How frameworks are taking the (guess) work out of procurement

For many education providers, September is a busy time. A new academic year, new staff, new processes.

However, when you are a member of a purchasing framework, that’s one set of worries you don’t need to worry about. So, you can have time and energy to sweat the other stuff.

What is a purchasing framework?

A purchasing framework is created by a group of organisations who rely on a particular service or type of service and together, they invite established providers within that industry to pitch for their work. Together, they apply terms such as the services to be provided, the rates to be paid, how long the framework relationship is to last, and the SLAs that need to be met.

Why being a member of a framework is beneficial for education providers

For education providers, there are many benefits of being part of a purchasing framework:

• You can have confidence that the service provider you’re choosing has been vetted and (such as ASL) is well established with a good reputation.
• You can be reassured that you are receiving competitive rates for the services you’re looking for.
• You know that your service provider is accustomed to working with other businesses within your industry. They’re familiar with your busy periods, your challenges and your priorities, making it easier to get the support you need, when you need it most.
• You have more power. With more power comes better rates, better service, and generally higher prioritisation. This isn’t always the situation. With ASL, we value all of our customers and work hard to ensure that the service we provide shows that, however, in some commercial relationships, the larger the account, the larger the priority. One small education provider doesn’t, by itself, wield as much power as an entire Local Education Authority or Academy group of schools.
• Agreed SLAs combined with this greater power guarantees a base level of service delivery that the provider must meet– repairs within timescales, replacements without long waits etc.

Why being a member of a framework is beneficial for service and goods providers

For providers, being a member of a framework can help them provide outstanding services to their customers.

• Being a member of a framework, you get to work with lots of different companies in one industry.

Of course, you get the bonus of more potential work but you have to prove your worth for that, so the real bonus for the service provider is the ability to get to understand the industry better. Working with lots of different businesses within one industry can help you tailor your service to deliver better support.

• You can get cost benefits too.

For example, if you work with a framework which includes schools where a particular piece of equipment or feature on a piece of equipment is a real boon, you’re likely to have more demand for that equipment and therefore leverage that with your providers to secure better prices.

• You can plan your service offering and pitch more effectively.

Pitching to one framework, rather than 50 independent educational providers saves time that you can then invest in delivering an outstanding service for your customers (including and especially those within the framework!)

Which frameworks are ASL a part of?

ASL are already members of the following frameworks and have developed established relationships with many of their members.

NEPA

The NEPA framework was designed by education and technology experts from within the Higher Education community, making it a perfect representative for that sector. They select their partners based on the partner’s offering, expertise and experience.

The London Procurement Partnership

The NHS London Procurement Partnership (LPP) is a national procurement hub, serving the health community in London and surrounding areas. Set up and funded by our NHS members to use its buying power to deliver efficiency, value for money and as a result, improve patient care.

Education Buying

Education Buying is a framework designed for schools, by schools. It enables the education sector to procure goods more easily with expertise, saving time and money. They’re ambitious with their mission to deliver cost savings of £20m to the sector by 2025, by supporting schools to buy effectively, releasing time, resources, and money, and we’re doing our best to help them get there!

Are you part of a procurement framework looking for an established print and copier provider to help you make cost savings where possible?

We’re always interested in working with other frameworks and delivering the benefits of working within a framework to more business and new industries too. If you’re a member of a purchasing framework that you’d like to see us working with, please contact us on 0345 207 7000.

We look forward to talking with you.