"Scotland Excel is well placed placed to help local authorities reduce procurement costs at a time of significant pressure on public sector budgets."
Dorothy Cowie
Director, Scotland Excel
Structure
Scotland Excel is structured around two core functions - strategic procurement and professional services.
Strategic procurement
Our strategic procurement teams are responsible for developing and managing the collaborative contracts used by local authorities and associate members. As well as undertaking a rolling programme of renewals for our existing contracts, we work closely with local authority partners to identify strategic areas where new contracts can reduce costs and increase efficiencies.
During recent months, we have worked with councils to scope the potential for collaborative procurement within construction and social care, and a number of contract opportunities are now in development for these services. Other areas which are being explored for 2011-12 include financial services and facilities management.
When contracts are awarded, we work closely with members and suppliers to ensure that the contract benefits and forecast savings are being delivered as planned. Ongoing supplier management is a key part of our remit, and contracts are closely monitored throughout the period of award to check that price, product quality and supplier performance are yielding best value for our members.
Also part of the strategic procurement function are four regional account teams in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Paisley who are responsible for providing front line procurement support and guidance to local authorities in their areas.
Professional services
Our professional services teams cover a range of business roles which support the delivery of our organisation's remit. This includes corporate policy, performance reporting, organisational accreditation, IT services, human resources and finance. A small team of communications specialists also work within this function to ensure that our members are fully informed and engaged with our activities.
In addition, professional services encompasses a nunber of special projects which deliver against our goal to raise standards and facilitate procurement reform. These projects include the Procurement Improvement Programme and our learning and development initiatives, as well as Scotland's first national graduate trainee programme for public sector procurement.
