CAPS Project
Advanced Procurement workstream
Objectives of introducing advanced Procurement?
- Reduce costs and prices of goods and services
- Rationalise and manage our suppliers better
- Introduce category, commodity and supplier strategies that optimise value and reduce risk
Collaboration across the Scottish Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE) sector will contribute to achieving these objectives.
Overview
As part of the Efficient Government Initiative (EGI), Scottish Ministers commissioned a review of public procurement in Scotland. The review was undertaken by John McClelland, now chair of the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the finalised Report was endorsed by Scottish Ministers and published in March 2006. (McClelland Report)
Higher Education and Further Education Institutions as recipients of significant public funds are expected to adopt the principles of Efficient Government and Best Value and therefore participate in programmes that support those principles and provide benefit. In addition the SFC, through its Financial Memorandum with governing bodies, expects Institutions to strive to achieve best value from their use of public funds.
Procurement is identified as a key area of the EGI, expected to provide the source of a significant proportion of the efficiency savings target. The Review of Public Procurement in Scotland Report contained 82 recommendations in various key areas including:-
- Accountability and Governance
- Procurement Practices and Business Processes
- Procurement Information Systems
- Collaborative Procurement
- Competitive Supplier Base
- Creations of Procurement Centres of Expertise
How collaboration will work across HE and FE
A Centre of Expertise for Procurement across HE/FE, called APUC Ltd (Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges, a company of which the University of Dundee has a share of), will assist with our advanced procurement objectives.
How APUC will contribute to our Advanced Procurement objectives
APUC Ltd will assist with:
- Advising on best practice and collaborative working to deliver contracts appropriate to our organisational needs.
- Obtaining wider collaborative contracting opportunities of value to our organisational units and end users.
- Ensuring that value is delivered and measured at our point of consumption.
Benefits
For the University
- Improved contract compliance.
- Consistent delivery of contract commitment.
- Process savings in the purchase-to-pay cycle.
- Supplier cost reductions through process efficiencies.
- Better use of human resources.
- Consistent and better quality management information.
- Using eTendering and eAuctions with the aim of helping reduce costs.
- Introduction of consistent
For University staff
- Access to an approved list of suppliers.
- Access to carefully negotiated contracts that offer value for money.
- Automation of some procurement processes will allow some staff to focus on value-adding activities.
- An easy to use procurement system available via an Internet browser eg Internet Explorer or Firefox.
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