TransportRådgiverne contributes to the preparation of EU tenders to ensure the delivery of protective equipment

When the COVID-19 crisis hit Denmark, the government quickly needed to procure more protective equipment than was available in the country's warehouses. But how do you ensure security of supply when planes are grounded, borders are closed and protective equipment has suddenly become an international commodity?

TransportRådgiverne was selected to solve this problem in collaboration with the Danish Police, which, on behalf of NOST (The National Operational Staff), is responsible for ensuring the transport of protective equipment, etc. As the team's only transport expert, we have therefore been working flat out to assist in the preparation of a comprehensive EU emergency tender. This will ensure the government's security of supply of personal protective equipment from the Far East and thus enable the build-up of extensive stocks in Denmark, resulting in increased security. We are very proud of this, both professionally and personally. We would like to share our experiences from this assignment here.

When the government calls, you clear your calendar
In the morning, we were called to a meeting, where we were presented with the assignment with a deadline of one week. Our schedule was actually full of other transport logistics tasks, but we all sensed the seriousness of the situation: Of course, we had to show our civic spirit, and contributing our international transport experience – an area in which the Danish Police does not have any experience – was the most useful and effective way to do so. So we started the very next morning and worked non-stop. Our other customers were very understanding of the situation, for which we are very grateful.

Peter Berg, Director at TransportRådgiverne says:

We cleared our calendars in an instant and with everyone's full support. That makes me proud.

Far-reaching expertise pays off
TransportRådgiverne has extensive transport expertise, deep market insight and is among the companies that submit the highest number of tenders in Denmark each year.

This undoubtedly played a role in the selection of us as the advisors on the urgent tender. However, our own transport advisory team, consisting of Peter Berg, Jens Brumsberg and Mette Halse, agrees that the following competencies also played a major role along the way:

• In-depth experience with sea and air freight

• The ability to combine the rules of public procurement and the transport industry

• Flexibility in relation to partners and working frameworks

• Global market insight into transport routes and carriers

• Leadership and the courage to take charge

Jens Brumsbjerg, Sales Director at TransportRådgiverne, adds:

During the collaboration, we were praised for our ability to take leadership in this unusual and pressured situation. That makes me proud.

It is not enough to make demands – they must work
Part of our task was to contribute to the transport-specific requirements specification. This requires an extremely thorough knowledge of the market in a situation where the world has shut down and safety is the overriding focus. With that in mind, we succeeded in setting requirements in a way that also works in the reality we find ourselves in right now and well into the future. It is important to remember that the task was precisely to ensure the government's security of supply – the tender is only a success when someone actually delivers the protective equipment within the given requirements specification. The rest of the Danish population will soon be able to look forward to this, so that we can once again feel secure in the knowledge that the warehouses are full of protective equipment.

Mette Halse, Analyst:

They trusted that we knew what we were talking about, and the collaboration worked perfectly from the outset.

Being part of this task and carrying it out together with the Danish Police has made us proud, both professionally and socially, in a way we will never forget. Thank you for your trust.

PS: We met the deadline for the urgent tender seven days later. Normally, such a comprehensive tender takes up to six months to complete.

About NOST
The National Operational Staff (NOST) is a coordinating authority in Denmark that convenes in the event of major crises, incidents and security threats. NOST's main task is to ensure cross-sectoral cooperation and coordination between the authorities in such situations.