Tender for transports

The procurement of transport services is a central instrument for optimizing costs, quality, and transparency in logistics. It serves not only to select the most economical service provider but also to structurally further develop the overall transport strategy. The goal is to realize monetary savings potential while sustainably improving process quality—such as delivery performance, damage rate, or the flow of information.

At the beginning of every successful tendering process is a thorough analysis of the current situation. This includes collecting all transport data, mapping routes, frequencies, shipment weights, modes of transport (land, sea, air), and the current cost and performance structure. On this basis, weaknesses are identified, such as inefficient routing, low utilization, inefficient bundling, or lack of transparency in freight costing. At the same time, a qualitative assessment of the existing service provider relationships is performed—especially with regard to performance, reliability, and flexibility.

An important part of this preparatory phase is benchmarking. To realistically assess market potential, shadow calculations with standard models are conducted. These simulate alternative transport concepts and allow an objective comparison of cost and performance levels. ebp-consulting uses a comprehensive database of freight and logistics cost rates, supplemented by MTM-based time studies (Methods-Time Measurement) to determine process times and labor requirements in warehousing and handling logistics. This enables valid quantification of both transport costs and the associated processing services—a indispensable basis for robust offer comparisons.

To ensure comparability and compliance, well-established templates and standard requirements specifications are often used. These structure the tender documents into clearly defined sections, such as service description, quantity framework, quality requirements, billing modalities, and contractual terms. Through this standardization, it is ensured that all providers prepare their offers on the same data basis and that the evaluation is objective. At the same time, legal and internal compliance requirements are observed—particularly with regard to transparency, traceability, and equal treatment of providers.

Market knowledge about suitable transport service providers is another critical success factor. Only through well-founded knowledge of the transport market—including the specializations of individual providers, their regional networks, equipment, IT interfaces, and financial stability—can a targeted preselection be made. This reduces the number of providers to those capable of delivering the required services efficiently and reliably.

In addition to price and quality, sustainability aspects are gaining importance. CO2 emissions, fuel efficiency, alternative drives, and certifications (e.g., ISO 14001) are increasingly integrated into the evaluation criteria. A forward-looking tendering strategy thus considers transport costs within the framework of a total cost of ownership approach, which also accounts for environmental and service factors.

After the proposal evaluation, the negotiation and award phase follows, in which economic and qualitative aspects are weighed against each other. A transparent scoring method that weights price, service, flexibility, and sustainability is decisive. After contract award, implementation should be accompanied by professional onboarding and monitoring to secure the agreed services and identify improvement potential at an early stage.

Overall, the procurement of transports is much more than a pure purchasing process. It is a strategic steering instrument that forms the foundation for efficiency, quality, and innovation capability in transport logistics. By combining data-based analysis, structured tendering, digital support, and consistent performance management, sustainable competitive advantages can be achieved—both in cost and service aspects.