Access keys | Skip to primary navigation | Skip to secondary navigation | Skip to content | Skip to footer |
Problems viewing this site
Publications> Purchasing Update - Volume 64 June 2006

Print friendly (PDF, 128kb)

Purchasing Update - Volume 64 June 2006

The State Purchasing Policy – Under Review

Recently the Department of Public Works released an Issues Paper as part of the first round of consultation regarding the review of the State Purchasing Policy (SPP).

Queensland Purchasing’s Director, Evelyn Jelliffe, highlights the importance of ensuring that Queensland’s procurement framework remains a leader in Government buying –

“In 2000, we revolutionised the procurement policy environment in a way which changed the focus from process to outcomes, and gave our agencies greater flexibility in managing their procurement, without compromising accountability. Following the positive response to the 2000 edition, we are now ready to progress to the next logical step in Government procurement policy”.

The aim of this review is to evaluate the SPP to ensure that it encourages a high standard of capability and performance, and is consistent with legislative requirements and Queensland’s international trade obligations. A number of the proposals will result in enhanced governance of procurement, both at the whole-of-Government and the agency level.

It is anticipated that the revised policy and guidance material will be launched in 2007, with an effective date of 1 July 2007.

What is the review going to focus on?

The Issues Paper seeks to canvass the views and opinions of key stakeholders regarding eight main review areas, by considering each issue and making propositions for comment. The Issues Paper raises matters for consultation purposes only, and does not represent Government policy.

The areas raised within the Issues Paper have been identified through Queensland Purchasing’s annual reviews of procurement, its performance capability assessment work with agencies, and topical external developments with an impact on procurement. The eight review areas are:

How you can contribute

As part of consultation, the review team will consider submissions which address the propositions contained within the Issues Paper. The team will be meeting with key stakeholders, including agencies, and supplier and union representative bodies.

Submissions for this review close on Friday, 23 June 2006.

The Issues Paper contains an optional response form, to help you make your submission.

Submissions can be posted to:

The Project Manager – SPP Review
Queensland Purchasing
Department of Public Works
GPO Box 123
BRISBANE QLD 4001

Or emailed to SPP.Review@publicworks.qld.gov.au

To find out more:
If you would like to know more about the review, please contact:

Mr John Dears – (07) 322 42910
Ms Megan Collins – (07) 322 42736

Email: SPP.Review@publicworks.qld.gov.au

Measuring Procurement Performance

This is the second of a two part series on “Measuring Procurement Performance”. The first part of the series was published in the March edition of Purchasing Update. As stated in the first edition, this series is not intended to be a complete “how to guide”, but rather to promote the benefits of measuring procurement performance and provide some ideas to assist procurement professionals in how to establish and implement these concepts.

This series covers the key concepts of measuring procurement performance and includes:

Part one

March Edition
  • Why should you measure Procurement in your organisation?
  • What to consider prior to measuring procurement?
  • What should you measure?

Part two

June Edition
  • Feedback from the first edition.
  • How do you measure procurement performance?
  • How do you implement these measures in your organisation?
  • How should these measures be used?

Measuring Procurement Performance – Part two

Feedback from the first edition

As stated in the first edition, we are part of a large procurement network where the opportunity exists to share good practices and success stories. Two organisations that have successfully focused on measuring procurement performance open to sharing their experiences and ideas are Queensland Health and Queensland Rail.

Health Services Purchasing and Logistics

Bill Stewart, Director Purchasing and Logistics provided excellent feedback on Queensland Health’s initiatives to measure procurement performance. They have recently developed a comprehensive Decision Support System (DSS) to support their planning processes and provide customisable procurement performance reports at all levels within their organisation.

A key message from Bill is to ensure that whatever method is used to report on performance it should align with planning process and performance measurement methods used by the rest of the organisation. In their case they have opted to use a Balanced Score Card (BSC) approach covering performance of the key areas of “customer, paying for health, internal processes and shaping their workforce”.

Queensland Rail

Mark Conaghan, Procurement and Contracting Manager QR Supply, and his team have also been active in developing excellent procurement performance measurement processes. They developed a detailed Vendor Balanced Scorecard. The process sources data direct from SAP and presents results graphically showing trends on a broad range of operational and tactical performance indicators.

Mark’s team have developed some excellent reporting capability, ideal for supplier performance management. See more detail on Supplier Appraisals in this edition of Purchasing Update.

Mark’s message is to determine what you want, how it needs to be presented and then automate it as much as possible. Collecting data manually may not produce accurate results nor is it a sustainable strategy.

Thanks to Bill Stewart and Mark Conaghan for their contributions.

What is important?

Note for revision, Part one in the March edition we covered “what to measure”. Remember, it is critical that what is measured is:

How to measure Procurement Performance?

Once you have determined “what to measure” you now need to focus on “how to measure it”.

In this edition we will work through the key steps of an example of how to measure procurement performance. As each agency has unique requirements and objectives this process is aimed at stimulating thought and further action. The steps below are a guide only, it should be noted that there are other methods to establish performance measurements.

Step 1. Determine what you intend to measure (refer to March Edition).

Example only:

Procurement Measure

Percentage utilisation of SOAs at the agency level and by regions.

Step 2. Determine who you will provide the information to and what will they use it for.

Example only:

Report to Executive Team

They will want a snapshot of performance against overall targets and trends. They will also require comments on what action is being taken on variations (overview only).

Regional/Local Managers

They will want a summary of their regional/cost centre performance as a percentage against the total. They may require more detail on good/service spend against SOA’s if agreed targets are not met.

Procurement Team

(Category Managers)

They will want variations on each SOA – by supplier, by region and by goods/services. This will provide them with a focus on how to address negative variations against targets (i.e. managing supplier performance or internal customer’s behaviour). It will also provide information to promote the benefits of good procurement throughout the organisation.

Step 3. Determine what information you need to source to provide the information in the format required.

You may need to determine how you will measure the performance.

In this example: SOA % utilisation =
Spend by SOA Vendor x 100
Total spend 1 1

Example only (assuming SOA covers all materials within the product category):
Percentage of utilisation of SOA Data required for each SOA:
1. Total spend by good/service.
2. Spend on good/service for SOA vendor.
3. Require data in rolling 12 month figures.
4. Prefer data presented in excel spreadsheet.

Step 4. Source and Verify Data Accuracy.

Where practicable look for standard reports from your Finance Management Systems (i.e. SAP). If these are not available seek assistance to source the data. Verify the accuracy of the information. (One of the most common problems is inaccurate data.) Inaccurate data can undo a lot of hard work particularly if results are used to deal with supplier performance issues or as the basis for procurement planning processes.

Step 5. Develop reports.

Determine how performance measures are reported in your organisation and ensure you present data in a similar way. There are numerous methods of reporting such as:

Example only:

Step 6. Analyse the results.

It is important that you understand what the results are telling you and to use these to focus on maintaining existing good practices and, where necessary maximise opportunities for improvement. It is important that these results are used as a continuous improvement process and not just reported. Understanding the results prior to circulation will enable you to more effectively communicate what the results mean to the business.

Example: In the example provided, the target should be 100% of spend against the SOA. Any variations should be validated.

Utilisation of SOA



Comment:
Target Spend on SOA 100%. Actual Spend on SOA 95%. 5% variation due to the need to source SOA items in regional location outside of standard delivery channel. Items supplied by regional supplier using a completive process. Demand was for a one-off project. No need to change arrangement with Supplier.

Step 7. Communicate the results

This is a critical step. Often procurement professionals neglect the need to “sell” the benefits of good procurement.

Focus on who you are sending the information to, what they would expect and what you expect from them. Spend the time to plan how you can effectively communicate the procurement performance measures. There are many avenues available to communicate the outcomes, such as formal reporting, team briefings, on line update, presentations etc. The main point is to highlight the good results as much as the areas for improvement and to explain what actions are being taken to address negative variations.

Continuous Improvement Process

On a regular basis you should consider how you can use the procurement performance measures to improve the procurement performance and profile within your organisation.

You should also regularly ensure that the information you have provided is accurate, appropriate, accepted and the expected outcomes were met.

There are numerous applications for good quality procurement performance measures including:

Feedback

Once again, Queensland Purchasing would appreciate feedback on any challenges faced in your agency and how these have been addressed as well as any performance measures that you may find valuable. We welcome feedback, especially success stories in relation to the impact of successfully implementing procurement performance measures.

We aim to publish positive examples in the September edition of the Purchasing Update.

Please e-mail your feedback to: betterpurchasing@qp.qld.gov.au with email subject: Procurement Performance Measurement.

Whole of Government Arrangements and Contracts

Queensland Purchasing recently has gone out to the marketplace to source a solution to improve the management of whole-of-Government Arrangements/Contracts.

The proposed solution will allow Queensland Purchasing to manage the full lifecycle of these Arrangements/Contracts from Procurement Planning through to Contract Management.

Following selection of a suitable solution an initial 'pilot phase' will be conducted to test the capabilities of the proposed solution against Queensland Purchasing's requirements. It is anticipated that upon the successful completion of this phase, the system will be implemented across Queensland Purchasing.

Offers for this solution have been received and are currently under evaluation.

Further information can be obtained by contacting Melissa Jeffs on (07) 3224 5825.

A New Look QGBC

The Queensland Government Buyers Catalogue (QGBC) has undergone a “revamp”. The QGBC enhancements were driven by valuable input from users about how the ‘look and feel’ of the site could be improved. The website continues to offer Government buyers access to a wealth of information on Standing Offer Arrangements, panel and preferred supplier arrangements available to government departments and agencies.

Enhancements include a fresh new front-page look, removal of outdated historical information and a complete revision of the SOA Manager and Purchasing Officer User Guides. The revised User Guides have been designed to provide clear and practical instructions, with full colour screen captures to guide users through the system.

Guides are now in printer-friendly PDF format, which allows users to easily navigate through each document. Overall these changes will provide users with an improved experience when utilising the Queensland Government Buyers Catalogue.

If you have any further feedback about the QGBC enhancements, please contact Darren Mulvenna on (07) 3224 8053 or Susan Brockwell on (07) 3224 2699 or email qgbc@qp.qld.gov.au.

‘Buy Green – Sustainable Procurement’ website

What is sustainable procurement? What are the benefits? How can I buy green and justify it? What can my agency do to help support me to buy green?

Queensland Purchasing’s new addition to its website – Buy Green: Sustainable Procurement - provides the answers to these questions and more.

The website is progressively being updated to provide practical resources and tools to Queensland Government purchasers to enable you to buy green.

Research shows that many staff who are involved in procurement (eg. Purchasing officers, end users of the purchased product/service, managers who control budgets, tender evaluation panels etc) would like to purchase products which are better for the environment and deal with suppliers which are socially responsible. But often, staff don’t know how to include these elements into their procurement process. Even purchasing something as simple as office paper can be tricky when you want to ‘buy green’. This website is aimed at trying to take the trickiness out of sustainable procurement.

One of the tools which is currently available is the ‘Quick Guide to product information’ for high volume, commonly purchased items, for example, office paper, printers, multi-function devices, photocopiers, computers, toner cartridges, whitegoods etc. More items will be progressively added to the list which helps purchasers to understand the environmental issues with these products and specify environmentally friendly products.

We believe the best approach to buying green is to encourage purchasers to move along the green product continuum - to purchase a 'greener' product than you are currently using – there is no insistence that you buy the 'greenest'. In other words, each bit counts and is a step towards helping the environment.

Check the website regularly for updated information and new resources. If you have any feedback please contact Michelle Lavery, telephone 3404 5235 or email betterpurchasing@qp.qld.gov.au.

Development Opportunities

QP continues to support the development of procurement skills across the sector. One method available to Procurement Professionals is to join and participate in industry association activities. Depending on your area of interest, there are often relevant conferences, site visits and other educational activities that will enhance the knowledge and skills of procurement specialists.

In July, there is a 'Supply Chain Conference' hosted by the major procurement and affiliated associations covering a wide range of procurement related topics. Details can be found at http://www.qldscc.com.

Graduate Profiles

Tage Tveit – Queensland Purchasing

Queensland Purchasing Procurement Professional Graduate Tage Tviet, shares his graduate procurement journey, study background, thoughts on procurement and aspirations for the future. Katharine Ghidella, Procurement Services Manager at Queensland Purchasing supervised Tage during his first placement with QP’s Procurement Services unit, discusses the graduate program.

PU: Where did you study at university, what did you study, favourite subjects, did you study full-time/part-time?

TT: I did my undergraduate Bachelor of Business, majoring in Economics and International Business at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). I then studied a postgraduate, Master of Science in International Business at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. As part of this degree I also got to spend one semester in Scotland at the University of Stirling. Originally being from Norway I was lucky enough that the country has a system where students are supported financially during their studies by receiving a grant and a student loan.

It was in The Netherlands that I was first introduced to the procurement profession through a subject ‘Purchasing Management’. Because it was something quite new to me I found it to be extremely interesting and challenging.

PU: How did you find out about the Procurement Professional graduate program?

TT: I was actually first told about the graduate program by a good family friend who works for the Department of Communities in Innisfail, Far North Queensland, and who happened to hear about it when she was at a Queensland Purchasing Government Buyers Session. After hearing about it I sent an email to the Graduate Program Manager asking for some more information about the program. She then came back to me saying the program would be advertised in the newspaper the following weekend.

PU: What interested you in procurement as a career?

TT: It wasn’t until I was doing my postgraduate degree I first got interested in procurement and started thinking about it as a possible career opportunity. What really spurred my interest and made me think about the benefits of a procurement career was the low profile procurement has and the opportunity the future presents as the profession becomes more recognised. In the ‘Purchasing Management’ subject I completed we were presented with examples of the impact and benefits good procurement has on an organisation. The opportunity to make a real difference and be able to increase profitability in a tangible way really appealed to me.

PU: What type of projects are you working on?

TT: Because I am with Queensland Purchasing I have been lucky enough to work on a range of different projects including standing offer arrangements (SOAs) and other special projects. At the moment I am involved in the Procurement Service section (Phase 1) of my placement with SOAs for Bulk Fuel as well as Aviation Fuel. I am also involved in other SOAs including Tyres and Associated Services, Safety Equipment, Clothing and Footwear, and Salary Packaging.

I am also involved in a project where Queensland Purchasing provides specialist advice in regards to the purchasing of furniture, fittings and equipment to the Millennium Arts Project which involves the new Queensland Gallery of Modern Art and the State Library, both situated on South Bank in Brisbane. I will also be working with the Travel Management Unit at Queensland Purchasing, and the Policy area.

PU: Where do you see the procurement profession heading in the future?

TT: I think procurement is going to gain a lot of recognition for the positive impact it can have on organisation. Since I am now discovering the large benefits arising from good procurement practices I am surprised of the low profile the field of procurement has, especially compared to other professions such as marketing and accounting.

This is despite the huge impact it can have on an organisation’s bottom line. The evidence is shown by the few number of university courses that offer procurement. I think procurement today is what human resource management was 10-15 years ago and I think the importance of good procurement to an organisation will rapidly gain recognition as more and more people are becoming aware of the benefits it offers, just as human resource management has done.

PU: Who or what inspires you in your professional life?

TT: I am inspired by people who know what they want and are able to set goals that will take them there. I think an important part of reaching your goals is the ability to clearly plan out ‘what they are’ and make a plan of ‘how to get there’.

I also find inspiration in people that are always trying to improve, not just themselves, but also the work they do. It is motivating to work with people that are always looking for better ways of doing things and ways of achieving better results. When working with such people it is easy to be inspired and aim for the same quality in my own work.

PU: What motivates you outside work?

TT: I really enjoy training and hanging out with mates. It is a great way to relax your mind and focus on something different. It’s good to have a laugh and be able to talk about anything and everything. Often answers to things you have been unable to find the answer to comes to you when you aren’t focussing on it and thinking about it.

Katharine Ghidella, Procurement Services – Queensland Purchasing

PU: Describe the procurement area in your agency.

KG: The Procurement Services group in Queensland Purchasing is a team of 22 dedicated professionals who perform a range of procurement functions across the sector. The group establishes and manages around 12 whole-of-government standing offer arrangements, provides procurement advisory services and handles a number of agency-specific purchasing arrangements on behalf of a range of government agencies. Procurement Services also provides Quality Assurance certification services, and handles the disposal of surplus government assets through our Government Disposals Unit.

PU: What type of work is your Procurement Graduate working on?

KG: Tage is working on a range of projects in Procurement Services. He is assisting several of our senior procurement officers on a number of standing offer arrangements, from the early phases of Planning for Significant Purchase and review (eg. Bulk and Aviation Fuel), through the tendering process (eg. Salary Packaging) and the ongoing contract management and KPI review process. He is also involved with a cross-government working party on Bulk Fuel, which will introduce him to the importance of the consultation process in government, particularly for whole-of-government procurements. He is also involved in large and complex agency specific procurement (of ‘FFE’ – furniture, fittings and equipment), on behalf of Project Services, for the Millennium Arts Project. He will shortly be spending some time in our Queensland Purchasing Government Disposals unit, and seeing how value is achieved even in the final stage of a product’s lifecycle, through timely and appropriate disposal.

PU: What are the organisational benefits of participating in the program?

KG: The Graduate program will bring tertiary-qualified professionals from other, related disciplines (business, economics, finance, ICT, law) into the procurement profession. This will broaden the skills base within the profession by bringing useful business and analytical skills to the procurement process. Given the importance of procurement to the Queensland Government, it is critical that we continue to attract skilled professionals to ensure the delivery of core goods and services at the best value for money.

Karen Guest – Corporate Solutions Queensland

Corporate Solutions Queensland Procurement Professional Graduate, Karen Guest discusses her study background, graduate experience, procurement projects and outlook for the future. Manager, Alan Cameron talks about CSQ’s procurement and Karen’s involvement as a Procurement Graduate.

PU: Where did you study at university, what did you study, favourite subjects, did you study full-time/ part-time?

KG: I studied at Griffith University, Logan campus and completed a Bachelor of Information Technology with a major in eCommerce. Prior to this I completed a Bachelor of Arts degree (Central Qld University) with majors in: communication, sociology, welfare, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander studies. With my Information Technology studies I worked full-time and studied part-time. My favourite subjects were in the eCommerce major: eCommerce, eCommerce architecture and design, business processes and models, interactive/internet marketing, and eBusiness. I also enjoyed systems development and user interface design.

PU: How did you find out about the Procurement Professional graduate program?

KG: I registered to receive employment information online through SEEK, primarily in the IT field, and the Procurement Professional program turned up in my employment emails.

PU: What interested you in procurement as a career?

KG: I completed a major in eCommerce in my Bachelor of Information Technology and found myself attracted to the business side of information technology. The challenge was to find a job that offered a combination of business and information technology activities. This is where the job advertisement for the Procurement Professional graduate program caught my attention and I just knew that procurement was what I wanted to do.

PU: What type of projects are you working on?

KG: I am currently working on a RFO for an information technology consultancy where TAFE is the client. I have found this to be extremely interesting and as a bonus I have a keen interest in the focus of the RFO. I am also undertaking a process review of operational and regional procurement teams in our office that involves documenting and analysing existing practices through to considering approaches for best practice. As an aside, I volunteered to help my supervisor in organising a Government team for the Corporate Games which I have also enjoyed.

PU: Where do you see the procurement profession heading in the future?

KG: I see the procurement profession continuing to increase its profile in the public and private sector. Queensland Purchasing is driving the increase in profile through the offering of the Procurement Professional graduate program and nationally recognised certification levels. This increase in profile, will see well trained procurement professionals in high demand, as well as increase community interest in seeking procurement positions for those who want to work in a changing and interesting environment.

PU: Who or what inspires you in your professional life?

KG: Who inspires me at work is most definitely my supervisor, Alan Cameron. He has been the most encouraging, fair and interesting person you could ask for as a supervisor. What inspires me is my desire to achieve and do the best job I can in order to achieve a positive outcome for my future.

PU: What motivates you outside work?

KG: My family! And my desire to do things out of the ordinary. I have a volunteer mindset where I want to help and encourage others. As such I have a strong commitment to an organisation called Women in Technology that focuses on the advancement of women in technology through various programs, including an annual scholarship programme for which I have been a judge and also a girls in ICT programme which is in part sponsored by the Queensland Government.

Alan Cameron – Business Manager, Procurement and Facilities Services, CSQ

PU: Describe the procurement area in your agency.

AC: Corporate Solutions Queensland provides corporate services to a cluster of 11 agencies including 15 TAFE Institutes, throughout the State. The Procurement & Facilities Services group undertakes tactical and operational procurement activities as well as accommodation, fleet and telecommunications services for the 11 Government agencies.

PU: What type of work is your Procurement Graduate working on?

AC: Karen has undertaken some operational procurement for TAFE institutes and is currently undertaking work in the Tactical Procurement team. The main focus of this team is on tenders and offers, either for specific agency needs or setting up arrangements from which a group of agencies can purchase products more efficiently and more economically. The work program for Karen has been developed so it covers aspects of tactical procurement, operational procurement, supply strategy formulation, managing supply arrangements and strategic procurement. Because of Karen’s background she is also undertaking a process review of operational and regional procurement teams.

PU: What are the organisational benefits of participating in the program?

AC: Since the establishment of the Shared Services provider arrangements in the Queensland Public Sector we have had considerable difficulty in recruiting experienced and skilled Procurement Officers. The QP Graduate Recruitment Program has been successful in attracting quality graduates to the field. The Graduate located in CSQs Procurement Team is proving to be a valuable asset to our team and is keen to be involved in all aspects of procurement.

In reviewing our practices and tender documentation as part of normal duties our graduate has identified a number of improvements. Having a new team member approach things in a different light has been of benefit to CSQ and its clients.

Graduates participating in the program will certainly enhance the pool of available applicants for procurement positions in the near future.

The research and analytical skills, learned through their graduate studies, that these officers bring to our procurement activities will benefit our clients. As well these skills and knowledge can be passed on to others in the team. There don't seem to be any losers from the outcomes of the program.

Are you getting what you negotiated in the contract?

The importance of managing supplier performance

During the term of a supply arrangement it is vital that procurement officers proactively manage the arrangement to ensure that their agency gets what it has negotiated.

Establishing and monitoring Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is an effective way of doing this. The absence of regular supplier performance appraisals against agreed KPIs may lead to unsatisfactory outcomes for agencies (e.g., substandard product quality, diminished service levels).

Some of the ways in which your agency can manage supplier performance:

Dealing with variations

Purchasing officers are commonly required to deal with supplier requests for price variations. It is reasonable to expect suppliers wanting to pass on additional costs arising from input price increases (e.g., raw materials, labour) or higher operating costs (e.g., fuel) and this is often written into long term (>1 year) supply arrangements. However, there have been occasions where some suppliers have used a general upward movement in prices not only to cover additional costs, but to also improve margins. Therefore, to ensure value for money for their agency as well as being fair to the supplier, buyers should ask themselves the following questions when faced with a request for a price (increase) variation:

For more information concerning supplier performance:

Travel Management Unit Update

Qantas – New Fares

By now most travel bookers will have experienced the new range of private fares which were negotiated with Qantas specifically for Queensland Government travellers. These fares are quoted by Qantas Business Travel (QBT) with the discount pre applied – the price quoted is the price you pay. I’m sure everyone would agree that the new system is a vast improvement over the previous arrangement where discounts were applied to invoices.

However, the introduction of the new system has had some teething problems especially with call response times from QBT. The protracted response times have been attributed to call centre staff explaining the new pricing arrangements to callers, compounded by a spike in demand generated by emergency services associated with cyclone Larry. The Travel Management Unit (TMU) is working with QBT and monitoring the situation to ensure the waiting time is substantially reduced. Should bookers still be experiencing long response times, please advise your department’s travel co-ordinator who will pass on this information to the TMU.

Queensland Government Buyers Catalogue – QGBC

Anybody requiring specific information on the current air travel arrangements (contract conditions and pricing) may access this information themselves through the Queensland Government Buyers Catalogue (QGBC). This site is available to all Government departments and may be accessed through http://www.qgbc.qld.gov.au. If you don’t already have a password for access, click on the “Request Account” button, fill the form out and submit. Your request will be processed within 24 hours.

Travel Management Unit Website

To allow for faster dissemination of information regarding travel matters in general and in particular the on going development of the Travel Management System, Queensland Purchasing has added a Travel Management Unit link to the Queensland Government Marketplace website. The site is updated regularly with a range of important travel information.

QANTAS American Express Business Travel Account

As a result of Qantas withdrawing its Qantas Charge Card (QCC), Queensland Purchasing, Qantas and American Express have been working together with departments to move all existing QCC accounts to the new American Express billing system. The new account known as QAEBTA offers enhanced invoicing features which will appear on your monthly statements, enriched data reporting for electronic reconciliations (if used) and a range of on line travel management reports.

Under the current change over programme, all departments will be migrated to QAEBTA by 1 July 2006 with the last group receiving their first QAEBTA accounts at the end of July.

It is important to note that this change will have no impact on the booking process or the traveller. The booking process with Qantas Business Travel remains unaltered. Should you have questions regarding the QAEBTA accounts, please contact Cathy O’Leary on (07) 322 48298.

Review for ICT procurement framework

The Office of Government ICT is working to simplify the Queensland Government’s guidelines for ICT procurement within the review of Government Information Technology Contracting (GITC) Version 5.

It is expected that the review will be finalised by the end of 2006 and includes consultation with industry, interstate and commonwealth government agencies.

Phil Woolley, Program Director from the Office of Government ICT said that Version 5 of the Government Information Technology Contracting (GITC) Framework (GITC5) was endorsed by Cabinet in November 2004.

“To a large extent, the changes will reflect feedback received from agencies and industry and will encompass learning’s from the procurement process relating to the purchase of common ICT products and services,” Mr Woolley said.

“It is anticipated the review will result in a simpler and more intuitive GITC5 framework, assisting both the ICT industry and procurement officers,” he said.

For more information visit http://www.gict.qld.gov.au or email Karolina Szydlowska at Karolina.szydlowska@publicworks.qld.gov.au.

Streamlining ICT procurement

The Office of Government ICT is continuing to work with the ICT industry to improve the way government purchases ICT goods and services.

In April, the Office of Government ICT convened two industry focus groups to assist research into improving current ICT procurement practice in government.

A number of Queensland ICT sector peak organisations provided a range of valuable ideas and opportunities that the Office of Government ICT will progress at a government representative forum later in the month.

Project Manager Tim Burton said we’re considering all comments made by the focus groups to ensure all possible improvement opportunities can be implemented.

Observations made by the industry participants in the focus groups were:

“The Office of Government ICT will draw on this industry consultation to develop future resources and training for the Queensland Government. This will foster a consistent approach to ICT procurement throughout the State Government,” Mr Burton said.

Further information contact the Project Manager, Tim Burton, Office of Government ICT on 3235 9362 or email tim.burton@publicworks.qld.gov.au.

Regional purchasing opportunities

A new section “Regional purchasing opportunities” has been added to the Queensland Government Marketplace website. The new section will assist suppliers by identifying the goods and services purchased by different government agencies in different regions throughout Queensland all in the one web-site! Suppliers and industry groups have indicated that they strongly prefer this information one central site rather than searching through individual agency web-sites.

The website is the prime site that both buyers and suppliers access for Queensland Government purchasing information. The site also provides contact details of procurement sections within those regions.

This information will be progressively collected and added to the website for all regional government departments and agencies. The new site is featured online at http://www.qgm.qld.gov.au/03_tenders/reg_contact.

All agencies have been asked to update their regional buying information. For more information email Bob Orchard at Queensland Purchasing: bob.orchard@qp.qld.gov.au.

Queensland Purchasing – Out and About!

Buyers in the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Mount Isa & Toowoomba regions have welcomed Queensland Purchasing staff to deliver the Government Buyers Networking & Information Sessions for 2006.

The sessions are proving to be valuable to government buyers by:

A few satisfied participants have commented:

‘I enjoyed the Government Buyers Networking and Information Session. I think the length was right and the content was interesting. The CD will be of great assistance and it is always great to have the opportunity to meet with other purchasing officers. Thank you’ (C Sharp,QPS – Gold Coast region)

‘Thanks for organising this session and keeping us in the outback included in your schedule. It was very informative, all three of you were easy to listen to and to ask questions of. I will endeavour to use your catalogue now, and make myself more aware of the SOA's so thanks for providing all this information. And, it's good to know who I can speak to now in case I run into any hassles or need some assistance, which is great! (M Strauss, DPI – Mt Isa region)

Where & When?

If you would like to attend a session, please email Karen Askew at karen.askew@qp.qld.gov.au or phone (07) 3235 4329 to register your interest.

Government Disposals turning surplus stock into cash

The Government Disposals unit within Queensland Purchasing has just appointed a new panel of Auctioneers to dispose of assets sold via their Standing Offer Arrangement. The new Arrangement will run until 31 March 2008.

The panel consists of Auctioneers located across the state to help Government Agencies sell, via auction, surplus assets. Agencies from all forms of Government, whether Commonwealth, State or Local, are able to access and benefit from the Arrangement.

Assets can vary widely from general office furniture, IT equipment to plant or machinery. Some items which you may think are worthless could be worth money to your agency.

Agencies can sometimes leave items sitting around for months or even years before getting around to disposing of them. This can result in the items depreciating in value and agencies getting a lesser return.

Government Disposals encourages Agencies to conduct regular checks on surplus items to prevent this potential loss. This can also grant access to office space for agencies as unwanted goods can take up valuable floor or storage area. This space could be used for other more valuable purposes such as re-locating staff.

All you need to arrange a Disposal can be found at the web site http://www.disposals.qld.gov.au here you can download and complete a Disposal Form, attach your list of items to be sold and email or fax it through to our office. Government Disposals will handle everything for you from this point. This includes arranging transport for your items to the Auctioneer and also a full audit of the auction records for your agency.

The service is also recommended by the CMC as “the appropriate government authority for disposals advice and assistance”.

If you have a disposals enquiry please feel free to contact the Disposals Manager Paul Thomasson on (07) 3224 7943 or email disposals@qp.qld.gov.au.

Last updated June 2006

If you are having difficulty downloading, viewing or printing PDF’s and documents please refer to our help page.