Sir Philip Green (he of TopShop fame) has finished his report into how the Government can become more efficient…
The headline, centralise purchasing!
Whilst there are, undoubtedely, major savings to be gained from having contracts for commonly used consumables and services (as per the framework agreements already in place in many departments)… the issue is – surely – far more complex?
Our observations from designing and implementing change programmes across many parts of Government – and the private sector – would suggest that a total process review, including procurement as one function, would result in far more workable solutions being developed. There is no point in ‘solving one problem in one place as it simply pushes that problem somewhere else… needing to be solved all over again! A comprehensive review must encompass strategy, structure, process, systems, technology, resources – and PEOPLE! To do otherwise is kidding yourself… and perpetrating the mess Government is already in…
In addition to this, there are many things that Government is doing that they should not be doing… contributors to our Linked In Group, Building Business Value (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3375267) have been talking about these… and the impact on business just this week.
