Challenging The Traditional Municipal Procurement Process — Getting Beyond The 'Or Equal' Bind

Purchasing low-priced equipment is easy. Purchasing equipment with good lifetime value is much more difficult — especially for managers of public utilities, who are required by their procurement procedures to entertain "or equal" bids.

One of the big advantages private businesses have over public utilities is their ability to select the best equipment and processes available on the market. A global company looking at your treatment plant as a business opportunity would never dream of having to accept an Or Equal manufacturer. Municipalities, on the other hand, continue to accept these sometimes costly and inefficient procurement practices.