From the start of next year, most public procurement processes are set to be governed by a 120-day deadline.
Supply Management reported that Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude called for the changes in response to the revelation that the average government procurement currently takes around 200 days to complete.
The government aims to achieve the target by encouraging closer and earlier engagement with suppliers and markets which should enable more clear and concise invitations to tender, it is hoped that publishing the data will expose failings in the system and encourage greater clarity in government procurements.
The highly regarded public sector procurement report titled ‘Why public procurement is central to the UK’s economic performance’ concluded that electronically reforming the buying system in public procurement could save up to £37 billion.
eProcurement software is proven to cut costs and shorten the buying cycle by providing transparency through the buying process as well as substantially reducing the processing time. Could eProcurement prove to be the key in helping the government adhere to the strict EU public procurement rules and meet the 120 day deadline?
