Barclays trials electronic procurement system

Barclays Bank has launched a test of Echo, a new e-procurement package, at two NHS Trust sites with a view to rolling it out on a wider scale next year.

Echo is currently providing order management and reconciliation facilities at Peterborough and Reading Trusts. The next stage of the pilot is to extend operation into payment systems in order to cover the whole process.

The traditional approach to procurement tends to be labour-intensive, often at a cost well out of proportion to the value of the order. In addition, about 45% of all orders within the NHS are queried - making this ideal territory for testing a new approach.

Barclays sees this venture as a logical extension of its core financial services.

Procurement costs are coming under increasing scrutiny at many organisations in both the private and public sectors.

Recently, BT announced its intention to shift its suppliers to the internet as the medium for doing business. The company hopes to save about 10% on a multi-billion pound annual spend. And last week, i-FM reported on views put forward by the National Audit Office on steps the government must take to streamline its procurement procedures.

Elliott Chase