Procurement supplies at CERN Procurement Documentation Joshua Davison

Procurement supplies at CERN Procurement Documentation Joshua Davison Procurement Officer

Outline 1. Documentation overview 2. The technical specification: 1. Structure 2. Common pitfalls 3. Drafting rules CERN — 20190315 Case study no. 2 Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 2

1 Documentation overview

Key points • Follow the plan: The documentation implements and reflects the agreed procurement strategy • Think ahead: Most of the documentation you produce will be part of your future contract(s) CERN — 20190315 • Start with the templates, and adapt them to reflect your strategy Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 4

Market Survey Document Purpose Prepared by: Technical Description 1. Light description of the future contract’s scope Technical Officer (deliverables, quantities, key technical aspects, timescales) 2. Describes the qualification procedure (e. g. samples, prototyping) CERN — 15/08/11 Qualification 1. Lists the criteria that the firm must meet (such Technical Officer Questionnaire as technical competence and experience, references, size) to qualify for the IT 2. Completed and returned by firms applying to participate in the future IT Purchasing Supplies — Procurement Rules

Document Purpose Prepared by: Technical Specification Specifies all of the technical and operational requirements that the bid/contractor must comply with Technical Officer Technical Questionnaire Used to request information to help you assess the conformity of the bids Technical Officer Tender Form 1. Specifies the specific commercial and legal requirements and conditions (e. g. penalties, bank guarantee) 2. Pricing, adjudication basis and options Procurement Officer General Conditions of CERN Contracts The standard/boilerplate contractual conditions used for CERN contracts Procurement Officer Purchasing Supplies — Procurement Rules CERN — 15/08/11 Invitation to Tender and Contract

CERN — 20190315 Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 7

2 The technical specification

Where, Why 1. INTRODUCTION What 2. SCOPE OF THE SUPPLY 3. SPECIFICATION OF THE TECHNICAL DELIVERABLES 4. SPECIFICATION OF THE ACTIVITIES How, When 5. SPECIFICATION OF THE DOCUMENTATION 6. APPLICABLES RULES, NORMS AND STANDARDS Who 7. PERFORMANCE OF THE CONTRACT 8. CERN REPRESENTATIVES 9. ANNEXES 9

1. Introduction 1. 1 on CERN 1. 2 on Project / facility / study 1. 3 on your organizational unit (see Microsoft Word template) Do not reinvent! Choose relevant sub-sections Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 Standard text 10

2. Scope of the supply 2. 1 General Description In a nutshell, the Supply is… Content of the Supply The Supply shall include: • Technical deliverables • Activities • At the Contractor’s Premises • On the CERN site • Documentation • Options 2. 3 Equipment, Materials and Facilities Provided by CERN Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 2. 2 11

3 -5. Requirements • Manufacturability Requirements • Maintainability Requirements • Other Specific Requirements t, p a d A dd a , e v remo ding to r acco needs! your Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 • Functional Requirements … shall do. . . • Performance Requirements • Interface Requirements • Safety Requirements … shall • Operational Requirements be. . . • Reliability / Availability Reqts 12

6. Rules, Norms and Standards CERN — 20190315 6. 1 Rules Compulsory including CERN Safety Rules 6. 2 Norms and Standards Quote the complete title Include the year Ex. ISO 129 -1: 2018, Technical Product Documentation – Presentation of Dimensions and Tolerances – Part 1: General Principles Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 13

7. Performance of the Contract 7. 1 Delivery Schedule Table with relative dates starting from T 0 Weeks T 0 + xx Indicative Date Month/year 7. 2 Contractor’s Personnel 7. 3 Contract Follow-Up and Progress Monitoring 7. 4 Working on the CERN Site 7. 5 Acceptance is t a h w t a e p e r t o Do n the 7. 6 Warranty clearly stated in ral e n e G e th r o S Wo. C ontracts C f o s n io it d n o C Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 T 0 Milestones Notification of Contract e. g. Delivery of Documentation 14

Working on the CERN Site ! If the contractor is asked to perform S C o e. W h t d tasks on the CERN site: Rea “For any intervention on the CERN site, the Contractor shall take 2. 3. 4. 5. Hours, Access and Sanitary Conditions Safety and Safety Co-ordination Storage, Transport and Handling Utilities, Energy, Work Site Services Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 into account and implement the rules and provisions defined in the document Working on the CERN Site available under: http: //procurement. web. cern. ch/key-reference-documents ” 15

• For technical matters • For commercial matters • Note: “All commercial and technical correspondence concerning the Invitation to Tender shall be communicated to the CERN Procurement officer and in copy to the Technical officer. Any communication by or to any other person than the CERN Procurement Service shall not be valid and have no effect. ” Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 8. CERN Representatives 16

Common errors: Over-specifying “Good enough” Low/affordable cost products/services CERN — 20190315 High/good quality products/services Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 17

CERN — 20190315 Common errors: Over-specifying Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 18

Common errors: Over-specifying • Over-specifying (or “gold-plating”) is a major cause of cost overruns and delays • Before writing it, ask “why is it needed? ” • Allow for tolerances (e. g. object height = 1000 mm +/- 10 mm) • Don’t reference norms and standards “just in case” Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 • Be aware of being over-stringent and demanding more than companies are used to 19

Common errors: Over-specifying CERN — 20190315 “The Supply shall comply with the CERN Safety Rules” – Not all rules apply, be specific Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 20

CERN — 20190315 Common errors: Reinventing the wheel Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 21

Common errors: Reinventing the wheel • Where possible, use industry standard items and technologies CERN — 20190315 • Where possible, if CERN standard items and technologies exist, use them Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 22

Common errors: Ambiguity • Ask yourself: “will all readers interpret this in the same way? ” • Nothing goes without saying • Be careful of “should” vs. “shall” Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 • Avoid “approximately”, “around”, • Be careful of “must be agreed with CERN” 23

Common errors: Ambiguity CERN — 20190315 “The building must provide sleeping space for up to twenty guests, provide lots of natural light, be surrounded by green space, be made of attractive materials, and should include a swimming pool. ” Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 24

Common errors: Testing • Disputes often happen after the supply is delivered: • The contractor wants to be paid • CERN wants to check the conformity of the supply CERN — 20190315 • Provide detailed specifications about the acceptance tests, the acceptance criteria, and the process (including approximate timescales, if it’s going to be > 3 months) Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 25

Common errors: Total cost of ownership A typical first draft spec: Hardware Price Maintenance Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 Lines in the spec 26

• Consider the TCO and the full life of your future contract: • Maintenance + spare parts? • Software? • Documentation and reporting? • Installation and commissioning? • Decommissioning? • Training? • Energy consumption? • etc Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 Common errors: Total cost of ownership 27

Common errors: Repetition • Repetition is not necessary and can be a source of error • The procurement documents should be viewed as a single package – avoid repetition between documents e. g. warranty conditions CERN — 20190315 • Avoid repetition within the same document Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 28

CERN — 20190315 Common errors: Risk distribution Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 29

Common errors: Risk distribution • Risks = money. • Try to see things from the bidders’ perspective e. g. : • Material/components procurement schedule • Cash flow Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 • Avoid creating unnecessary risk for the bidders e. g. : • Requirements must be clear and bounded, not vague or open-ended • Responsibilities for CERN material/design choices 30

Common errors: Miscellaneous • Avoid distortions of competition: • Do not draft specifications tailored to a single firm’s technology • Avoid logos and names on drawings • Avoid specifying subcontractors Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 • Transparency: • Clear requirements and acceptance criteria • Clear adjudication basis 31

CERN — 20190315 s i s s e n i l g U l l e s o t d r a h Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 32

The Writing Style Simplicity • Sentences short and simple • The main reader is a technical • Not trying for the Pulitzer Prize! Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 person 33

The Writing Style “Shall” vs. “Will” • “Shall” is used to express a binding requirement • “Will” is used to express • Must, “Should”, “May” Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 a declaration of purpose 34

• “The contractor shall…” • “The supply shall…” • “CERN will…” Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 The Writing Style “Shall” vs. “Will” 35

The Writing Style Active voice Use active voice, not passive. CERN — 20190315 Passive voice promotes ambiguity and leads to needlessly complex sentences. Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing 36

The Writing Style Slash Mark “ / ” Is it to the contractor to get to decide which word is proper? Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 Dictionary “an oblique stroke used between two words to show that the appropriate one may be chosen to complete the sense of the text. ” 37

• Same rules throughout the TS • Same font throughout the TS • Avoid using uppercase • Maximum three levels of headings is highly preferred Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 Some Typing Rules Coherency 38

Scientific Typing Rules 150 k. N Nonbreakable space 100 × 200 mm 2 Math symbol 100 x 200 mm No “x” letter Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 Right SI unit 150 KN 39

Number and Price Typing Rules … one two three … nine ten then 11 12 13 … … twenty thousand Swiss francs … Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 300 CHF 500 k. CHF 2 MCHF 40

Checklist Before starting writing, devise a strategy together with the procurement officer. Do not reinvent the wheel, use templates. Key principles: transparency, impartiality and fair competition. (Specify a need, not an offer). Consider total cost of ownership. consumption, installation and maintenance cost, etc. ). Target “good-enough” quality, do not over specify. Look for standard products, if possible. Following the writing guide. Short and simple sentences. (Power

Joker Case Study No. 2 “ Technical Specification for the Supply of Magic Powder ”

Case Study No. 2 Background • To improve the reliability and availability of some critical components of the LHC • To speed up the reach of 1 ab-1 • Price estimate = 1 MCHF • Three firms qualified and selected after the Market Survey (Harry Potter Ltd. in the UK, Melusine Gmb. H in Germany and Bafana Spa in Italy) • A technical specification is being prepared Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 • Supply 15 tons of magic powder 43

Your task • Case analysis (30 minutes): • Make a few groups • Read this technical specification (as if you were in a Specification committee) • Identify what is going wrong • Propose improvements • Case synthesis (15 minutes): • All together Procurement Supplies — Technical Specification Writing CERN — 20190315 Case Study No. 2 44