AutoBid 2.0: The Microcomputer System for Police Patrol Vehicle Selection

摘要

This report is the user manual for a microcomputer system designed to help policefleet administrators select the patrol vehicle that is best suited to their needs. The system is called AutoBid and uses vehicle performance test data for police patrol package models published annually by the Michigan State Police. The system offers two vehicle selection methods: performance-based and value-based. Performance selection is based on both vehicle test scores alone. It ranks vehicles by their overall test performance independent of cost. Value selection is based on both vehicle cost and test scores. It identifies which vehicle is the 'Best Buy' in terms of the lowest cost for equivalent test performance and ranks the vehicles by the bid price adjusted for performance. Either or both of these methods may be used for a given fleet acqusition decision.