Decision details

Procurement of Franking Machine Lease and Support

Decision Maker: Joint Assistant Director: Communications and Customer Services

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decision:

Franking Machine and associated support lease

Reasons for the decision:

The Council’s current franking machine lease and support contract ends in February 2025. To maintain efficient postal operations, a procurement process was carried out to assess options based on value for money, functionality, and compliance with Council requirements.

Alternative options considered:

Several alternatives were considered during the procurement process, including different franking machine models and hybrid mail solutions. A lower-cost franking machine lacked the necessary processing capacity and reporting features, making it unsuitable for long-term operational needs. A higher-capacity option offered superior performance but was significantly more expensive, exceeding budget constraints without delivering proportionate benefits. Hybrid mail was also explored but was not considered appropriate at this stage due to operational and implementation challenges. The selected option provided the best balance of cost, functionality, and scalability, ensuring efficient and cost-effective postal operations.

Source of Authority to take Decision:

Council Constitution dated 9th August 2024, Part 3, Page 3-50, Ref 2.8.7:
To take any action in relation to procurement and the letting of contracts for goods and services, within approved budgets.

Publication date: 03/02/2025

Date of decision: 03/02/2025