Successful eProcurement change delivered to UK Government

The eSourcing Managed Service improves the efficiency of public sector buyers’ management of potential and contracted suppliers. It is one of fifteen UK public sector projects highlighted in the National Audit Office report ‘Delivering Successful IT Enabled Change’ published today. The report identifies the key factors that have contributed to success and how they can be replicated in future by the public sector.

A director of Sourcing and Outsourcing Services Limited (SOSL) led the change management programme and implementation of the eSourcing Managed Service between November 2004 and October 2006 on behalf of OGCbuying.solutions, the trading arm of the Office of Government Commerce which is an office of HM Treasury. The service, provided by BravoSolution UK, combines a number of specialist web-based procurement tools to allow UK public sector buyers to tender, evaluate, negotiate, award and manage contracts online.

Since its launch in June 2005, 40 organisations or groups in central and local government, health, broadcasting, sport, transport, housing and emergency services have used the eSourcing tools and 15,000 suppliers have registered. 1,000 public sector buyers have processed tenders and eAuctions online, saving over £150 million. The customers’ combined procurement expenditure is £12bn, approximately 10% of the UK public sector total. Opportunities currently advertised online via the eSourcing Service range from medicines, food, and buses to a planning system.

Key components of success identified in the NAO report include:
• Potential users specified system requirements and tested key features.
• Public sector organisations have their own branded web portals but use the same underlying system.
• Neither buyers nor suppliers require any special technology investment to use the service.
• Change management support is provided for buying organisations transforming their procurement functions.
• An active user group collaborates to develop its usage.
• The Project Director had extensive previous experience in implementing similar systems

Sarah Cotgreave of SOSL, who directed the Change Programme on behalf of OGCbuying.solutions, said: “The enthusiastic involvement of customers in specifying and selecting technology that allows all suppliers to participate, and the close professional relationships with BravoSolution UK and OGCbuying.solutions all contributed to eSourcing’s rapid growth, continuing development and ongoing delivery of benefits within public procurement.”

Stephen Heard, Director of Customer Relations, OGCbuying.solutions, said “eSourcing uses proven technology to provide organisations with their own branded web presence. It has demonstrated significant efficiency improvements for both buyers and sellers engaging in public procurement activities online in many sectors of the UK public sector.”

The eSourcing Service was a runner-up in the 2006 Government Computing BT awards for innovation. It is also a finalist in the 2006 eGovernment Award for Central eGovernment excellence, which recognises programmes delivering high & growing take-up of an e-enabled service through effective service delivery & marketing.

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Sourcing and Outsourcing Services Limited (SOSL) is a leading independent consulting and training company providing a wide range of advisory, training, change management and implementation services. Its consultants, trainers and coaches advise Public and Private Sector organisations in the areas of eCommerce, Process Improvement, Procurement, Supplier Management, Shared Services, Service Transformation and Resourcing. Further details of SOSL and be found at our web site: www.sourcingandoutsourcing.com.

OGCbuying.solutions is the trading arm of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), which is itself an office of HM Treasury. OGC was launched on 1 April 2000 as a result of a review of civil procurement in Central Government. Its aim is to achieve substantial value for money improvements in the Government’s procurement budget and to oversee and implement the Government’s wider Efficiency Review across the entire public sector. OGCbuying.solutions, launched in April 2001, provides public sector procurement professionals with a route to the products and services they need to maximise procurement efficiency and value for money. Its contracts and framework agreements offer substantial savings through significant buying power, economies of scale and strategic partnerships. Once again, these savings are counted towards the Efficiency Review target. Rigorous tendering and evaluation processes ensure that products and services are checked for quality, price competitiveness, fitness for purpose and compliance with statutory requirements. These products and services are available through OGCbuying.solutions Catalist framework agreements and Managed Services.

The Catalist brand is designed to unify the framework agreements under one identifiable and recognisable brand name. Catalist incorporates a series of framework agreements which have been developed to offer our customers a broad range of goods and services aligned to their particular needs. Managed Services are predominantly more sophisticated, requiring expertise and additional support from OGCbuying.solutions. Details of the eSourcing Managed Service can be found at http://www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk/esourcing/esourcing.asp. Current opportunities available on eSourcing can be found at the link to view current pan-government opportunities on https://www.ogcbs.bravosolution.com/

For press enquires email: contact@sourcingandoutsourcing.com