Chapter 3.2 Flashcards
Through-life contracts
A contract that gives a contractor sole accountability for the design, acquisition, operation, maintenance and disposal of an asset
Decomissioned
Withdraw an item from active use or service
When are through-life contracts commonly used?
When procuring an asset such as machinery or IT equipment
Name 2 things a through-life contract needs to support
- The new purchase of the asset
- Continuing services that support the installation, operation, maintenance and eventual disposal of the asset
Name 5 typical parts of the through-life requirements of an asset
- Design
- Manufacture
- Installation
- In-service support
- Decommission and disposal
Explain the design stage in the through-life requirement of an asset
Process by which the buyers needs are translated into a design that can be signed off by the buyer as a technically correct version of what is required
Explain the manufacture stage in the through-life requirement of an asset
Design is passed to operations who manufacture the product or assemble it from components. The product may then be subject to testing and quality approval process before being ready to ship to the customer
Explain the installation stage in the through-life requirement of an asset
Install it on the buyers premises and check to ensure that it is working to the standards set out in the design specification
Explain the in-service support stage in the through-life requirement of an asset
There may be a need for technical support from the manufacturer. This can include regular maintenance as well as periodic repair activities
Explain the decommission stage in the through-life requirement of an asset
When an asset has reached the end of its useful life it needs to be decommissioned and disposed of through environmentally sound processes
Name 4 benefits of through-life management
- Lower costs over the whole-life of the asset
- Lower risks as there is a single company accountable for costs and service over the life of the asset
- A closer match between the asset delivered and the users needs
- Development of capability over the life of the asset as the supplier continues to get experience of the user’s needs and can adapt services to meet them
What does the scope of the specification for a through life contract need to reflect?
The associated benefits and cover all relevant activities
Name a major advantage of a through-life specification
It covers both the physical product or asset and the subsequent services needed to operate and support it
What is the first and most crucial step in producing any specification to support a through-life specifications?
To design the user requirements
Name 6 considerations when drawing up a definition for a through-life specification
- Produce a user requirements document (URD)
- Identify user requirements by asking open ended questions. Share these questions with key stakeholders so that they can have input
- Make sure that functions, attributes, constraints, preferences and expectations for the product or service are fully explored and any trade-offs between them agreed
- The detail contained within the specification must give the contractor sufficient information quickly and accurately to develop a price for the product or service
- There should be sufficient information in the specification to minimise the risk later in the through-life contract
- The specification should include on-site instructions as to what services should be delivered and how, but without being unduly prescriptive. It should be described in terms of outcomes
What is a user requirements document
A statement of the results or outputs that the users expect to receive
Name 2 things a user requirement document should identify
- The technology that may be needed to meet the requirements so that this can be further investigated
- Identify the boundaries for the through-life management in terms of performance, cost and timelines
Name 5 reasons why it is important to make sure that the functions, attributes, constraints, preferences and expectations for the product or service are fully explored and any trade-offs between them agreed when drawing up a definition for a through-life specification
- Functions describe what the product or service has to accomplish
- Attributes are the characteristics of the functions that are important to stakeholders. Two products can have the same functions but different attributes
- Constraints set limits on the functions of the product or service
- Preferences of the stakeholders or the end users
- Expectations in terms of the look and feel of the product or the feelings it generates
Name 7 things to consider when gathering sufficient information in the specification to minimise risk later in the through-life contract
- Make sure the parties to the contract are clearly identified
- Clearly identify any testing and quality assurance procedures and who will perform them
- Document every important aspect of the specification including a project plan that describes activities, role, dependencies, outputs and timelines
- Include a reasonable limitation of liability clause in the contract and reference it in the specification
- Identify any warranties that are needed
- Be clear on what insurance will and will not cover
- Make sure there is a clear audit trail of any changes to the specification together with approvals
Define limitation of liability
A limit placed on the financial obligations of a party within a contract
Define warranties
Warranties are lesser terms in a contract which can result in damages but not contractual termination in the event of a breach
What is a key activity for procurement?
Managing risk
What needs to be identified at the specification stage?
Sources of future risk. This is so that ways of mitigating those risks can be found
Name 4 phrases you should write down to write a clear description of your requirement
- ‘I expect the product/service to’ - describe what it has to do
- ‘so that’ - why does the user want it to do this
- ‘when’ - describe what triggers the use of the product or service
- ‘because’ - detail any constraints the user may have
Name 6 ways you can provide clarity for the contractor in the description of the product or service
- Use simple langauge in short sentences
- Define any acronyms used
- Avoid abbreviations
- Be specific and avoid ambiguity
- Avoid any in-house jargon that a contractor might not be familiar with
- Use imperative forms of language whenever possible
Define acceptance testing
A form of testing used to determine if the requirements of a specification or contract are met
Define functional tests
A form of testing whether the functions of a product as set out in the specification are achieving their objective
Name three terms for acceptance testing
- End-user testing
- Field testing
- Operational testing
What three things may acceptance testing involve?
- Physical tests
- Chemical tests
- Performance tests
How do functional tests differ from acceptance tests
Functional tests differ in that the end user is not involved in the testing. therefore, they only test whether the product works and not whether it meets the needs of the customer
Name 5 main types of acceptance testing
- Alpha and beta testing
- Contract acceptance testing
- Regulation acceptance testing
- Operational acceptance testing
- Black box testing
When would alpha testing usually take place?
During the development phase and generally only involves contractor employees
What are the results of the alpha test used to do
To modify the product so that it complies better with the specification
Are both acceptance and functional tests needed?
Yes - both