The UK government's purchasing body has set up a system enabling the public sector to manage contracts online.
The "e-sourcing" service covers the full life cycle of tendering, contract management and evaluation of bids. It is being promoted as a way to include small businesses in procurement efforts, but can apply to firms of any size. The system is used strategically to help organisations engage with their supply market. IT firm BravoSolution SpA is to supply the web based service. It is seen as a key part of e-procurement and it is hoped that the service will make the sourcing process faster, more efficient and more competitive.
Hugh Barrett, chief executive of the Office of Government Commerce's trading arm OGCbuying.solutions, said the system is "simple to use".
"It will deliver value for money by saving time and money in the day to day procurement activities of government employees, and help companies including SMEs to do business with government," he said on 16 February 2005.
Quelle: KableNET, 18.02.2005
