The impact of Covid-19 on public sector organisations has been severe. Many are currently feeling the pressure and are in a state of uncertainty. Clearly swift action is needed to mitigate the situation and ensure essential services continue to operate.
In March 2020, the Cabinet Office released a Procurement Policy Note (PPN), This sets out information and associated guidance on the public procurement regulations, and how to respond in the current Covid-19 pandemic.
The PPN states, “It is already clear that in these exceptional circumstances, authorities may need to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency”.
What do procurement teams need right now?
- The ability to procure all items in one place
Procurement teams need items urgently. Having a central platform to procure all items cuts out searching across several systems to access different suppliers and goods, saving precious time.
This time can instead be spent concentrating on other valuable tasks. Having the ability to also add your own suppliers to a platform is an advantage, as you can get access to all the usual items you need in a fraction of the time.
- Access anytime, anywhere
With the majority of the UK workforce working from home, getting access to everything you require from the office may seem difficult, making Cloud technology more important than ever. Make sure your procurement platform is Cloud-based to ensure real-time and mobile access.
- Reduced order times
Once you have access, your teams will want the items as soon as possible. Ordering via a Cloud-based solution can reduce order time by 75 per cent. Teams can automate manual processes, focus on more value added tasks and simplify the procurement procedure.
- Control of spending
Spend management is critical. One way organisations can take more control of their spending is to improve reporting and dashboards. With real-time reporting, procurement teams can see who is spending what and where, revealing areas that need tightening up. It is critical to remain in control.
- Increased pace of procurement with a G-Cloud approved supplier
G-Cloud provides access to an approved suppliers list for many solutions, including spend management. The main benefit of going with a G-Cloud approved supplier is that it can increase the pace of the procurement process, and therefore reduce the time for implementation, meaning your organisation gets to benefit quicker.