The Scottish Procurement Information Hub
Key Message
One of the fundamental aims of the Procurement Reform Programme in Scotland is to generate efficiencies and savings by means of greater public sector collaboration. The Scottish Procurement Information Hub is a centrally funded sophisticated analytical tool which allows procurement professionals to determine:
- how much they are spending on external goods and services from third party suppliers
- who the key suppliers are
- how many transactions were made with each supplier
- where the suppliers and spend categories are used in common
This information means that individual organisations and Centres of Expertise can identify where collaborative may opportunities exist and where transactional efficiencies could be made.
Future Developments
Although this is the most comprehensive spend analysis project ever undertaken in the UK, there are some limitations to classification of spend. The Hub currently classifies suppliers (and, therefore, expenditure) based on their main business, not on the specific goods, services or works that were purchased.
Technology now exists to exploit the more detailed data contained within purchase order lines within the eProcurement Scotland (ePS) system. This proposed enhancement will allow data at a purchase order level to be accurately and consistently classified according to what has actually been purchased. It is proposed that the initial scope of this enhancement will include the analysis of approximately 3.6m historic ePS purchase order lines and an estimated 6.6m ePS purchase order lines for the forthcoming 12 month period. This analysis will be free of charge for current ePS users that also have annual spend data published on the Hub.
(Provision has been made to allow other Scottish public sector bodies who may use other e-procurement systems, such as Oracle, to call off from this contract and access the technology at their own expense - please contact Steve Patterson on 0141 242 5949 if you wish to take this option. There is no commitment for non-Pecos to participate. The ePS data will be analysed to extrapolate trends from the centrally funded data which will be available to non-ePS users, who may use the key lessons to improve their own spending behaviours).
What do procurement teams need to do?
Participating organisations are required provide a detailed annual extract from their accounts payable system. The specification and example data extract templates can be downloaded by anyone wilth a log-in to the Hub from:
The Scottish Procurement Information Hub
Data is currently being gathered for financial year 2007/8 - with annual spend files to be with Spikes Cavell by 31st March 2009.
Data Fitness Checks
The accuracy and value of the analysis available on the Hub can only be as good as the source data provided. Spikes Cavell issue a Data Fitness Check to all contributing organisations before the data is processed and published on the Hub. It is the responsiblilty of the contibuting organisaton to ensure that the data provided is as accurate and complete as possible, and that the Data Fitness Check Process is carried out expediently.
Training
Spikes Cavell run regular webinars on how to access analytical spend reports, monitor trends over time and run comparision with other public bodies. Details of how to book into a webinar can be found at The Scottish Procurement Information Hub.
General queries and requests for bespoke training should be directed to Steve Patterson at 0141 242 5949 or via email: steve.patterson@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.