By purchasing supplies worth €1.2 million the Moselle region General Council hopes to take the brakes off ePurchasing.
The Moselle region General Council has taken an important step towards improving public purchasing productivity by commissioning SynerDeal, a company that specialises in consulting and eSourcing, to conduct reverse electronic auctions for supplies worth a total of €1.2 million. This is the largest purchase carried out on the Internet by a French local authority since the publication of the implementing decrees for the new article 56 of the French Public Contracts Code.
Lionel Fourny, Director General of Services for the Moselle region General Council and President of the French National Association of Regional and Departmental Director Generals and Deputy Director Generals, feels that electronic auctions offer three advantages, saying "Firstly, eSourcing brings substantial cost reductions. We saved 30% by using SynerDeal's solutions. Secondly, it makes methods more efficient. Finally, it's a long-term investment. With the changes in the population pyramid, we will have to deliver the same number of services with fewer civil servants. Electronic auctions are part of our strategy to move towards paperless working procedures".
Encouraged by this initial success, the Moselle region General Council is planning to forge ahead and purchase standard products such as cars, petrol and telephone services. These purchases will provide an opportunity to experiment with receiving electronic tenders. Even more ambitious, ways of dematerialising the Call for Tenders commission are being examined.
Lionel Fourny is hoping to "carry out these other experiments to completely change public service methods". However, there are still a number of obstacles to more widespread ePurchasing; Mr Fourny explains that "The barriers are often cultural. Certain purchasers fear for their jobs, whilst others have adapted to the new electronic tools with ease".
Press
Publications
Back