The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA)’s ‘Amazon-Style’ online procurement system, the National Police Procurement Hub (NPPH), has gone live in the biggest police force in the country, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).
Authorities in Kent and Suffolk have already begun using the NPPH, created by secure commerce networks specialist Procserve, and a further 23 forces are working towards connection. Almost all forces in England and Wales are expected to be using the Hub by spring 2013.
The electronic marketplace, used to procure items and services such as IT and vehicles, is expected to save the police service £69m over the next six years through support of collaborative working across multiple forces and cost reductions.
Lee Tribe, Director of Procurement for MPS, said:“The MPS have delivered a remarkable achievement in going live with the Hub in five months from a standing start.
“The benefits for our suppliers in automating the ordering process will enable them to avoid re-keying MPS orders into their sales systems and speed up the end to end process. Users within MPS have access to a greater variety of products and services and faster delivery times.”
