Electronic Shared Service implemented by SOSL winner of Government Computing Award 2007

At a ceremony held at Madame Tussauds in London, UK on 26th April 2007, the eSourcing Managed Service was announced as overall winner of the Government Computing Shared Services Award 2007.

Sarah Cotgreave, a director of Sourcing and Outsourcing Services Limited, led the change management programme and implementation of the eSourcing Managed Service on behalf of OGCbuying.solutions, the trading arm of the UK Office of Government Commerce which is an office of HM Treasury. The service, provided by BravoSolution UK, provides secure web-based collaborative tools used by procurement professionals and suppliers to conduct the strategic activities of the procurement lifecycle online. These strategic activities including requirements definition, tendering, negotiation, award and contract management are designed to deliver value for money procurement solutions to the public sector.

Since its launch in June 2005, over 50 UK public sector organisations or groups in central and local government, health, broadcasting, sport, transport, housing and emergency services have used the eSourcing tools and 20,000 suppliers have registered. 1,400 public sector buyers have processed tenders and eAuctions online, saving over £458 million. The customers’ combined procurement expenditure is £14bn, approximately 15% of the UK public sector total. Opportunities currently advertised online via the eSourcing Service vary from landscaping, bridges, intercity trains, leadership training to explosives and weapons detection.

Sarah Cotgreave said “This is fantastic recognition of the efforts of both OGCbuying.solutions and the customers of the service to increase value for money within the public sector. We were particularly pleased to win given the high quality of the other projects that were finalists for the award. The UK is now well on its way to meeting the EU’s i2010 target for all public administrations across Europe to carry out 100% of their procurement electronically by 2010, thus creating a fairer and more transparent market for all companies independent of a company’s size or location within the single market.”

This prestigious award for innovation follows on from its recognition as one of only fifteen UK public sector projects highlighted in the National Audit Office report ‘Delivering Successful IT Enabled Change’ published in November 2006. The eSourcing Service was a runner-up in the 2006 Government Computing BT awards for innovation. It was 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.

ends

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. The Office of Government Commerce responsible for improving value for money by driving up standards and capability in procurement, from commodities buying to the delivery of major capital projects, maximising the effective use of 60% of Government spending and a £30 billion property estate.
A new Government strategy launched in January 2007, Transforming Government Procurement, highlighted the central importance of procurement in delivering high-quality public services and best value for money. OGC is tasked with delivering this transformation, and with driving up standards and procurement capability across central Government. The OGC will do this through:
• Setting the right procurement standards and ensuring they are met;
• Capitalising on the Government’s collective buying power to achieve value for money;
• And playing a stronger role in the successful delivery of major projects.

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. 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/

About Governent Computing Awards for Innovation
The Government Computing Awards for innovation recognise a project, individual or organisation for the use of technology in helping deliver and transform public services. These prestigious awards have been honouring the best in UK information age government since 1996. GC magazine is the most widely read and respected magazine in the public sector technology arena, dealing with the essential issues of the application of technology in the delivery and transformation of public services and was first published in 1986.

For press enquires contact:
Sarah Cotgreave at Sourcing and Outsourcing Services Limited on
+447810 757627 or email: sarah@sourcingandoutsourcing.com

Holly Riggs at OGCbuying.solutions on
Tel: +441603 704742 or 07900 162 195 or Email: holly.riggs@ogcbs.gsi.gov.uk