The importance of purchasing frameworks to the public sector cannot be over-estimated. Through short-lists of pre-qualified suppliers, and standardised and simplified procurement processes, they reduce the costs and risks faced by organisations such as local and central government, charities, healthcare, schools, councils and housing associations that are buying voice and data services.
The screening process for suppliers is rigorous, so companies that make it onto a framework short-list have every reason to be proud of the accreditation, while buyers can be confident that the companies are compliant with prescribed technical competency and business practices.
Growth
Gamma is among the most widely accredited unified communications suppliers, already short-listed on a large range of frameworks and framework equivalents. But 2018 has seen that number of accreditations grow, with additions in a number of key areas.
“Undoubtedly the most significant of those is our listing for RM3825 – the HSCN Dynamic Purchasing System which makes us an approved partner for organisations that want to connect electronically into core NHS applications,” observes Gamma’s head of public sector Sam Winterbottom.
“With the addition of the RM3825 framework we can also now partner with non-NHS enterprises that need a data link to NHS systems in order to operate more effectively.”
Savings
Gamma has some 500 existing public sector customers – among them healthcare trusts, local and county councils, charities, housing associations and around one third of Britain’s universities – who report savings of as much as 20% or more in their call and infrastructure costs.
That number is certain to grow since the addition of further accreditations including the Kent County Supplies Framework. Conceived by Kent County Council, it is open to use by any public body in the UK needing to buy telephony and data solutions.
The Scottish Telephony Services dynamic purchasing system – another new 2018 accreditation for Gamma – aims to achieve similar cost and time-saving results for public sector organisations north of the border.
“We have demonstrated time and time again how organisations currently using legacy communications infrastructure and services can show immediate savings and productivity benefits by switching to contemporary solutions. Frameworks help us to make that process as easy and as cost effective as possible,” says Winterbottom.