Computers, scientific, diagnostic and testing equipment, and other specialized equipment require on-going periodic maintenance after warranties expire. One of the primary benefits of negotiating a service/maintenance agreement with the manufacturer or authorized representative is that they have ready access to the parts and factory trained personnel required to maintain or repair the equipment.
NEW EQUIPMENT
If the equipment purchase is a 'one time' buy, service and maintenance requirements should be addressed in the bid or during negotiations with the supplier. In evaluating an RFQ/RFP, costs for service and maintenance should always be considered as part of the total price of the equipment. The LIFE CYCLE COST of the equipment includes purchase price for the equipment and the cost of service/maintenance extended over the useful life of the equipment – typically 5 to 10 years. If the equipment will be rented or leased, the contract administrator should carefully review the service coverage offered as part of the rent/lease program for adequacy.
DEVELOPING SERVICE/MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS FOR NEW OR PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED EQUIPMENT
Contract Administrators negotiating equipment maintenance/service agreements should fully describe the scope of the work to avoid any misunderstandings or unsatisfactory levels of service. Terms and conditions that should be agreed upon include working hours, labor, excluded services (what the supplier is not obligated to do), warranty, excluded parts, response time, loaner equipment, and appropriate insurance coverage. suppliers usually have standard terms and conditions available for review. Whenever possible Tufts Terms and Conditions should be used. If additional services might be required or if the terms and conditions require amending, these elements should be negotiated with the supplier before the service/maintenance agreement is signed. The Contract Administrator should also try to negotiate shipping terms in case the equipment needs to be returned to the manufacturer for repairs.
Equipment that can be serviced under a common agreement should be grouped and identified by model number and manufacturer. If a number of pieces of equipment need servicing, the supplier might be willing to extend a quantity discount. Information should be requested from individual manufacturers on standard maintenance agreements and what, if any, policy the manufacturer has on maintaining another manufacturer's equipment. A maintenance schedule should be developed which is mutually agreeable to the requester and the supplier so that the equipment will be available and accessible for servicing.
If feasible, the contract administrator should look at the cost of obtaining an independent contractor to handle repairs and maintenance versus the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Service representatives from the OEM may have to travel some distance to repair your equipment - travel time the requester will have to pay for.
Sometimes, an independent contractor will be able to handle service and repair requirements for a lower rate because the service representatives are closer. However, the contract administrator and the requestor must be confident that the independent contractor can obtain the parts and personnel needed to service and repair the equipment.
