16 November 2006

BT is to scrap the national procurement of construction services and adopt a regional approach instead.

The move follows a review of the company's building and construction industry suppliers, which found that a regional structure would be better suited to the changing demands of its business.

BT currently spends £100 million a year on construction and maintenance projects for its buildings. Under the new procurement arrangements, it will buy services from a mixture of new and tried-and-tested companies, which will be appointed for up to five years.

Jane Watkins, head of asset and service commercial management at BT property, said that its procurement focus was changing from building large offices to refit-and-refurbishment projects.

"Our new approach will help us to deliver operational efficiencies across the estate, to ensure that our supply chain remains responsive to our needs, and to reduce cost while retaining quality and service standards."

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