Search Page | Page 5396

The Treasury has issued a statement of best practice, in an effort to improve relations with management consultancies during procurement processes.

The 10-page booklet, produced in association with the Management Consultancies Association and the Institute of Management Consultancy, offers guidelines on pre-qualification, tendering, contract awarding and post-project reviews.

Car makers collaborate

Purchasing, finance and logistics at Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin are to be overseen by a joint strategy board led by Bob Dover, chief executive of Land Rover. Land Rover is also to invest £2.5 billion over five years in development and manufacture, including a new Land Rover Discovery to be launched in 2004.

High-tech aim for Baan

Competition Commission

Car makers’ share plan

French car maker Renault and its Japanese partner Nissan are to assemble two million cars a year on a jointly developed platform to save purchasing and development costs by sharing components.

Defence website online

A one-stop portal for the global defence industry, which aims to get 50,000 registrations in the first year, has been launched.

Neta training launched

Training courses to help utility buyers understand the New Electricity Trading Arrangements (Neta) have been set up by energy markets consultancy Ilex. The course covers the basic principles, rules and regulations of the energy markets together with the expected impact of Neta. It comes into force on 27 March and is expected to produce a 10 per cent fall in electricity prices.

Emissions trading snub

The government is disappointed with the slow take-up of its controversial emissions trading scheme, which allows businesses to cut their energy bills. Only about 50 large companies have signed up, with the start due in April. Participants in the scheme can receive an 80 per cent reduction on the climate change levy, which has added an estimated 15 per cent to energy bills.

Alliance goes friendly

Content management company Reqio and systems integrator gedas are working together to produce a supplier-friendly e-procurement system. The alliance combines Reqio’s software and gedas’s experience with supply chain solutions. www.reqio.co.uk

E-envoy launches forum

In his first month in the role, e-envoy Alex Allan has launched an “e-forum”. Unveiled last week, the Internet chatroom is designed to allow industry and the public to have their say on the government’s e-commerce policy.