Background:

The drive of a well-run repairs service has always been to deliver the customers requirements in an appropriate timeframe to an excellent standard. To do this, whilst providing value for money to the public purse is always a challenge and we are working with an increasing number of landlords to start to share their journeys and collaborate to support the sector to evolve and become more efficient. Procure Plus have frameworks in materials, fleet and waste and are driving efficiencies for landlords by co-ordinating the services together to get the best out of the market.

Where are we:

Materials – We have various landlords at different stages on their journey to a fully delivered service. This involves a combination of the operatives having frequently needed items with them at all times and innovative ways to get the special ad-hoc items to them. The transition from collected to delivered has demonstrated efficiency savings of over £1.6m for one North West landlord and an increase in operative productivity of over 15%. We currently have three active procurements for full material provisions and each one is learning and evolving from each other to get the best from the market

Fleet – Landlords are exploring the move to electric vehicles for their fleet requirements. Initially it was envisaged that operatives would have charge points installed at their homes, but early investigations revealed that this would only be feasible and desired by a proportion of the service. Landlords are now working with us to build vehicle charging into daily routines to ensure this new technology can be embraced whilst optimising operative productivity.

Waste – Waste procurement has often involved a race to the bottom for the price of a skip. We are finding that the price of a skip is one of the least important factors and are concentrating on where the skip or waste facility is located and using the data to identify how frequently the waste should be taken and how it could be segregated.

Where are we going to go:

There are efficiencies in each of these areas of your service that can be realised through procurement, but we are now working with landlords to understand how these efficiencies can be co-ordinated and enhanced further. For example, the procurement of an electrical vehicle will need to consider the range and payload. If the van stock is not correctly managed or the waste provision unsuitable this could lead to an unsuitable vehicle and the associated inefficiencies. By considering the service as a whole we can use our market exposure to truly collaborate and improve.