Member Article

RSSB Announces New GB Rail Supplier Assurance Providers

Altius VA and Capita have been selected by RSSB to provide enhancements to RISQS, the GB railway’s supplier pre-qualification scheme.

RISQS (Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme) is used by Network Rail, London Underground and 116 other buyers with over 4,300 supplier members throughout the GB rail industry. It is the only recognised scheme owned and working for the rail sector.

Altius VA has been awarded the contract to provide front end IT, verification and management services for RISQS, and process management specialist Capita PLC has been selected to deliver audit services.

Gary Plant, Managing Director of Altius VA, said: “We look forward to working with our partners to provide a new easy to use IT supplier assurance platform – designed to meet the specific needs of the rail industry. This will offer more functionality and the capability to quickly respond to changes in industry requirements, while delivering better integration with buyer and supplier systems. Altius VA has extensive experience of using advanced IT systems to provide risk assurance and management services to the rail sector”

George Bearfield, RSSB Director of System Safety and Health, said: “We are delighted to have appointed an organisation of the calibre of Altius VA to deliver system enhancements to the RISQS scheme, which is central to the safe and cost-effective procurement of products and services on Britain’s railway. Together with Capita plc, which has been appointed to deliver RISQS audit services, we will collectively bring real improvements to the pre-qualification service, which provides the industry’s 118 buyers – including TfL and NR – with the risk assurance that enables them to do business with confidence with the UK rail’s 4,300 suppliers.”

Work will now begin to prepare for the transition before the enhanced arrangements begin in May 2018. The evolution of the RISQS scheme from its current status as a concession to a contract, managed by RSSB on behalf of the industry, will deliver improved benefits to all members of the scheme. Working with RSSB, Altius VA and Capita will evolve RISQS by:

• Introducing a new easy to use platform with more functionality to replace the current IT system • Responding quickly to changes in industry requirements • Providing the ability to integrate with buyer and supplier systems • Introducing the ability to access data in the scheme for industry learning • Improving cost effectiveness with a pricing review to make RISQS fairer and more transparent, and demonstrate value for money • Working with RSG (Rail Supply Group), RDG (Rail Delivery Group) and other key industry bodies to identify ways RISQS could be a platform to promote UK rail expertise post Brexit.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Altius VA .