Change often occurs when your organisation least expects it – and whether it is ready for it or not.
For anything to evolve, change must happen, so it is important that your organisation is proactive and prepared for change.
Change management is all about finding a new and better way of doing things. Learn more about how you can apply this to your procurement strategy below.
What is Change Management?
Change management has several stages. Throughout the change management process, an organisation will prepare, equip and support individuals within their organisation to successfully adopt change.
This structured approach to change can be applied to any project and is often used within procurement.
What is Change Management in Procurement?
According to the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) “Change Management is now perceived to be a core skill that all managers and leaders should possess.”
In most cases, procurement professionals by and large don’t like change and fear change, something that is common within many sectors, however, procurement change management done right can have a huge, positive impact on any organisation. Change management is the process of adapting an organisation’s ways of doing things so that major changes can be rolled out smoothly without undue drama.
There are many examples of change management within public sector procurement that have been successful as the sector has been experiencing transformative change for several years.
One of the biggest changes in public sector purchasing was Regulation 22, which was introduced by the UK Government to improve transparency and visibility throughout the supply chain.
From 18 October 2018, under Regulation 22 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, all public sector organisations must, by law, make sure that communication and information exchange for above-threshold procurement is carried out using electronic means of communication.
Communication and information exchanged during the tender process (for contracts above the EU thresholds) are now required to be carried out electronically. This includes the electronic submission of pre-qualification questionnaires and tenders, as well as call-offs under framework agreements.
Social value has also driven change throughout the sector, as public sector buyers are expected to involve in more than just procuring goods and services for the lowest cost. The Social Value Act was introduced to cause public sector commissioners to think about how to secure wider social, economic and environmental value for their area or stakeholders when undertaking procurement.
The Sustainable Procurement Task Force’s definition of social value is:
‘A process whereby organisations meet their needs for goods, services, works and utilities in a way that achieves value for money on a whole life basis in terms of generating benefits not only to the organisation, but also to society and the economy, whilst minimising damage to the environment.’
This change has opened conversation among buyers across the country and with their local provider market or community to design better services.
These are just some examples of how change has affected the public sector. Changes in regulations may seem intimidating at first, however, this first step towards transformation can be a good thing, as we can see above.
Change management and eProcurement
We understand that change can be daunting and convincing your stakeholders to do things differently can be difficult, as they may assume that change can be costly.
Concern about cost is natural. However, your organisation should be assured that eProcurement has many benefits over traditional methods, including reduced costs in the long term and complete auditability.
As mentioned above, there is now also a requirement for all communication around procurement to be electronic, which means that eProcurement software and tender management systems are becoming increasingly interwoven in commercial eProcurement solutions.
If your organisation is thinking about changing its eProcurement strategy, once you make the leap you will never look back. As eProcurement technology transforms modern procurement, one day we will look back on how professional purchasing was a manual process in complete disbelief, as the days of mail and documents by hand are soon to vanish.
Benefits of change using eProcurement
The most obvious benefit of using a web-based service is that it eliminates any paperwork and means that users can access their portal anywhere, at any time.
Another benefit of eProcurement is that it will support your organisation to streamline its procurement processes and comply with the Regulations.
In turn this will save time and resources by eliminating manual processes during purchasing. Organisations using eProcurement methods will are also able to speed up response times and set clearer lines of communication with their suppliers.
Transparency is integral to public sector procurement and with Delta eSourcing’s tools you will have accountability with a full audit trail. Our users have access to cutting-edge technology that can transform the efficacy of any buyer’s strategy. Every stage of the procurement process, from initial contract notice to evaluation to contract management can be conducted electronically and is fully auditable. Even complex projects involving multiple people and tender exercises can be tracked and managed efficiently.
How Delta’s eProcurement software can help you achieve your change management goals
The Delta eSourcing suite of eProcurement tools makes change easy.
If your organisation is ready for change, our eProcurement software can help you achieve your change management goals.
Adopting an eProcurement solution is just a small step towards improving the efficiency of your organisation’s procurement strategy, but it is a good place to start.
Delta eSourcing not only has the tools to help your organisation, but we are also here to support you with any training or help needed to get these new processes implemented. Our team of procurement experts offer professional and friendly support to all our customers and we can support your organisation in getting started.
Why Delta?
Our web-based platform supports buyers to manage tenders, suppliers and contracts across a single integrated solution.
Delta allows buyers to more easily access their suppliers and collaborate with them continuously throughout the tender process, giving users appropriate privileged access to tender documentation and progress when they need it.
Delta champions eProcurement seamlessly, by providing the tools and resources buyers need to work more effectively with their suppliers, no matter where they are in the world.
Find out more about Delta’s eProcurement software and how our tools can help your organisation improve your strategy.
If you enjoyed this blog, why not check out our latest guide to eProcurement software.
