Tideway
Building robust procurement.
Tideway is the independent company delivering the Thames Tideway Tunnel. Establishing a new procurement team led Tideway to work with CIPS to build its reputation both internally and externally, identify any gaps in policy and process, and strengthen its credibility with shareholders. After only a short time, the company achieved CIPS Procurement Excellence Standard award.
Procurement Excellence Programme
Why did Tideway choose the Procurement Excellence Programme?
Newly established, the company had to create from scratch a strategy, policies and procedures, forward plan, and dedicated professional team to support their procurement activity. Their vision was to secure value for money and compliance regarding corporate spend, through the delivery of sound professional procurement advice and management of procurement and supply chain risk.
Once the team was up and running, following the CIPS Procurement Excellence Programme meant enhancing the function on several levels, including:
- Meeting regulatory compliance and securing value for money
- Managing the challenge of buying for a time-limited project, meaning it will never be a long-term client
- Identifying gaps in policies and procedures to enable continuous improvement
- Motivating and validating its team’s hard work
- Building the procurement team’s reputation with internal and external stakeholders
- Developing the wider team’s awareness of procurement issues, and the need to maintain high ethical standards while seeking value for money
The benefits
Reputation
Improved internal reputation, leading to easier management of stakeholders and a repositioning of the team as a key influencer
Team cohesion
Working towards a shared goal has created a more cohesive team with a shared understanding of policies, processes and practices
Best practices
Mapping job profiles to the CIPS Global Standard has increased understanding of best procurement practice and current thinking
Improvements
Validating processes and analysing gaps has resulted in clear improvements, such as a refined contract management and supplier segmentation approach
About Tideway
Tideway (the trading name of Bazalgette Tunnel Limited) secured the contract to design, build, commission and maintain the Thames Tideway Tunnel.
The 7m diameter, 25km long tunnel, which will run beneath the river Thames in London, will store and transfer tens of millions of tonnes of untreated sewage each year, which currently overflow and pollute the river Thames. Dubbed “the super sewer”, this will be the biggest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the UK water industry. Work started in 2016 and is anticipated to be completed by 2024.
Tideway has made a commitment that every pound it spends is spent in a way that creates maximum value to the project with regards to the environment, health, safety and wellbeing, the economy, and the people of London.
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