Councils taxed by web buying
13 September 2012
Local authorities in England have made only ‘patchy’ progress on e-procurement, as they struggle with the demands of the government, councillors, the Gershon review and suppliers. Mark Smulian reports
They might not think it, but private-sector purchasers have it easy. Their job is to make money, and if switching to e-procurement makes that easier, it will be adopted.
But their counterparts in England’s near-400 local authorities have different and sometimes conflicting priorities. While they must serve the public, they must also demonstrate best value.
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