EPROC: Sustainable Electronic Procurement

EPROC is a collaborative European initiative with partners from Germany, Holland, Ireland and Wales. It is an e-procurement research project commissioned to encourage and support the adoption of new digital procurement processes and tools by SMEs in the more rural areas, who might otherwise find themselves disadvantaged as a result of new e-procurement systems adopted by their Local Authority.

Working closely with both SMEs and Local Authorities as e-procurement solutions are introduced to SMEs, the project involves:

• Evaluation of approaches taken to bring SMEs into public sector e-procurement;
• Identification of best practice;
• Piloting of new approaches and comparing the performance of rural SMEs with that of urban SMEs.

As an outcome of the project, SMEs can respond positively to requests to "trade electronically". They can understand the implications of what they are being asked to do and have greater knowledge of how to benefit from new e-procurement developments such as on-line tendering. Local Authorities can better understand the capabilities of their SME supplier base thus improving public sector procurement policy in general and also ensuring that their roll out of e-procurement is successful.

EPROC, created to investigate e-procurement policies and strategies across North West Europe was launched in July 2004 and is scheduled to run until March 2007. Supported by European Regional Development Funding under the INTERREG IIIB North West Europe Community Initiative on Territorial Development, EPROC will address the issues that must be dealt with by SMEs to meet this new challenge.

Research Outcomes

One of the main outputs of the project will be a structured method document or implementation roadmap indicating how best for SMEs to chart their preferred course into e-procurement and thereby enhance their trading relationship with the Local Authority.

The EPROC deliverables will also include:

• Piloting suitable "e" solutions between SMEs and LAs engaged during the project to both demonstrate in practice and evaluate how the new e-procurement processes will actually work.
• Case studies on how e-procurement can improve efficiencies in both public administration and small businesses with the objective of increasing the pace at which these practices are adopted
• A set of guidelines to be used by SMEs to chart their progress towards greater and more effective exploitation of internet technology and the digital economy

As a result of EPROC SMEs will be in a much better position to respond positively to requests to "trade electronically". They will understand both the internal and external implications of what they are being asked to do and have greater knowledge of how to benefit from new e-procurement developments.

Local authorities will gain a better understanding of the capabilities of their SME supplier base thus improving public sector procurement policy in general and also ensuring that their roll out of e-procurement is successful.