The Acquisition Handbook

The aim of Smart Acquisition• A willingness to identify, evaluate and implement effective trade-offs between systemperformance, whole-life costs, annual cost of ownership and time.•An open and constructive relationship with Industry, based on partnering and theidentification of common goals including gain-share opportunities, underpinned by competitivecontractor selection whenever this provides best value for money.• A streamlined process for project approvals.People who make an effective contribution to Smart Acquisition are likely to share the followingvalues and beliefs:• An empathy with the customer, supporting a commitment to providing equipment whichmeets the user’s needs, on time and budget• The drive to deliver a high level of performance, as a result of programme setting andmonitoring progress against agreed target milestones•• A predisposition to share ideas and information, and the resolve to overcome problems•A desire to work co-operatively with fellow team members and others, valuing the diversityof the team and understanding the different roles of colleaguesA wish to challenge convention and improve processes rather than hide behind ‘the rules’ andbe satisfied with current performance ‘norms’3