Ministerial launch at West Dunbartonshire Council
The 30th of July was a big day for West Dunbartonshire Council as they prepared for their launch of ePS by Mr John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth. In March this year the Council signed up to ePS and plan to go live with Phase 1, called 'WeBuy', in September.
At the launch Mr Swinney said:
"West Dunbartonshire joining the service has brought the total number of local authorities using ePS to 15. I would like to see this increase as more authorities embrace the Public Procurement Reform agenda.
There are now 92 public sector organisations using ePS, and I am encouraged that this number is steadily rising. My ambition is that this will reach 100 by the end of this year."
The council plans to introduce 'WeBuy' on a phased basis to enable 40-50 users and around 20 suppliers to procure goods and services electronically. A steering group, led by Project Sponsor Corporate Services Director, Joyce White, meets monthly to oversee progress and set the overall strategy.