Strategy. Policy. Action plan. The three crucial documents to structure and control procurement within your organisation.

In addition to strategic procurement advice to senior leadership, the Cirrus team can develop effective strategy and policy documentation to underpin your procurement direction. This can either be the alignment of your existing documentation with best practice, or, following consultation with the relevant personnel within your organisation, production of bespoke documentation that meets your corporate and VFM objectives.

We have detailed experience of producing procurement strategies and advised the previous Audit Commission Housing Inspectorate on how to assess strategies and procurement in general as part of the now-superseded KLOE inspection regime.

Procurement advice and training at all levels from introductory workshops for non-technical staff through to sector orientation workshops for procurement professionals.

Recognised experts in Public Procurement legislation, we provide practical and realistic guidance on the regulations and legislation affecting procurement in the housing and public sector.

Bespoke training to address specific procurement learning requirements can be provided on request.

For more details contact either Claire Paton cpaton@cirruspurchasing.co.uk Tel: 07828 143935 or Tashi Jackson tjackson@cirruspurchasing.co.uk Tel: 07904 674499.

Procurement Reviews of either whole organisations or specific departments/group subsidiaries, covering all aspects of organisational procurement including:

• Benchmarking of current value for money against our extensive database of market rates and deals across the sector
• Identifying opportunities for cost savings and other efficiencies
• Options appraisals to inform strategic direction and choice of supply model e.g. stores and materials supply options appraisals
• Structure and resource allocation for purchasing within the organisation
• Regulatory compliance audits
• Efficiency of purchasing processes and mechanisms

Cirrus Consortium frameworks provide quick, easy and flexible access to a range of products and services. All of our current frameworks were procured via the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015), and therefore all contracts under them (existing and future call-off contracts) will continue to be procured and managed in line with PCR 2015 until they expire.

The frameworks are available for use by all contracting authorities across England, Scotland and Wales including Registered Providers of Social Housing, Local Authorities and NHS Trusts.

Every contracting authority that uses a Cirrus Consortium framework agreement qualifies for free membership to the consortium. This allows the member organisations to have an active input to the frameworks under the consortium, while retaining the ability to use framework suppliers, contractors and service providers autonomously.

Current consortium frameworks include:

• Building materials, including managed services, general build, plumbing & heating, electrical components, highways & civil materials, painting & decorating supplies and tool & plant hire
• Agency labour and recruitment services, including technical role specialist agencies and master vendors
• Kitchen materials supply, including the provision of whole kitchens, component parts and associated supply services
• Waste management, including total waste management, waste drop off solutions, recycling services, skip hire services, hazardous waste management, clinical waste management and waste management consultancy & advice services

For more information about each framework please visit our Frameworks page.

Benchmark exercises which target areas of significant expenditure are powerful tools to identify and drive cost savings. These can be individual targeted projects, or part of a larger strategic review such as a stores options appraisal.

Cirrus Purchasing maintain an extensive database of current market costs, which we use to test the value for money achieved by our clients.

We have undertaken benchmarking analysis for our clients to ensure value for money during contract direct awards, to test the value and price movement in an ongoing contract, to assess mid-contract price reviews, and to validate critical tender results.

With core expertise in the UK public procurement regulations, we have delivered over £8 billion of compliant tenders for contracts, national frameworks, mini-competitions and DPS solutions across a range of categories including:

• Major Works & Decent Homes programmes
• Responsive Repairs and Voids
• Repairs Materials
• Developers/Constructors Frameworks
• Vehicle Fleet
• Audit and other Consultancy Services
• Mechanical & Electrical Services
• Environmental Services & Grounds Maintenance
• Agency Staff Services
• Cleaning & Window Cleaning
• Training

Support can be tailored to suit client requirements, ranging from light touch 'critical friend' guidance during the process to lead consultant role with full responsibility for design and delivery of tender packages, contract and tender documentation, project management, publication of statutory advertisement and award notices, evaluation, award and bidder liaison.

We have managed all our tender projects fully electronically through online tools since 2008.

The Cirrus team bring technical procurement expertise to project management, enabling more informed and effective project delivery.

Lack of time or resources to deliver a project have the same impact as lack of skills, the result can be delays in delivery or sub-optimal outcomes. Engaging additional external support when needed to give your existing team a lift and to deliver projects over and above existing workloads can be a valuable decision.

The Cirrus team do not just represent an additional pair of hands, they are specialists with extensive experience in the delivery of procurement projects from complex tenders through to implementation of managed stores solutions, purchase order processing systems and eProcurement systems.

Cirrus can act as your internal procurement team, integrated into your organisation as an outsourced procurement department. This holistic approach to procurement is an effective alternative to project by project consultancy, or directly employing permanent purchasing staff.

An important feature of the outsourced procurement service is that it is tailored to meet individual client needs. However, typical activities include:

• Management of tenders in compliance with the Procurement Act 2023
• Assessment and improvement of procurement processes
• Benchmarking prices
• Achieving cost savings
• Supplier rationalisation
• Review and/or introduction of policies and procedures
• Procurement training for internal staff

We deliver the service through a combination of scheduled onsite time to co-ordinate specific activities, telephone support, staff training and regular drop in surgery days.

A different approach to business improvement consultancy: A Cascade Review is a procurement, efficiency and viability review of one or more contractors and suppliers to a public sector organisation.

The Cirrus team review the 1st and 2nd tier supply chain to generate shared benefits and savings that cascade through to the public sector organisation itself.
The award winning Cascade Review methodology (previously known as 2nd Generation Partnering) is characterised by:

• Identified savings opportunities in the 1st and 2nd tier supply chain are used to drive efficiency with benefits shared between the client and the contractor
• Drives extra value from existing contracts and partnering agreements while preserving contractor margins
• Contributes directly to client efficiency targets with minimal disruption
• Recognised by the Centre for Construction Innovation, Constructing Excellence, a winner of the North West Regional Construction Awards 2007 and a finalist in the 2007 CIH UK Housing Awards, the Cascade methodology has been tried and tested with organisations of all sizes across the UK

To watch the Audit Commission best practice film about our Cascade Review projects in action in the Social Housing sector, please go to:

• Audit Commission Best Practice Video

The Cirrus team draw on their diverse experience to provide a range of services to commercial clients, including

• Business process and purchasing efficiency reviews
• Cost reduction and efficiency projects
• Hands-on project management and implementation support to deliver strategic level purchasing initiatives
• Advice and support to locate, bid for, and win work. This includes training in how to effectively bid on public sector tenders

Whether you are public, private or third sector, large or small, new, merging or established, an individual organisation, a group structure or part of a consortium, to discuss your specific needs, please contact the team.