Developing Input to "Best-Value" Vehicle Procurement Practice: An Analysis of Supplier Evaluation and Selection in the U.S. Public Transportation Industry

A new SURTC study conducted by Marc Scott titled "Developing Input to 'Best-Value' Vehicle Procurement Practice: An Analysis of Supplier Evaluation and Selection in the U.S. Public Transportation Industry" has been published and is available online.

This research studies vehicle procurement decision-makers at public transportation agencies to determine which criteria, or supplier attributes, they perceive to be the most important when evaluating vehicle suppliers. Results indicate that the top five attributes are quality, reliability, after-sales support, warranties and claims, and integrity. The order of these top five attributes changed according to the type of supplier being evaluated, i.e., conventional fuel vehicle supplier versus alternative fuel vehicle supplier. The reason for this change was explained as being due to the increased engineering and technological expertise required of alternative fuel vehicle suppliers.