31 January 2011 | Angeline Albert
Peterborough City Council’s efforts to
streamline its public procurement process saved more than £6 million and earned
it a business award.
The
council reduced spending across all areas in particular room
hire, catering, agency staff, training and conferences. And now the local authority’s efforts to change the way it buys goods
and services scooped the team a Crème dela Crème award
for outstanding public sector procurement.
The savings were delivered through the
implementation of a best practice procurement process, using new software and
generating information which enabled it to further streamline the buying
process. The council said the average return on investment on each procurement
project is between £3 and £5 for every pound spent.
Since 2006, its business transformation
programme has made £48.43 million cumulative savings.
Councillor David Seaton, cabinet member for
resources, said: “This award is an excellent achievement and is testament to
the hard work carried out across the council to smooth and streamline the way
we operate and ensure we are providing value for money for the people of
Peterborough.”
The chairman of the Crème de la Crème judging panel, Simon Burgess, said: “With
the public sector facing harsh cutbacks there is a need to work smarter and
deliver more for less. To help achieve this, the best possible procurement process
needs to be in place and Peterborough City Council has gone to great lengths to
ensure that this is the case.
“With savings of over £6 million being delivered
directly through the implementation of procurement best practices, the council
is putting procurement at the centre to drive commercial decisions. An example
for many to follow.”
To be eligible for the quarterly award, an organisation must have won at
least one other recognised business award for its entry over the past year. The
honours, which were launched in 2009, can be entered by any private,
public or third sector organisation. Other winners include Virgin, Sketch rstaurants and The Big Issue.
