New public sector vehicle hire agreement awarded

Public Sector Vehicle Hire Solutions gives customers access to solutions including car hire, light commercial vehicles (LCV), on-road and full off-road 4x4s, minibuses, heavy goods vehicles, international vehicle hire and car share schemes.

The agreement makes it easier for customers to implement workable car share schemes, also known as car club, and daily rental options, which are now available on the same lot.

11 suppliers including 3 small and medium-sized enterprises were awarded places on the agreement, which will run for three years.

Suppliers were required to demonstrate their social value credentials as part of the award and easy-to-follow guidance is given so that customers can evaluate social value during the call off stage.

Katrina Williams, Head of Travel at CCS, said: ‘We’re excited to launch this new agreement to support the public sector in achieving maximum commercial value on vehicle hire.

‘Our enhanced lot structure means we are now able to offer customers daily rental and car share services through a single supplier solution, saving them time, money and improving their experience.’

The framework is available to all public sector bodies including central government, devolved administrations, NHS bodies, local authorities, police, the voluntary sector and charities. It is also available to any private sector organisation procuring on behalf of the public sector.

Car sharing can help employers to reduce the number of miles driven in customers’ own cars, cutting hire costs and administrative burden. Cars can also be returned flexibly, further reducing costs and emissions.

Find out more about this agreement.

Network Services 2 awarded

 

  • Suppliers named on new Network Services 2 agreement
  • Deal provides public sector with access to telecommunications services
  • New agreement ‘has the capacity to help change the way government bodies communicate with – and for – the public they serve’

 

Suppliers have been chosen for a new government procurement agreement designed to help public sector bodies to get the best deal on their telecommunications.

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has awarded places to 95 suppliers – 58% of them small and medium-sized enterprises – for its Network Services 2 agreement.

The deal will provide public bodies with access to mobile, voice, video and data telecommunications services including WiFi, security and email. 

Ieuan Trigger, CCS’s Deputy Director for Technology, said: ‘Network Services 2 has the capacity to help change the way government bodies and the wider public sector communicate with – and for – the public they serve. 

‘By working with customers, suppliers and industry bodies throughout its design and construction we have arrived at an innovative solution which will drive successful transformation across government.’

The new agreement was designed following engagement with telecommunications suppliers and public sector customers from across the UK, including workshops hosted in partnership with trade body Innopsis and Tech UK. 

The agreement features an expanded roster of suppliers in key areas such as Internet Access & Unified Communications, and three new telecommunications lots; for radio, CCTV and contact centres. 

It will run for three years, with the option to extend by a further 12 months.

Find out more about this agreement.

Government awards new construction procurement agreement

All public sector bodies can use Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) Construction Works and Associated Services agreement to find companies to help build things like new schools, hospitals, office buildings, universities, prisons, and houses. It has a maximum potential value of £30bn over the next seven years. 

The agreement prevents public bodies having to run their own costly and time-consuming procurement exercises.

It will help both the government and the construction sector in achieving objectives under the Government’s Construction Strategy and Industrial Strategy, which was formed in collaboration with industry and supports sustainable construction.

CCS has today named 128 suppliers, including 57 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), on the procurement agreement. 31 of 38 sub-lots have been awarded today. CCS expects to award the remaining lots in due course.

It is the first government-led construction agreement which can be used by the whole public sector. Organisations will use the agreement to find companies to construct new buildings, refurbish existing properties, undertake repairs and demolition, and decommission redundant assets.

The Minister for Implementation, Simon Hart, said: 

This agreement will help public bodies across the country carry out the work needed to build much-needed new housing as well as improve schools and hospital buildings.

I know this will be welcomed by people up and down the country and I really look forward to seeing some of the incredible projects this agreement will help to facilitate.

Sam Ulyatt, Commercial Director, Buildings at CCS said: 

This new agreement provides a solid foundation for public sector bodies to achieve the best outcomes and value for their investment across the whole construction lifecycle. 

The principles of this agreement are collaboration and integration with supply chains, boosting innovation at a critical time and supporting the government’s work towards achieving a zero carbon 2050 target.

The new agreement was designed to ensure a level playing-field for SMEs. There are lots for different contract values and regional lots open to local suppliers, to ensure that smaller companies can compete for places. Close to 99% of all providers in the construction industry are SMEs.

Housing associations and local authorities can use the agreement to commission house building. CCS will engage directly with commissioners to provide procurement guidance, helping the government to meet its target of building 300,000 homes each year.

The agreement also provides access to specialist construction work for air-side and maritime construction services, as well as modern methods of construction, such as offsite manufacturing.

Norfolk County Council saves on managed print

Norfolk County Council – Simplify, Standardise, Share

The requirement

Improve on the former managed print service (MPS) to provide enhanced local government services for citizens and smarter ways of working within the Council and in frontline services while delivering ambitious cost savings.

Challenges

  • previous managed print service not meeting ambitious savings targets
  • not all NCC sites were covered by previous MPS
  • devices from different suppliers created extra training requirements for users
  • inconsistent workflow from post room to fleet

Approach

  • streamline printing and imaging processes
  • redesigning internal systems to be digital by design
  • enable more effective use of data

The Solution

County-wide implementation saves money

Norfolk County Council’s first managed print service (MPS) was implemented in 2011, replacing the Council’s previously fragmented print operations with a single, integrated and enterprise-wide print service. The key objectives of this initial MPS were to rationalise print operations and establish an effective policy on printing, especially around reducing waste and inefficiency.

The benefits of having a new, centrally controlled print strategy included:

  • simplified and standardised printing facilities for end-users
  • fewer print drivers for IT services to manage and support
  • security and accountability for print, copy, fax and scanning
  • a simple centrally controlled MFD-based scanning solution
  • reduced paper usage
  • reduced carbon emissions due to more efficient devices

As the contract neared completion, NCC’s reprocurement criterion was that the solution had to be improved upon as the Council recognised that more needed to be done to meet its ambitious savings targets. The new print service would not only need to be implemented across all NCC sites – including the county’s Fire and Rescue Service that had not previously benefited from the service but also functionality would need to be improved to enhance efficiency and provide savings, both financial and environmental.

NCC realised that its existing set-up with MFDs, desktop printers and software from multiple suppliers was no longer fit for purpose. Using the CCS framework RM1599, NCC worked with Canon who identified that fewer single-function printers, improved digitisation, better productivity and standardisation throughout would create annual savings of £765,000 including Library Services.

The results

  • reduced printing costs by more than £765,000 per annum – over £3.8 million over 5 years
  • more reliable public printing service
  • reduced the administrative burden associated with recharging click costs
  • improved employee productivity
  • reduced environmental impact

“With its proven track record of service excellence and building long-term relationships for mutual benefit, Canon worked proactively with us to provide a better, more personalised service than previous suppliers.”

Geoff Connell, Head of Information Management and Technology

Benefits For Libraries

The Norfolk Library and Information Service operate 47 static libraries of different sizes ranging from Hingham Library, with one member of staff and three public terminals, to the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library with over 100 public terminals and about 50 staff terminals. Altogether, there are around 560 public terminals.

The previous solution to offer public printing was not only unsecure, but it was also neither able to record printing activity nor recharge it to the libraries. Since 2017, the new solution has successfully addressed these issues. In addition, staff and members of the public are now able to print from their own devices, such as smartphones and tablets.

For further information

If you would like to find out more about any of the CCS managed print solutions and how we can support you please get in touch:

Get involved

If you want to find out more about how we can help you, why not ask one of our customer team to give you a call or sign up to our newsletter?

Wakefield Council perfects its print strategy by cost saving

Wakefield Council is the local authority of the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire. It provides a full range of local government services including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, planning applications and waste management. Wakefield Council has around 4,000 employees who administer for the needs of approximately 500,000 local residents.

The Challenge

Wakefield Council, like most local authorities, has seen its funding from government reduce significantly since 2010, and, as such, takes every effort to ensure it operates as efficiently as possible while delivering the best value for its residents. As part of this commitment to efficiency, the council realised that by updating its multifunctional printers (MFPs) it could generate considerable savings and improve the overall user experience.

Wakefield Council relies heavily on its MFPs for its daily operations, printing approximately 2 million pages per month. The council had been working with an incumbent print supplier for the last six years, which managed 250 print devices, made up of nine different models, across its 85 sites.

While the incumbent had equipped the print devices with print management software, the software lacked the functionality and was not intuitive enough to enable the council to enact real change in its staff’s printing habits and maximise efficiencies.

In addition, the council maintains 13 libraries, whose print systems urgently needed modernising to provide a more accessible service to the public. The council was keen to build new functionality into the libraries’ print solutions to make it easier for visitors to pay for prints. This would reduce the burden of management for staff while opening up new revenue streams.

Jeremy Garforth, Information Management Officer at Wakefield Council, explained:

“With our existing solution, we were struggling to retrieve simple analytics regarding print activity, so creating monthly print reports was a time-consuming and complex process. One of our key objectives was to reduce the volume of colour printing across the council’s services, though without easy access to the print analytics for each department and staff member, this was very challenging for the IT team.”

Key Achievements

  • Kyocera delivers a 20% reduction in printing costs for Wakefield Council and opens up new revenue stream
  • Kyocera’s managed print solution gives Wakefield Council much better visibility over its printing activity
  • new intuitive, user-friendly, and highly reliable MFPs drive user experience improvements

The Solution

As a registered supplier with the Crown Commercial Services framework, Kyocera received an invitation to tender and were subsequently awarded a contract five-year contract to overhaul Wakefield Council’s MFPs.

Wakefield Council selected Kyocera on the basis of the quality of its proposed solution and the potential efficiencies that it would generate. Kyocera rolled out a tightly integrated solution, rationalising the fleet down to 210 devices from 250 and streamlining the number of Models.

Kyocera introduced a bespoke print solution to Wakefield’s libraries, improving the functionality and introducing new payment options for users to reduce the amount of intervention required from library staff.

To ensure a successful installation, the Kyocera team initiated and set up the devices before arriving on site, so that they could simply plug them in and configures them once in the right place. This ‘plug and play’ approach enabled

Kyocera to seamlessly deliver and install the devices across the 85 sites within a six-week timeframe, ensuring that there was minimal disruption to the council’s Operations. Kyocera also installed the latest in print management software across every device, with ID badge authentication for security, and Kyocera Fleet services for remote diagnostics. The software provides the council with scheduled management information reports which give visibility over departmental printing activity, enabling the council to observe trends and to track, target and potentially reduce the volume of colour printing. The ‘follow me’ element of the software also reduces wasted printing, as staff has to sign in to print a document, ensuring they only print what they really need.

The Result

The first and most obvious benefit that Wakefield Council has seen from the Kyocera managed print solution is the cost-saving benefit. The council has reduced its annual print budget by 20% this financial year and is targeting a further 28% reduction next year. In addition, the council expects to generate an additional £400,000 from public printing in its libraries over the next five years.

With the new print management software in place, the dashboard functionality allows the council to manage its printing more effectively, helping to cut waste and giving it much better visibility over departmental printing activity.

Jeremy concluded:

“We were particularly impressed with how Kyocera rolled out the new devices across our 85 properties, with minimum disruption and a seamless integration with our IT networks. In addition, the new, intuitive user interface is making it much easier to use the devices. We now have reviews every quarter with the team at Kyocera, working closely is helping us to identify potential improvements and further innovative plans for the future.

“Wakefield Council is undergoing a significant digital transformation as we look to embrace new digital technologies and we see Kyocera as a strategically important partner in this process. We believe that with the help of Kyocera we will further increase our efficiency and effectiveness as an organisation.”

For further information

To find out more about the framework and how it can help you, you can:

Visit the framework web page

Complete this online form

Visit the Kyocera Document Solutions website

City of London Corporation saves on print costs

Dedicated fleet management delivers agile, trusted service and innovation at the City of London Corporation

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the City of London. They promote London as the world’s leading international finance and business centre, attracting new business to both the capital and across the UK. They partner with local communities to improve skills, employment and opportunities for Londoners – including through the City Bridge Trust – while working to enhance the capital as a hub of culture, history and green spaces for its citizens.

The requirement

The City of London Corporation was relying on an ageing fleet of multifunctional devices (MFDs) and printers across its diverse portfolio of facilities, from the Guildhall headquarters and Barbican property estate to schools and the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre.

Some of the challenges included the lack of common print policies across the estate and an inability to dynamically monitor print volumes and act quickly upon changes in device usage.

Rajiv Rathod, Commercial Lead for ICT at City of London Corporation said:

We wanted to shift from a traditional supplier/customer relationship, to a partnership that could help us not only make cost savings but also advise on continuous optimisation. Konica Minolta provided a commitment to delivery and showed a strong intention to work with us to transform end-to-end delivery.

The solution

Following a competitive tender process under the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) RM3781 framework, which works in collaboration with ESPO and YPO, Konica Minolta successfully retained the contract. The specialist RM3781 Lot 3 framework covers all of the City of London Corporation’s ongoing needs from MFDs, managed print and content services and records and information management.

Konica Minolta proposed an innovative managed services approach, aimed at creating an even smarter way for employees to work, streamlining processes and reducing costs. This included fleet rationalisation and the adoption of a consumption-based pricing model, designed by the City of London, for improved transparency of volumes output and cost savings.

A full-time Konica Minolta fleet manager is now embedded within the City Corporation’s IT function. This certified expert provides operational day-to-day fleet management while implementing smart new ways of working, such as:

  • continuous fleet optimisation, based on their intuitive understanding of the fleet and the Corporation’s challenges and goals
  • proactive fleet maintenance across centralised and de-centralised systems
  • rapid resolution of all output device-related incidents, management of service desk tickets and fast, professional reinstatement of operation
  • up-to-the-minute Key Performance Indicator (KPI) reports and adherence to service level agreements (SLAs)
  • optimal use of SafeQ, centrally recording and accounting for all print, copy and scan operations in support of the City Corporation’s consumption-based pricing model
  • management of ‘Fleet Dashboard’ tracker, highlighting device type, status and location, number and proactive/reactive callouts, use of second-line support, etc.
  • accurate, timely management information for informed decision-making on device performance, location and right-sizing fleet
  • prompt, efficient resolution of any billing queries
  • management of third-party external providers to optimise efficiency, productivity and smart working
  • digital innovation to increase smart working, further reduce print volumes and lower the cost of operation – digital mail for example

The results

This on-site, dedicated single point of contact – with full accountability and ownership of print-related issues – has helped save the City Corporation significant time, money and resources.

By accessing Lot 3 on framework RM3781 and adopting the new commercial model devised by the City of London, the new managed print solution has reduced the Corporation’s print costs by half, resulting in almost £2.5 million in predicted cost savings over 5 years. It is also now easier to monitor print use and identify and accommodate individual departments’ print needs. Furthermore, new devices print faster and are more reliable.

For further information

If you would like to find out more about any of the CCS managed print solutions and how we can support you please get in touch

Why not sign up to our newsletter?

Easy guide to completing the Supply Teachers short order form

Our Supply Teachers deal gives you access to accredited suppliers with transparent rates, whilst also providing additional benefits such as no temporary to permanent fees after 12 weeks and the peace of mind that all workers have satisfied robust pre-employment and safeguarding checks.

Even if you are already using agencies on the Supply Teachers deal, it’s really important to know that you will only receive these benefits if you have signed the short order form with them.

What is the short order form?

The short order form creates an agreement between you and the supply agency/agencies you want to work with. It helps you to agree to specific terms which are important to your organisation, and receive the benefits of the framework for all your temporary staffing needs. Once completed you can rest assured that all future assignments with the agency will be fulfilled in line with the terms you have agreed.

The short order form is really simple to complete and is the final step in the process. You only need to complete one short order form per agency, not per worker, and there is no limit to the number of agencies you can use.

Our short video guide demonstrates just how quick and easy it is to complete the form. Or you can read a quick guide if you prefer. Either one will help give you the confidence that you can achieve real value for money for your school(s).

Get started

Help and support

Permanent recruitment framework helps Home Office fill complex role in 8 weeks

The Home Office was struggling to fill a complex senior civil servant role in their digital, data and technology team, which combined technical expertise with stakeholder engagement.

The requirement

The successful candidate needed to be able to bridge the communication gap between 43 regional police forces, the Home Office and wider Homeland security organisations. They also needed demonstrable experience of working in a high volume data environment. 

The solution

After two failed attempts to fill the complex role, the Home Office turned to the CCS Permanent Recruitment framework. Lot 6 of the framework covers executive search for digital, data and technology giving the Home Office access to the specialists they needed. Following a further competition they appointed Sanderson Government & Defence to help them fill the role.

Sanderson Government & Defence created a bespoke advertising solution, including a website and branded advertising on 5 external job boards and LinkedIn. They also used their extensive network across the public and security sectors to conduct market mapping and targeted headhunting. 

Online equality and diversity monitoring was also used to improve the response rate and diversity of the applicant pool.

The results

The recruitment campaign resulted in 51 applications, of which 12 were longlisted and presented to the Home Office. 

From there, 5 shortlisted candidates progressed through occupational psychology and independent leadership assessments. This enabled the interview panel to develop bespoke areas of questioning, alongside the standard interview questions.

Following this the successful applicant took up their new role at the Home Office – a complex role successfully filled in just 8 weeks. 

Find out more

To find out how the CCS Permanent Recruitment framework (RM6002) can help you with your vacancies:

Call 0345 410 2222

Email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk

Visit https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6002

 

How to negotiate agency rates with confidence

You have every right to check you’re getting the best possible deal, and it’s something we recommend you take steps to do. If you were buying a new car you would shop around to find the best price, interest rate and terms and conditions for you. The same is true for the supply of temporary staff. In this blog we give you our top tips to help ensure you are getting a good deal.

Shopping around for an agency may seem uncomfortable due to the mystique created within the education market. We want to dispel common myths and give you the knowledge to confidently negotiate the best possible deal for your school.  You might feel that you don’t have the time to negotiate the best deal for urgent bookings. We recommend planning ahead and agreeing rates with your agencies in advance. This will result in long-term cost savings and time management benefits, ensuring you get the best deal no matter how last minute a booking is. You won’t need to renegotiate every time you require a temporary worker. The agreed rates will be set until you next review them with your agency or agencies.

Top tips

Understand your position

  • make sure you know how much you spend on temporary resource in your school and with which agencies
  • are there other schools that you could partner with?
    • combining your spend with other schools will give you a higher overall spend and better negotiating power
  • what daily charge and mark-up rates do you currently pay?
    • if you do not know, you really must ask
  • speak to your peers and find out what are they paying to help you gauge what rate is reasonable

Determine your bargaining range

  • establish the optimum daily charge and mark-up rates you would like to pay, as well as
  • what is the highest daily charge and mark-up rates you are willing to pay?
    • this will show you the range within which you should negotiate

Communication

  • invite the agency or agencies you use in for a discussion – this is more effective if done face to face
  • define your negotiating position and discuss:
    • agency performance – have you received a satisfactory service from them?
    • spend – set out what your anticipated future spend will be
    • discuss challenges:
      • is your school facing cutbacks?
      • do you need to reduce unproductive time by limiting the number of agencies you work with?
  • discussing these issues will help incentivise the agencies to retain your business rather than lose you to a competition
    • it often leads to more attractive rates being offered
  • work out a mark-up rate which is acceptable to you and the agency
    • if the agency is unable to meet your requirements do not be afraid to walk away
  • remember that this should not be a confrontational conversation: clarity and communication are key

Dispelling common myths

The benefits of negotiation are not worth my time and effort

It is not a waste of time to save money (and time in the long run). It’s true that the initial process of getting a better deal needs an upfront investment of time, however, the result will be a fair price every time you need a worker, no matter how last minute. Peace of mind and controlled costs will be worth the time spent negotiating with an agency.

If I try to renegotiate with my agencies our good relationship will be affected

Negotiation is common practice in the recruitment market and can generate positive outcomes for all parties. It should not be a process that adversely affects professional relationships and most agencies will respect your need to get a good deal. This enables you to spend your already strained budgets on other vital resources.

A higher charge rate means the worker gets higher pay

Not necessarily. If you are paying a higher mark-up, this could significantly diminish the worker’s pay. If you pay a lower charge rate with a lower mark-up, the teacher can still receive more than if you were paying a higher charge rate with a higher mark-up. Read our recent blog to find out more about the impact of mark-up rates.

I am not entitled to know what the mark-up rate is

You are entitled to know the mark-up rate you are being charged, subject to general data protection regulations. This information is not commercially sensitive when shared between the agency and their customer – which in this case is you.

I have to sign the agency’s terms and conditions

You can request agencies sign your terms and conditions. Under the Supply Teachers deal, agencies use the CCS framework terms and conditions. These are written with the best interests of schools in mind. They also mean you have peace of mind that agencies are adhering to the Keeping children safe in education standards.

My agencies have exclusivity over workers

It is rare for an agency to have exclusivity over a worker. Most workers actually sign up with several agencies, which creates competition in the market. If you are able to offer more competitive pay, workers are more likely to be attracted to your vacancy.

I can’t avoid temp to perm fees

Agencies can charge transfer fees to protect their legitimate business interests through temp to perm fees. Agencies must, however, provide you with the option of an extended period of hire or a transfer fee as set out in The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations 2003. Temp to perm fees can be avoided with the Supply Teachers deal, when a worker has been in post for 12 weeks or more and 4 weeks notice is given to the agency.

We’re here to help

The Supply Teachers deal can help make sure you get:

  • full transparency of all costs, including the mark-up rate
  • fair terms and conditions
  • compliance with safeguarding requirements

Workforce Alliance Looks to 2020

Managing Directors from NHS Procurement in Partnership and Helen MacCarthy, Health and Education Category Director, Crown Commercial Service, came together at the HCSA Conference in Harrogate to set out their vision for Workforce Alliance and the benefits it can provide to NHS Trusts.

As the biggest public procurement partnership in the UK, Workforce Alliance brings together the procurement and commercial expertise of the NHS and Crown Commercial Service, and through its collaborative, solutions-based approach, it’s already helping ensure that NHS trusts have quick and easy access to a sustainable workforce.

The panel outlined their plans for the partnership, and what benefits are available to customers. They answered questions on the role of robotics in the workforce, and the benefits to public sector procurement professionals of working with the Alliance. Chaired by NHSI’s South Regional Head of Procurement Mark Gronow, the panel was quizzed about lessons learnt, how the Alliance will achieve its goals and how its work is benefitting NHS trusts and public sector bodies.

As Michael Pace, NHS London Procurement Partnership’s Managing Director, explains: ‘Workforce Alliance is about a lot more than just frameworks. As an NHS business partner, we work in close collaboration with other NHS organisations to develop carefully tailored workforce solutions. It is only through this collaborative approach and building strategic business partnerships with our customers that we can properly understand their needs and provide the most effective solutions. And we do so with the patient at the heart of everything we do.’

Alyson Brett, Managing Director at NHS Commercial Solutions, said: “We are committed to developing the whole portfolio of health workforce services, and Workforce Alliance is the embodiment of how important partnerships are, and our committed approach to working together and sharing our many years of experience has already helped us to deliver frameworks in key areas including international recruitment, staff bank and temporary staffing.”

Asked about what lessons have been learnt along the way, Managing Director of NHS North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative Keith Rowley, said: “We have learnt a lot but equally we know there is a lot more for us as a collaborative to learn as we evolve.

“The breadth of skills and experience, not just among the managing directors, but among our teams as well across the five partners means that we can offer that expertise on a local level. As an alliance we want to use the expertise and relationships we have to influence those decision makers to create benefits on a local and national scale.”

Helen MacCarthy, Health and Education Category Director for Crown Commercial Service, said: “By working with the Workforce Alliance, customers can access a depth and breadth of expertise, resource and geographical reach.”

She added: “There is a lot of passion within these teams, we are surrounded and supported by people who give up their time to make a difference. By coming together and ensuring we deliver quick and easy access to tools and support to ensure our customers have what they need to create a sustainable workforce, we can influence the market and ensure our customers and suppliers have confidence in the service we deliver.

“As one of our customers recently said: ‘We are always there with our expert procurement knowledge to support them with any workforce issues they may encounter’.”

Howard Rolfe, Managing Director of the East of England Collaborative Procurement Hub, said the offering from Workforce Alliance was truly responsive to customer need.

He added: “All our business models are customer focused, we are committed to providing a personalised service. Only through our collaborative approach and building strategic partnerships can we properly understand the requirements of the market and tailor solutions to address customer needs.”

There’s more information on the Workforce Alliance and its agreements here.

Photo: © Paul Dawson HCSA 2019