The order-to-delivery (OTD) time for public fleet procurement has risen exponentially over the past few years. In 2022, a factory-ordered vehicle could range anywhere from three months to two years, depending on the brand.
Unpredictable and extensive OTD timelines will remain constant throughout 2023 and beyond. But while it may not be possible to circumvent them entirely, you can still expedite the public fleet procurement process to ensure faster delivery with fewer obstacles.
Public procurement professionals can take advantage of new strategies to address old problems, including a slow-paced procurement process.
The average fleet procurement process for managers using traditional RFPs can take fifty-seven days or more, which is nearly three full months' worth of working business days. There are three major reasons for this:
Are you looking to sidestep these common procurement obstacles? Now is a great time to get started.
Modernized public procurement solutions are turning the traditional fleet acquisition timeline upside down, and it's not hard to see why. Here are five of the best ways to expedite the public fleet procurement process, starting with the easiest method.
1. Order proactively
Many fleet vehicles are sourced on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, the sooner you order your public fleet vehicle(s), the sooner you'll get to the front of the line. It may be a good idea to order your vehicles in advance, especially if you have forecasting models that suggest a specific purchasing timeline.
2. Enhance the workforce with e-fleet solutions
Digital e-procurement tools are a great way to avoid unforeseen snafus in public vehicle purchasing. You can also keep a close eye on aging vehicles and see exactly when new models are needed. This puts less pressure on you to evaluate timelines on the fly and offloads repetitive tasks to a software-based solution.
3. Standardize your vehicle needs
Custom vehicles can be difficult to procure, especially for public organizations. Since it can take up to 1.5 years to finish vehicle customizations, you'll need to know what you need early on. Consider standardizing your vehicle needs across departments and cities, which should smooth the procurement process in the future.
4. Consider used over new
Procurement officials typically focus on adding new vehicles to their fleets. However, this may be an expensive option and not feasible depending on your needs, location, or industry. Be willing to adapt, and consider used vehicle models that may temporarily suit your use case.
5. Ditch the traditional bid process
The traditional RFP is no longer enough for agile public agencies and nonprofit organizations. Today, thousands of government institutions rely on cooperative contracts to access unique equipment at low, affordable prices. If you register a free account with Sourcewell, you can start browsing contracts in fifteen minutes or less.
If you're looking to shorten your public fleet procurement timeline and lean into the power of cooperative contracts, Sourcewell is an excellent place to start. It provides hundreds of cooperative contracts to public fleet managers across the United States.
Here's what cooperative contracts from Sourcewell can do for your organization:
Best of all, registration with Sourcewell is free and fast, with no obligation.
Here at Sourcewell, we help public agency buyers procure fleet vehicles faster by fulfilling the time-consuming bid process for them. Through cooperative contracts, we expedite the fleet vehicle procurement process so you can better serve your teams.
Want a faster procurement process? Contact one of our specialists today to buy the fleet solutions you need!