LANARKSHIRE-headquartered QTS Group was one of only two companies to receive an ‘A’ rating in the latest publication of Network Rail’s PRISM supplier performance rating scheme, released in October.
Only DeltaRail also made it into the top bracket of the ranking system, which began in the Spring but was revamped in May after concerns were raised by contractors. The original presentation of the system was as a league table showing individual companies precise ranking in relation to each other. In May it was revised to provide a grading system in which companies are assigned an overall mark, whether it be A, B, C, D or E.
In the latest set of rankings no company received an ‘E’ grade. However, three companies received a ‘D’: HVMS (which provides electrification for Network Rail), Signalling Solutions and Spence.
The performance criteria used in the system include timeliness, adherence to design, waste management and safety. A supplier has to complete at least three forms reporting on three contracts to ensure the score is an average and does not just reflect a single outstanding or poor performance. Network Rail also provides some input.
The most recent scores revealed notable changes in position for one or two contractors. Those falling out of the top ‘A’ grade position included Bridgeway Consulting, Colas Rail and Story Rail. Colas Rail received a ‘C’, Story Contracting a ‘B’, and Bridgeway was not mentioned. At the other end of the table, A Colas/Morgan Sindall joint venture received a ‘C’ this time, moving up from a previous ‘D’ grade.
The Network Rail website specifies the use of the PRISM performance improvement tool for projects that exceed £50k in value and last longer than 3 periods. To get an A grade, contractors must get an average delivery score of more than 4.5.
