What is E-procurement?
E-procurement is electronic purchasing, i.e. buying goods and services online. The council believes e-procurement will lead towards better commercial relationships and greater efficiency in the purchase to pay process. E-procurement can be defined in a number of ways and does not necessarily require new or high levels of technology.
Suppliers to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council will not be required to implement new or expensive systems in order to do business with us.
Benefits to the council
The council is committed to engaging efficiently with the public and the business community and we recognise the benefits and opportunities e-procurement can offer. In implementing e-procurement (online ordering and tendering) we have a real opportunity to simplify and improve our current processes and performance in order to cut out unnecessary transaction costs whilst also improving transparency.
E-trading is faster and more efficient than conventional purchasing processes and we are keen to embrace these advantages and for our suppliers to do the same. It will make purchasing and the payment process easier, quicker, more efficient and cheaper.
We hope to achieve two objectives through our e-procurement initiative:
- streamline the purchase to pay process to the benefit of our suppliers and the council
- help businesses take advantage of the commercial opportunities generated by the internet and stimulate opportunities for SMEs and local businesses.
E-Procurement Systems
The council uses two e-procurement systems. The first is called Marketplace. Marketplace enables the full purchasing process to be carried out online, from order creation and authorisation to goods receipting and invoice matching. Marketplace is also able to support electronic catalogues, purchase cards, requests for quotes and spot pricing.
The second e-procurement system that we use is called ProContract. This is an electronic tendering tool to manage procurements projects from start to finish. Accordingly, no hard copy documents are issued to suppliers and all communications with the council, including the submission of tender responses, are conducted via ProContract.
The approach is expected to improve efficiency and effectiveness of procurement, resulting in a number of benefits through faster processing, better use of information, reduced transaction costs and more effective communication.
