Step 6 - Prepare Your Plan


	step 6 < eight steps < planning < getting educated < home


	Johnathan Doestrah 612-123-4567 send email

Once you've made critical decisions on your site and equipment, it's time to formalize your plans so you can move ahead to implementation. Your Landscape Structures representative will assist you with all of the following —

Scale drawings: Your landscape architect, city engineering department or other professional can provide you with a scale drawing that shows site boundaries, dimensions, orientation, overall improvements and site details of the playground area.

Specifications: It is important to create written specifications of the materials that are to be used in your playground, including compliance with regulations and industry standards, the engineering details of your play activities, and the site's safety features.

Cost: Using your budget as a starting point, create a detailed breakdown of planned expenditures for your site, equipment, installation and future maintenance.

Final steps: Before you sign a purchase order, you'll need to review the design specifications and obtain any required approvals. You can submit your drawings and specifications to a qualified supplier or suppliers.

When comparing bids or proposals from suppliers, carefully evaluate products proposed as "equal" to avoid compromises in safety, durability and materials. Playground equipment is like most other products - you get what you pay for. Selecting the "low bid" is often not the best decision.

The final decision on what to buy and where to buy should come from the person or committee that has been most involved in the planning process and is ultimately responsible for the playground's success. You should also include the people in charge of your site's maintenance in the decision-making process.

Request for Proposal: One way you can improve the quality of your buying decision is ask suppliers to submit a Request for Proposal (RFP). More comprehensive than a formal bidding process, an RFP can be a valuable purchasing management tool. Your Landscape Structures representative can help you identify features and benefits for better analysis of all proposals.