e-Purchasing overview

e-Purchasing will replace current SAP purchasing practices carried out by LCC’s non-schools staff. 

The introduction of e-Purchasing will enable an improved SAP Purchase Order process, by delivering e-Purchasing through SAP EBP (Enterprise Buyer Professional), in addition e-purchasing will utilise an integrated marketplace from which LCC staff can purchase goods and services from approved vendors.

The objectives of e-Purchasing are:

• To provide an efficient SAP purchase to pay process which will give more control over what the Council spends to ensure that better value for money is achieved
• To enable an electronic purchase to pay cycle for both catalogued and free text purchasing which reflect our contracts
• To allow all requisitioners to order goods and/or services electronically through the e-Marketplace via SAP EBP
• To improve the management of the non-schools vendor list
• To better control access to vendors

The benefits to LCC of e-Purchasing are:

• Improved purchasing by having a more streamlined, automated and fully auditable end to end purchasing process
• Reduced postage costs as there will be an increase in electronically sent orders (due to better vendor data and a better process),
• Improved control over purchase order authorisations by streamlining the order process and enabling workflow so that the authorisation is always routed to the right person
• Increase in the number of control reports to enable the effective monitoring of deviations
• Improved compliance with the ordering process to deliver good purchasing practice
• Improved spend analysis.  The new structure will support category management so that Procurement Lincolnshire will have access to overall spend detail. This will support procurement contract decisions in the future and enable more controlled negotiation with suppliers to reduce item costs, thus delivering further value for money
• Better management of vendors and their goods and services by sign posting purchasers to approved vendors and catalogues, to ensure that we are only using vendors that offer better value for money
• Improved access and usability for staff to SAP purchasing
• Improved data accuracy
• Improved reputation of the Council with Creditors

Please contact bs_purchasing_and_facilities@lincolnshire.gov.uk if you have any queries or would like some more information.

Frequently asked questions are available on the downloads tab at the top of this page.