Qualifying a supply chain across an entire industry sector, or even a specific potential supplier, can be a resource consuming activity that can often be associated with significant indirect costs as a result of needing to complete many different qualification documents.
Link-up makes qualifying suppliers within the UK rail sector much quicker, easier and cost-effective by:
- Significant cost savings through a single common process for qualifying your suppliers across your entire business, with all members sharing the cost of operating, maintaining and developing the Link-up scheme
- Compliance assistance with EC Procurement Legislation, Railway Group Standards and Network Rail’s Licensing Process
- Sophisticated procurement tools including multiple supplier selection criteria and supplier tracking facilities through the Achilles Railportal, the online community website for buyers and suppliers in the UK rail industry
- Increased resources by letting Link-up take care of the administrative effort associated with qualification of suppliers
- Increased competition through use of a central repository of UK and international suppliers used by the vast majority of the rail industry
- Comprehensive, up-to-date and improved quality of information on suppliers, enabling creation of enquiry/tender lists within seconds and access to instant market intelligence
- Audit trail of your supplier qualification and pre-tender selection processes through the use of a fair, open and transparent qualification process
- Reduction in tender timescales by at least 37 days for contracts that need to be EC procurement legislation compliant – use of Link-up negates the need to publish call for competition notices in the OJEU
- Opportunity to participate in forums that govern and direct the development of the Link-up scheme, as well as networking with other procurement and engineering professionals in the rail industry
- Optional value-added services including strategic supplier sourcing, procurement consultancy and EC procurement legislation advice.