Welcome for new technology

Council bosses in Lichfield are celebrating after using new technology to do business cheaper online.

Lichfield District Council is amongst the first local authorities to try the new piece of software, the Bravo Solution e-tendering system, which allows departments to receive and analyse tenders from potential contractors at the click of a button.

And this new technology has already enabled the council to hire a top-of-the-range road sweeper.

The new electronic tendering is extremely efficient as it allows the council to contact numerous potential suppliers online.

These companies then send their information and quotes for the services back to the council, and the e-tendering system sorts out the quotes and helps to find the best ones.

And because it is all done electronically, it saves the council both time and money.

Councillor Matthew Ellis, deputy leader at the district council, said: "We are always looking at making the ways we do business more efficient, so we jumped at the chance to pilot this new software."

Councillor Alan White, cabinet member for operational services, added: "This new online tendering system has proved to be a real winner. Not only has it saved us time and money, it has also helped us to find an excellent footway sweeper more quickly than we could have done using the old paper based tendering system."

The initiative to secure the road sweeper was a pilot for the council, to see how e-tendering works, and jointly involved the organisational development and waste recycling team.

And because it has proved a success more council departments are set to use the new software in the future.

Lichfield District Council is one of the first authorities to use Bravo Solution e-tendering system, as all local government authorities make moves towards e-tendering. The process is seen to be a lot more efficient, and councillors at Lichfield are delighted.