of the first converted work package is at the
same point the operators have become well trained enough to maintain the converted product. If
the user organization has decided not to have a system in-house, it is important to select a
conversion contractor who can provide efficient ongoing maintenance services. If the company
has purchased a software package that requires customization, they may want a conversion
contractor with the expertise to perform the customization.
Selection
Please refer to Figure 1 for a block diagram of the Conversion Contractor Selection Process.
- Education
It is important that the user company have a good understanding of the conversion process before
selecting a conversion contractor. Users can gain this knowledge through the use of one or a
combination of the following methods:
-
Attend technical conferences
- Hire a consultant
- Visit conversion contractors
- Attend conversion seminars
Only with a clear understanding of the complexity of the conversion process can a company
make an informed decision in the choice of a conversion contractor and minimize his reliance on
chance.
In addition to the knowledge to be gained at technical conferences and through the services of a
consultant who has a thorough knowledge of the conversion process, much can be learned by
visiting conversion contractors to observe the process first hand. There are also seminars
available given by conversion contractors or system vendors which cover the conversion subject
in detail.
- Specification
The conversion specification is not an integral part of the conversion contractor selection
process. It is mentioned here because it must be included in any request for proposal but cannot
be properly prepared until after the education phase.
- Pre-qualification
It is impractical to issue a request for proposal (RFP) to a large number of companies. Therefore,
it is important to carefully prepare a short list of companies to which an RFP will be issued.
This pre-qualification process may include one or more of the following:
- Request for Information (RFI)
- Presentations by conversion contractors
- Visits to contractors' offices
- Reference checks
A decision must be made on the number of contractors who will receive the RFP. There maybe
a minimum requirement by the company and the maximum number maybe left open and depend
upon the qualifications of the respondents. Typical short lists contain from three to six company
names.
One method of obtaining a short list is to start from scratch and seek out qualified firms to put on
the list. The most common method, however, is to start with a long list and eliminate the least
qualified. A good source of information for a list of conversion companies is the AM/FM
International Directory. Or even better, consult other organizations in your industry who have
completed conversion projects or currently have them underway.
The request for information (RFI) is a commonly used tool in the pre-qualification process. The
main decisions to be made in the preparation of an RFI are related to the qualifications desired in
a contractor. There are many questions that need to be answered at this time. Answers to
specific questions should be sought in the response to the RFI.
These questions should cover but not be limited to the following subjects:
- key personnel
- in-house equipment
- project experience
- available resources
- company stability
After an initial cut, either instead of or as a result of an RFI, the remaining companies on the list
may be asked to make a presentation either in their own offices or on-site at the user's office.
The advantages of a visit to a contractor's office are obvious. It gives the user exposure to more
of the contractor's employees and business methods. It will also give the contractor a chance to
demonstrate his equipment under actual production conditions. The disadvantage of visiting
several contractors is the travel time and expense involved.
A conversion contractor's references should be thoroughly checked. Each contractor should
provide a contact name and telephone number as reference for each project they have submitted
as similar experience. Conversations with reference contacts should address quality of work,
adherence to schedule, and claims for extra work..
