Procurement for the people Project partners
Procurement for A revealing look at how procurement proves key to enabling West Mercia Police to better serve and protect its community...
Written by Dale Benton Produced by Heykel Ouni
P ro cure m e nt fo r t h e p eop le
the people
3
T
he procurement transformation
and Wrekin in the United Kingdom. With
conversation is often examined
a shared population of 1.19 million people,
through the lens of the private
West Mercia Police is the fourth larg-
sector. Procurement, in this context,
est police area in England and Wales. In
looks to enable greater efficiencies,
September 2020, West Mercia Police
unlock innovation, drive digitisation and
embarked on a significant procurement
generate cost savings for the bottom line.
journey, one that would indeed see procure-
But to reduce procurement to such rigid
ment rise to the fore and align with all of the
terms and to focus purely on the private
key stakeholders within the organisation.
sector is reductive. Where cost savings
Simply put, procurement’s key role in
and sourcing at the best cost and value
supporting the police force was about to
will remain the core function of procure-
truly enter the spotlight and to achieve
ment, doing so in the public sector where
this, it needed someone to drive the jour-
the end-users are the public and the value
ney, someone with a fresh perspective and
is represented through the protection
perhaps most importantly someone who
of a local community is what defines the
had significant experience in procure-
procurement for West Mercia Police.
ment transformation within the private
West Mercia Police (WMP) is the terri-
sector. Not only was WMP looking to
torial police force for Herefordshire,
redefine its procurement function, it was
Worcestershire, and Shropshire, Telford
also undergoing a significant commercial
P ro cure m e nt fo r t h e p eop le
J O H N CA M P I O N P O L I C E A N D C R I M E C O M M I S S I O N E R , W E ST M E R C I A P O L I C E Procurement is not broken, it’s just not as good as it can be. Like many organisations, we tend to relive and repeat our mistakes and ask, “how did this happen?” If we procure our uniforms badly for example, in terms of quality or supply, we’re not serving the public because when serving the people.
the people doing the job
when it comes to procure-
haven’t got the right equip-
ment. Savings aren’t
ment. We need to know
financial and they aren’t
that there’s public sector
how that happened and
the treasurer’s problem.
procurement and private
have it within us to change.
Procurement isn’t just for
sector procurement. It is
For example, we could
procurement, it is part of
all just good procurement.
spend less on uniforms and
the system that everybody
We should be taking the
use them more smartly;
is responsible for.
very best at what we are
and that’s just one way in
COVID has shown
I don’t buy into this idea
able to tap into. The constant journey
which we can be more stra-
us why public sector
tegic when it comes to the
procurement, at times, is
of transformation is about
procurement function here.
amongst the best because
keeping it fresh and people
it does need to be adapt-
are a key part to making
about getting the most out
able and this is impor-
that happen. For me and
of the process, not about
tant as we move beyond
WMP, if procurement is
fixing a gaping chasm. I
COVID and maintain the
serving itself and not the
see this as about improv-
balance between our effi-
organisation, it’s missing
ing our general wellbeing
ciency and effectiveness
the point entirely.
This journey has been
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transformation to become a much more modern, agile and more responsive police force that was also an efficient, commercially viable, fit for purpose police estate. Jon Strelitz was brought in as Head of Contracts & Procurement, coming off the back of significant procurement experience with ENGIE. A key part of his remit was to foster better infrastructure and development for West Mercia’s officers and staff to reach their potential whilst providing value for money for the public and create a network of partners, public and third sector agencies working alongside the police to deliver a safer
Jon Strelitz MCIPS, Head of Contracts & Procurement
West Mercia. “Like any organisation we have func-
the organisation in terms of commercial
tional support, in terms of the services
and procurement services. This encom-
and what we deliver to our customers, our
passes categories of spend such as
communities,” he says. “We're a support
fleet, ICT, facilities management, financial
function offering professional support to
services, uniform & equipment, HR, forensics [traditional and digital], Healthcare, custodial and commissioning work. “It is supporting the business in adherence to public procurement regulations, ensuring the governance and transparency in terms of how we award contracts to our suppliers.” One of the biggest challenges procurement professionals have faced over the last decade when bringing change to the organisation is a lack of understand-
R i c h a rd M u i r h e a d , C FO We st M e rc i a P o l i c e
ing as to what procurement can bring to 7
JULIAN MOSS BSC (HONS), MFPH D E P U T Y C H I E F C O N STA B L E , W E ST M E R C I A P O L I C E We’ve always been good
is much more supported.
a better job and we’ll have
at getting project support
I’m seeing fewer prob-
more people to serve the
without any early steer
lems coming through as a
community. We’ve got a
from procurement, which
result of poor procurement
public duty to make sure
has come in far too late.
processes.
that we’re as effective and
With Jon, we’ve made
The reality of what the
efficient as we can be in
the right decisions and
public sees and values is
supporting the service
gone through effective
people. 80% of our costs
that we deliver, which is all
procurement exercises,
are on our greatest asset,
delivered through people.
and been given the right
our people. If we can
advice in setting contracts
spend less on uniforms
organisational mindset
and SLAs. We are now
and use them smartly to
that things took a long
capable of holding those
save time and effort, then
time. The use of tech-
to account. Procurement
our people are able to do
nology, different ways of
I think there was an
connecting and agile ways of working, were probably the most visible. Look at where we’ve come so far with procurement and just look at what we can now do. Our greatest legacy from this will be this sense of recognising what procurement can really do for the organisation and how fast and effectively it can do it, which has been one of the real bugbears of the public sector. P ro cure m e nt fo r t h e p eop le
the table. Be it the public or the private sector, procurement’s biggest challenge has been storytelling and so when we hear talk of ‘having a seat at the table’ this represents a giant leap in the right direction for the function. The journey towards getting there however, is not so simple. Procurement knows procurement, but does anyone else? And how do you go about convincing a legacy laden organisation that this new look procurement is right for the business? Rachel Hartland Lane, Director of Business Services, believes that there was a certain ‘mystique’ about procurement prior to this current journey. “Quite often procurement was brought in too late in terms of conversations,” she says. “A last minute thought rather than building it into our business case fully and ensuring that we build in those efficiencies early to maximise the marketplace and get the best value from it,” she says. “We're on a journey, but we're not there yet. We’re starting to demystify procurement, I think, in the organisation so that people understand the value that procurement can add to their business.” This is a journey built around people understanding the value they can really bring to the organisation. Jon speaks of how a strategy doesn't have a start or an end point. It evolves as it progresses, 9
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2100507_4
and he was keen to help people evolving along with it against the overarching strategy of WMP. For Clare Griffiths, Procurement Officer in Forensics, this evolution is a top to bottom evolution, not simply one of procurement. “It’s about getting everybody involved. It's not just the procurement staff, or people that work in procurement,” she says. “It's got to be everybody involved, from the budget holders, even the officers on the
Rachel Hartland Lane (MA), (BA Hons), (MCIPD) Director of Business Ser vices
ground. They have to be aware of what procurement really means, and how it can impact on their role.” This notion of understanding what procurement is and what it can do not only for the business as a collective but for each and every person’s role is an important one for Jon and his team. During his time within the private sector, the fast paced nature meant that there was a constant process of
Richard Walden MCIPS Procurement Business Partner
winning or losing contracts, mobilising and demobilising, or implementing new ideas, concepts or goals together with drivers coming for all parts of the business. Without a competent and well-structured procurement team in place this would all fall apart. While public sector procurement does differ in some places, this complex ecosystem is a challenge shared. As Wendy Hancock, Procurement
G e o r g e Ta i t , M C I P S Procurement Business Partner
11
P ro cure m e nt fo r t h e p eop le
Officer, says: “Given our commercial transformation and the work we did there, without procurement things would have gotten quite messy, quite quickly. People would not have known what the correct processes were, causing significant headaches. People know their own roles, but they don't know everybody else's and this has often been the case with procurement. With Jon coming in and
Nicola Gallimore MCIPS Senior Procurement Officer
the strategy we have in place, a lot more people are aware of what we do and what benefits we can bring.” Any procurement professional will tell you that a journey of this nature is simply not possible without having the right people and the right skill sets, equipped with the right tools, to make it possible and to continue pushing procurement higher and higher to further support the organisation. With WMP, Jon was blessed with an incred-
David Richardson MCIPS Senior Procurement Officer
ible team of procurement professionals who not only believed in this transformation journey, but truly believed in procurement and what it can do to support policing, allowing local communities to feel much safer and better protected. When bringing about change, particularly in a function that looks to better align itself with all areas of the organisation, the significance of collaboration and communication cannot be overstated. We hear of procurement transformations driven by a
We n d y H a n c o c k M C I P S Procurement Officer
13
new CPO who comes in and outlines the
world gets ever quicker, doesn't it?” he
road ahead for the business and while
says. “This is the fastest we've ever moved,
Jon does fit the description, by his own
but it's the slowest we will ever move.
admission this is not his vision. It’s not
It just gets faster and too much control
even his boss’. “It is ours. It is the team
can really get in the way. Collaboration is
strategy,” he says. “It was incredibly
everything. Finance and procurement,
important to align people to that strat-
for me, really do need to be close together
egy where their greatest strengths are.
to truly enable the organisation.”
They are the subject experts, not me, so it's about engaging with everybody.” “This strategy sits up high, but that
Jon is a big believer in his team and the people around him because he understands how each and every decision
doesn't mean if you're a procurement
that he or his team makes impacts those
officer it's any more out of reach than
officers out in the field, which in turn
myself. We're all on a level playing field.
impacts the people in the communities
It is our strategy to deliver and we are all
around them. Perhaps one of the most
contributing to the goals and the priori-
rewarding things for Jon and his team,
ties within that plan.”
when viewing it through the private vs
This sentiment is echoed by Richard
public sector lens, is that they can see
Muirhead, CFO. As the CFO, arguably
first-hand what their roles bring to the
he more than anyone else has the most
organisation and how they play a key
significant relationship with the CPO. “The
role in making a real difference. “It is
P ro cure m e nt fo r t h e p eop le
incumbent on my team to support the business to get the best deal possible so that we drive a more effective benefit to the communities we serve,” he says. “A real difference in terms of the way I see what I do compared to my time in the private sector, is that it's less about private profitability and pleasing the shareholders. Here, I want us to be the most efficient police force in the country.
Clare Griffiths MCIPS Procurement Officer
“It's quite an exciting time. West Mercia Police, yes it's a police force, but it's a brand. How can we use the supply chain, the innovation that's out there and the opportunities around social value, how do we help drive that into our communities where we can support the police in doing what they're there to do? That for me is a real opportunity. I am immensely proud in looking at how we can really affect change. That's what I want my team to believe, because if they think it
Fa r zad Ze b Procurement Officer
and believe it, they act it.” And believe it they do, as Farzad Zeb, Procurement Officer, highlights the need for true alignment. “It's all about having that strategic vision and mission, and a clear direction from the business knowing what they want in the future. Policing has the value around serving the people, serving the communities. It’s making sure that our business strategy is aligned to that frontline policing strategy,” he says.
Ad a m P r i t c h a rd Procurement Officer
15
P ro cure m e nt fo r t h e p eop le
17
“The environment is constantly chang-
infrastructure, results are needed. In
ing, and because of the external pres-
public sector procurement, where the
sures policing needs to adapt to those
funding comes from the very public
changes. We need to be able to adapt
that WMP looks to serve, the need for
ourselves to that change and provide
results, transparency and compliance is
frontline officers with the latest tech-
compounded. And so it should be. But
nology, for the best price, following the
what does this mean then for Jon and
right process and making sure we future
his team and this transformation jour-
proof. With Jon and the team that we
ney? The new commercial model for
have, we are able to get the best out
procurement and for the organisation as
of each other to really drive value and
a whole has already begun to bring about
support that overarching strategy and
wholesale changes to the way in which
frontline policing.”
the organisation operates. Success
In procurement, cost savings often
here will have a huge knock on effect
speak the loudest. When it comes to
for both WMP and its relationships with
a procurement transformation, deliv-
local suppliers and governing bodies, but
ering change and implementing new
also on a national scale. But ultimately,
P ro cure m e nt fo r t h e p eop le
success will be defined by those within the organisation as well as those it touches in the local communities. Adam Pritchard, Procurement Officer, is relatively new to WMP and to the public sector. Much like Jon he came from a private sector background. Transparency, compliance and due diligence are some of the biggest differences he has seen so far on his journey. “West Mercia Police is made up of thousands of employees and on top of that is the public. These products and services that we buy and procure relate to and have a tremendous effect on the public,” he says. “There is huge responsibility and integrity that goes into this type of procurement. The private sector was somewhat cutthroat in nature. Here, it's far more methodical. We are spending the public’s
and the evolution of procurement has
money and so we need to make sure we
taken a back seat as it reverts back to its
are using it correctly, and fairly and in a
core responsibility, but for others it has
way that drives value back to them.”
truly accelerated transformation.
Given the last 12 months and the
For WMP change was already afoot
COVID19 pandemic, procurement has
with its WMP2020 five-year vision to
truly entered the spotlight for many. As
create a bold new model for policing
companies have sought to ensure busi-
that brings unparalleled change to the
ness continuity, procurement has played
way the force operates. The procure-
a key role in balancing costs, realign-
ment transformation programme sits
ing supplier relationships and ultimately
within that vision, and while the impact
providing resilience and certainty in a
of COVID19 is undeniable, change was
time of great uncertainty. For some, this
always coming for WMP.
has meant that innovation, digitalisation
Richard Walden, Procurement Business 19
Partner, recognises this. “I see the
maintenance costs guidelines. It is here,
procurement business partner role being
where WMP partnered with Access Group
much more of an interface between the
to leverage its Access Maintain platform.
heads of function and chief officers to
“The platform is cloud based and has an
better understand their challenges, their
app so it can be used on the go and gives
issues and their demands and then shap-
complete visibility and transparency
ing solutions around it,” he says. “You
for West Mercia Staff and importantly
could argue that previously we've been
contractors and end users,” explains Jon.
very reactive as a function. This is a jour-
“As a system, we benefitted immensely
ney towards being proactive, building
from its ease of use and its functionality
real relationships and being more than
to enable enhanced management of our
simply the function that can help achieve
assets across the portfolio, with a key
a savings goal.”
feature in how the system guides users in
That notion of moving forward as a
routing the appropriate response to reac-
stronger organisation, and therefore a
tive work. The system allows the estate
stronger force, is a testament to the work
team to automate the entire workflow,
that Jon and his team have done and
reduce paperwork, emails and manage
will continue to do. Where COVID has
reactive and planned maintenance in a
indeed highlighted the significance of
timely fashion.”
procurement, it has cemented the need
WMP has vastly improved its manage-
for a procurement function that is truly
ment of data to enable the most efficient
aligned to both the strategy of WMP and
planning of reactive work across its
all of its business areas. Earlier this year,
estate and its ability to manage quota-
WMP brought its FM & Estates Services
tion for work so that costs are captured,
in-house and this required not only a new
controlled and auditable.
team to manage a large property port-
“Everything is online and we can access
folio of Police and Fire assets but also
what we need in real time, meaning WMP
the requirement of a CAFM platform that
has full control enabling complete trans-
could give full control and management
parency and visibility across the Estate.”
of reactive maintenance, planned mainte-
Procurement is made up of a strong
nance visits, statutory compliances, risk
team of people, experts in their particu-
management but also a financial solution
lar categories who all work as one and
enabling high levels of control of building
are aligned to the same goals of the
P ro cure m e nt fo r t h e p eop le
organisation. As Jon himself acknowl-
what we want to do. But make no mistake;
edges; it’s highlighted just how impor-
we want to do a lot and we will do a lot in
tant cross-functional collaboration is to
the near future,”
achieving any form of success for WMP.
Rachel Hartland Lane adds: “Our
As WMP emerges from this COVID19
vision and values as a police force are
era, this procurement journey will
to protect people from harm. That's ulti-
continue. It will shift and change as the
mately what we're here to do and so the
world around it, and the face of policing,
efficiency and effectiveness of our police
changes with it. Jon, through all of his
service is absolutely vital. There’s an
years in the private sector, understands
immense amount of pride in ensuring that
that budgets will fluctuate and so he is
we enable our officers and staff to have
keen to stress that he and his team have
everything that they need. Procurement
a duty to continue delivering the best
plays a key role in this, and we don't lose
resources and best value to WMP in order
sight of the fact that everything we do is
for WMP to serve its community both
about protecting our public.”
today, and long into the future. “We must always remember that we are funded by the public purse,” he adds. “We've got a finite amount of budget in 21