Overhauling IT contracts for a major government department
30 November 2022
A major government department with IT contracts worth £1.1 billion, half of which were expiring within months and could not be legally extended, asked us to help them plan and procure new IT partners. Their current contracts were dated and concentrated on just three suppliers. They wanted to broaden their supplier base, increase competition, move to modern contracts, and find best-in-class solutions for their needs. They were also looking to position the department for future technology transformation projects.
We defined the commercial strategy, put new processes in place and ran agile procurements
We joined the project partnering with the department’s commercial IT function. The current contracts had been in place for years, so the team needed help to formulate a new strategy for procuring suppliers. Collaborating closely, we wrote an up-to-date strategy incorporating best practices to follow for IT sourcing. We put in place new governance, reporting and quality control measures to make procurement processes efficient and likely to result in success. With the strategy finalised we started the procurement – reviewing the marketplace and executing the process.
With tight and firm deadlines on contracts expiring, we ran an agile procurement process. Always looking to improve the processes we were using, we shared knowledge across teams to quickly upskill everyone involved. We tapped Baringa expertise across multiple departments and other government teams when we encountered challenges to overcome them as efficiently as possible. We ran academies and workshops to train the client’s team and to leave a legacy of knowledge and skills. Our approach built great trust with the client - it was clear we were committed to making the project a success far beyond its completion.
New contracts secured on time, and a department in pole position for further transformation
We ran 26 procurement and put 28 contracts in place worth £1.3 billion, and helped the client move from three core suppliers to twelve. Working with a wider supplier base means the department now has more flexibility and contracts more tailored to their needs. They’ve implemented our quality control and governance systems beyond IT, and the commercial function now has the skills and processes in place to run successful procurement projects independently. The department is now able to pursue further transformation of their technology systems.
"Baringa showed total dedication to this project against a challenging deadline. They truly embedded themselves in our team, beyond what we’d expect from most suppliers. They’ve helped us to streamline our processes to deliver more successful procurement projects, and put in place a set of IT contracts that will allow us to transition to our future vision."
Director, Major Government Department
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