QUALIFICATIONS: MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Prospective suppliers must meet certain minimum qualification requirements. These requirements may vary by product and service type; however the common elements are listed below.Financial Stability
AT&T usually reviews credit and financial reports, in the process of determining if a potential supplier has a good enough credit rating and is financially stable.
Established Business
Potential suppliers should be in business for at least a year and have other satisfied customers.
Insurance Requirements
Potential suppliers must have full insurance coverage compatible with the risks of their business. AT&T determines the insurance coverage required by our contracts.
US Federal Taxpayer ID or Country equivalent Taxpayer Identification
Potential suppliers must provide this number to AT&T.
Quality Standards
Suppliers must provide high quality products and equipment that are fully warranted. Suppliers must perform services professionally and to AT&T's satisfaction.
Legal Title
Suppliers must have legal and marketable title to all products they supply.
Delivery Schedules
It is critical that suppliers make on time delivery to AT&T warehouses, job-sites or other locations.
Competitive Pricing
Suppliers must offer prices for their products and services, which are competitive within the industry. AT&T expects pricing and any discounts to be equal to, or better than, that given to other customers with a comparable volume of business.
Tax Payments
Suppliers are responsible for collecting and paying appropriate sales tax to proper agencies.
QUALIFICATIONS: ON-GOING BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS
For suppliers to be awarded continuing business,AT&T has additional requirements, listed below.
Quality Program
In support of our best overall value goal, AT&T has adopted Supplier Quality programs based on the global telecommunications TL 9000 requirements & measurements and industry best practices. Suppliers are expected to be able to demonstrate their quality management systems. AT&T is a proud member of TIA QuEST Forum.
Quality Control
AT&T believes that quality is built-in, not inspected into a product or service. Suppliers are expected to be able to demonstrate their quality control programs and should adopt methods such as statistical quality control to ensure delivery of high quality products and services.
Electronic Information
For products that are ordered in large volumes, suppliers should be capable of using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for receiving orders, confirming orders and invoicing. The products AT&T purchases in large volumes should have bar codes for inventory and tracking purposes.
Technical Improvement
Suppliers, particularly manufacturers, should have a research and development program to continually improve their products and incorporate new technology. These improvements make good business sense as well as ensuring we maximize our collective resources.
Cost Reduction
AT&T will work with chosen suppliers to reduce their costs. We expect such cost reductions to be reflected in reduced prices.