10 August 2010 | Angeline Albert

City and County of Swansea council has joined an online trading network to increase the use of electronic procurement across the local authority.

The network, xchangewales, enables all public sector organisations in Wales to source, tender, evaluate, order and pay for goods and services online.

The council is the latest public sector organisation to take advantage of collaborative working by joining the network, which will enable it to take advantage of regional and national framework contracts. It should also speed up its order and invoice processes.

The roll-out of xchangewales electronic trading throughout the council will enable an end-to-end paperless procurement process. Purchase orders and supplier invoices are generated electronically using the system. And it means the council can trade with more than 5,000 suppliers who are already active on the online marketplace.

Simon Griffiths, director of procurement at the council, said: “The need for efficiency savings, especially in purchasing, is now of paramount importance for all public sector organisations including our council.

“We believe this programme will have a positive impact and will support a reduction in our overall purchasing bill. By joining the e-marketplace, it will also help us engage more effectively with our suppliers across the region, as well as with all the suppliers already on the network.”

The website is sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government and delivered by technology firm ProcServe.

Mike Melville, programme manager of the Welsh Assembly’s xchangewales programme, said: “In the current economic climate where efficiencies are at the forefront of all public sector organisations’ agenda, xchangewales e-trading offers real benefits to its users – both buyers and suppliers.”