ACQUISITION AND PROCUREMENT:Opportunities Exist to Improve Management of Technical Support Services Contracts

Our objective was to examine the extent to which the contract management team followed leading practices in managing the Siemens technical support services contract and to determine whether there are opportunities to improve the management of this contract, and future technical support contracts. We identified leading practices for structuring technical support services contracts by interviewing officials from Class I railroads (CSX, Canadian National, and Kansas City Southern) on the key provisions they include in technical support services contracts, and by interviewing Siemens officials on how they provide technical support services to other rail customers worldwide.