Why eProcurement Scotland?
eProcurement Scotl@nd is a service which supports Procurement as a discipline which is at the heart of an organisation's commercial culture and practice. Implementing eProcurement involves looking again at culture and practices and, where necessary, changing them. It is not simply installing software. We know that achieving the full potential of eProcurement is closely linked to the attention which is paid to core procurement skills and that these skills are key to the relationship between a buyer and supplier - a relationship which encompasses the purchase to pay process end to end.
eProcurement Scotl@nd is not about software, although it certainly does provide the software tools needed. eProcurement Scotl@nd is an approach to public sector procurement in Scotland which exploits technology to the benefit of both buyers AND suppliers by facilitating collaboration and change through use of a common platform. In this way not only do we gain the benefits of eProcurement - particularly management information, which has previously been scarce, and financial control - but also we ensure that the benefits of collaborative efforts are secured and sustainable.
eProcurement Scotl@nd now has a track record of successful connection and ongoing e-trading with suppliers across the country from Brora to Bracknell. The service has enabled us to gain extensive experience of implementing different content selection options, different connection options for order placement, and different purchase to pay options, including back-end integration with Ledger systems and use of embedded p-cards. We believe that the use of a common platform - which nevertheless retains and enhances local ownership and accountability - combined with a hosted service model, have been critical factors in the success of the programme.
Suppliers, from multinational organisations to local SMEs, have responded positively to eProcurement Scotl@nd, particularly about the opportunity to interface with only one technical platform and standard. This has brought programme-wide benefits both for the costs to those suppliers of doing business with us electronically and also to buyers - a common platform means that individual organisations can move more quickly to gain access to appropriate suppliers already on the service without having to invest heavily in their own supplier enablement and adoption processes.
This is what makes the eProcurement Scotl@nd service unique: all parts of the public sector working together in developing eProcurement Scotl@nd, identifying and resolving issues common to public sector organisations and their suppliers - no reinvention of wheels, no duplication of effort, no fragmentation of expertise, no loss of local accountability - but a real commitment to continuous improvement.
NICK BOWD
Further Information
Should you wish further information on this article or require further general information on the eProcurement Scotl@nd service please contact a member of the eProcurement Scotl@nd service team: