The government aims to digitise the public sector, eliminating legacy systems and migrating to the cloud. Public sector contracting authorities are a key focus, as many government bodies and organisations are still chugging along with email, spreadsheets, and outdated procurement systems.
If that sounds like you, then it’s time to ditch legacy systems and upgrade to more efficient management software and digital tools.
If you’re still not sure if now is the time to upgrade, consider the following signs that clearly demonstrate the need to modernise your procurement processes.
10 Warning Signs You Can’t Ignore
Just one or two signs that your entire procurement process, including contract management, is working against you are already strong indicators that you need to leave legacy systems behind. If all 10 apply to your procurement department, you don’t have time to waste.
1. You’re Still Using Email and Spreadsheets to Manage Tenders
You might have mastered spreadsheets, but think about it, how often do you get frustrated at the slow manual entry process? Couldn’t your time be better spent on your core procurement activities? What about long email threads? It’s pretty easy to miss information, even when you spend ages scrolling through all the messages to find what you’re looking for.
In the time of transparency and accountability, this type of data entry is open to manipulation. Figures can also be tweaked to create a smoke screen that hides what is really going on.
Delta eSourcing addresses all these problems by providing an all-in-one digital workspace that includes procurement management software . Public sector buyers can manage each stage of the procurement process, automation reduces human error, and it leaves a clear audit trail, which ensures transparency as each and every entry is recorded.
2. You Struggle to Track and Meet Procurement Timelines
Setting up alerts on your email calendar so you don’t forget key milestones is pretty easy. But even then, it’s easy to lose track of time, especially if you’re reliant on manual status tracking.
Delta eSourcing ensures you never miss a thing with automated reminders, and you can always check on contracts and supplier performance with automated status dashboards that are updated in real time.
3. You Can’t Find Past Contracts or Evaluation Records
Problems categorising and storing contracts and purchase orders can occur even with an ordered system in place. Files can be misnamed, documents can accidentally be stored in the wrong files, and sometimes staff forget to file documents altogether, especially if they’re drowning in paperwork.
All of this puts your procurement department at risk of non-compliance when it comes to audits and various other regulations.
Delta eSourcing’s procurement software platform provides a centralised location for all essential documents, making it easy to manage documents and leaving clear audit trails that ensure you pass audits with flying colours.
4. Supplier Management & Communication Is Lacking
Long-term supplier relationship management (SRM) is essential because it can result in industry insights, special offers, cost-saving opportunities, risk management, dispute resolution, and even price negotiation.
Inadequate supplier management affects communication, which can result in misunderstandings and mixed messages. Manual processes can also result in lost communication, for example, supplier clarification emails can be lost in overflowing inboxes. Suppliers can interpret a lack of response as disinterest and even disrespect. They won’t respond to any more of your tender notices, and you could lose out on a very promising prospect.
Delta-eSourcing’s centralised platform includes a secure message centre that stores tender-specific communication and information in one place.
5. You’re Repeating the Same Tasks Every Tender Cycle
Manual procurement systems can be very inefficient as you have to enter the same data or carry out the same task every time you publish a contract notice, which continues for the entire procurement lifecycle. They’re also prone to errors, many of which are repeated time and again; for example, incorrect orders and entry duplication.
One of Delta eSourcing’s many features is buyers’ ability to save and customise templates for tender responses, saving time and eliminating human error. Delta’s procurement software also provides auto-scoring tools, so that’s one more thing you don’t have to worry about.
6. You Get Too Few Supplier Responses
Manual systems are cumbersome and virtually impossible to customise. Their features are limited, and they don’t provide many tools that enhance the procurement process. For example, you can’t create portals to manage each active contract, which seriously limits your ability to engage with your suppliers.
Delta eSourcing has a database of around 100,000 active suppliers, including international suppliers, and provides branded portals where procurement professionals can create a profile that promotes all their essential procurement information. The portals also enable you to create a bespoke alert system directed at your pre-approved supplier base only.
7. You Struggle to Comply with Procurement Regulations
Procurement rules might not be in a state of continuous flux, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay unchanged. And while the government aims to make procurement simpler and open to all businesses, including SMEs, government bodies that have used the previous regulations for many years might find it difficult to adapt to the new rules. Especially during this cross-over period, when procurement teams have to juggle both sets of regulations.
Delta eSourcing comes to the rescue with its online platform that has compliance with the Procurement Act 2023 already built in. Its reporting tool also ensures that all tender documents are audit-ready.
8. You Lack Visibility Across Departments or Stakeholders
Manual procurement processes tend to lack cohesion, with buyers or procurement teams not on the same page – literally. This type of fragmentation impedes workflow and increases the risk of duplicate entries, affecting productivity and supplier performance.
Delta eSourcing’s single platform with its centralised features keeps procurement teams or buyers on the same page – literally. They include customisable multi-user dashboards so that essential data is available (in real-time) at a glance.
9. Framework or DPS Management Is Time-Consuming
Managing frameworks or Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS) can be tricky without proper procurement procedures in place. Procedures can be difficult to maintain on fragmented systems. Awarding contracts becomes a bit of a minefield because call-off processes tend to be clunky, and there’s a complete lack of seamless integration. The same applies to manual supplier onboarding because it can be difficult to track.
Delta eSourcing has a module specifically for DPS management so you can leverage the benefits of a DPS system, including access to a pool of refreshable suppliers. This is because approved suppliers can join a DPS at any time while the system is active.
10. Procurement Reporting Takes Days
It’s difficult to collate all the data you need for accurate reporting when you’ve got several spreadsheets to work through. The data used isn’t current, so you’re looking at a situation that was, not is. This makes it difficult to get a true picture of performance, and decisions are made without deep insight.
Delta eSourcing uses real-time data to generate reports instantly, so you know exactly what your supplier situation is. In addition to supplier-related statistics, you can download summaries of essential procurement data, enabling you to make decisions based on insightful, up-to-date information.
What Happens When You Modernise with eProcurement Software?
All sorts of good things happen, especially when you incorporate spend data into your procurement processes . Automation increases efficiency, eliminates human error, and ensures compliance with various regulations, including the Procurement Act 2023 and any industry-related regulations (as with the Ministry of Defence, for example).
Most procurement software platforms enable secure communication and real-time visibility among all stakeholders in the contract. This is superb for supplier relationships, ongoing engagement, and, occasionally, collaboration.
Procurement software platforms are designed with transparency in mind, so that all processes in the procurement lifecycle are visible to all interested parties. This increases accountability and provides buyers with more control over their supply chains.
Why Choose Delta eSourcing?
Delta eSourcing is one of the premier names in public sector procurement. It’s a pioneering brand that adapts quickly to the market whenever it evolves.
We’re trusted by over 500 public sector organisations. With our end-to-end tendering and feature-rich EU-compliant procurement solutions, it’s no wonder. Our customisable tools and comprehensive UK-based support simplify (and automate) tasks like tender evaluation and scoring and even supplier onboarding.
Book a free demo to find out more about our eProcurement software solutions for your organisation. You can also contact us for a quick procurement health check to ensure you get the solution that provides the best benefits for your procurement processes.
