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8/14/2019 GPC News Dec 2007
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gpcNEWSISSUE 2 | DECEMBER 2007
Happy BirthdayGPC Visa celebrates its 10th birthday
Online ServicesKeep cardholder spend clearly in sight
Leading the wayB&Q implements an electronic
VAT invoicing solution
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WelcomeWelcome to our second issue of GPC News. We received some fantastic
feedback on our first issue in June and hope you continue to find GPC News
informative and helpful in running your GPC Visa programmes.
GPC Visa celebrated its 10th birthday in October, a key milestone and a great
achievement. Key areas of the public sector, such as local government and
higher education, are growing at pace, which proves that GPC Visa still has
the potential to grow and deliver even more exciting savings and results for
the public sector. Local government, which includes schools, has seen an
impressive 238% increase in annual spend on GPC Visa with higher educationseeing a 175% growth in GPC Visa schemes.
Barclaycard Business has recently been successful in securing Framework
Agreement status through OGCbuying.solutions to provide Acquiring Services
for the public sector. This is great news for us and also for you as Barclaycard
Business can now provide you with the ability to make and take payments
through one supplier. For further information please go to pages 1821.
Please feel free to use our dedicated email [email protected] to
forward your comments, feedback and any topics you would like us to covernext year. We have also uploaded a pdf version of this issue on our website
www.barclaycardbusiness.co.uk/gpcnews
Your business is very important to us and we thank you for your continued
custom. I wish you all a successful 2008.
Denise Leleux
Commercial DirectorCommercial Cards and Payment Solutions
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Happy BirthdayGPC Visa celebrates its 10th birthday
Making the most of GPC VisaWe show you how
Have you seen the awards?Announcing June and September winners
e-Procurement and GPC VisaHand in hand
Finding your perfect partnerReviewing suppliers driving greater efficiencies
Argos Business SolutionsAre you getting your discount?
A day in the life ofHow busy is your GPC Visa?
B&Q and VGISLeading the way
Business Travel ShowSee you there
A new dealOGCbuying.solutions announce Acquiring framework agreement
Taking card paymentsThe benefits and how we can help
ePDQ - a whole new worldOpen up your website to online payments
HousekeepingNews and account health check
Further informationWebsite, contact details and other useful information
ontents
16
17
10-11
4-5
9
14-15
18-19
20
21
22-23
24
8
6-7
12-13
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How is it being used?Over the past year or so, the strongest growth in GPC Visa usage
has been experienced in the local government and schools sectors.
Here the number of cards has increased from over 5,500 cards to
just under 15,000 cards an increase of over 165%, while the
number of transactions has increased by an astounding 327%
from 161,382 to 689,195.
The central, civil government and defence sectors, where
GPC Visa was first introduced have experienced steady growth,
both in the numbers of organisations using GPC Visa and in the
transactions being placed through the schemes. The departments
in this sector represent 78% of the GPC Visa programme and
some of the schemes are nearly 10 years old, so on this basis
a growth rate of over 13% in this sector is impressive, proving
the benefits of GPC Visa are compelling and long term.
Travel and office stationery continue to account for the
largest percentage of GPC Visa spend, followed by hotels andaccommodation, general retail and wholesale, computer
equipment and services and building materials. However, it is
anticipated that the range of products and services bought
will continue to develop as public sector organisations identify
more and more innovative ways to use GPC Visa to meet their
purchasing requirements.
In addition, GPC Visa continues to make a significant
contribution to the reduction of waste. By saving an average of 10
sheets of A4 paper per transaction, it is estimated to have reduced
the carbon output of the UK public sector by nearly 150 tonnes.
aunched in 1997 following a fully compliant tender process,
the GPC Visa programme offers one of the easiest ways for
the UK public sector to meet its efficiency targets. Today
there are now more than 108,000 GPC Visa users and over 900
active programmes around the country.
With spend on GPC Visa to date exceeding 2.5 billion and
savings in excess of 470 million*, there has never been a more
compelling reason for those involved in procuring goods and
services in a public sector environment to take serious note of
its potential.
David Harrison, Vice-President, Visa Commercial, Visa Europe,
talks about some of the ways in which the UK public sector has
been harnessing this essential procurement tool to save money
and improve frontline service delivery.
GPC Visa enables users and organisations to negotiatediscounts and faster delivery of goods and services so that
savings can be redeployed into other areas of the organisation.
At the same time it makes back office processes more efficient
and less time consuming, freeing staff from unnecessary
bureaucracy and paperwork and allowing them to focus on
frontline service delivery.
Viewed in this way, GPC Visa becomes a cornerstone of public
sector efficiency. And, because it is so flexible and versatile, it
can be used by any size of organisation, either as part of a wider
efficiency drive or as the primary agent of change.
4 GPC Visa
Happy10th BirthdayNow in its 10th year, the Government Procurement Card (GPC Visa)has successfully generated in excess of 470 million in cumulativesavings for the public purse.
L
*Savings calculated using the National Audit Office (NAO) approved figure of 28 per transaction.
38,785,880 sheets of A4 paper have been saved over the past 10 years. This figure has been calculated on the basis of the energy required to create the 38.78 million
sheets of paper and does not account for any of the carbon savings associated with the transporting, printing or disposal of the paper.
L
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What does the future hold?As a result of programmes like GPC Visa the UK public sector is well
on the way to reaching its target of 21.5bn of efficiency savings by
2007/8. However, although GPC Visa usage has risen dramatically
over the last 10 years, the capacity for growth remains high.
One thing is certain, given the scale of efficiencies that GPC Visa
has contributed to date, GPC Visa is the most sustainable and
successful procurement solution in use by government today.
This graph demonstrates just how rapidly the programme
has been accepted by the public sector and that, despite the
programme moving into its 10th year, there is no let up in
its rate of growth. In July 2006, the cumulative spend on
GPC Visa passed the 2 billion milestone, through nearly
four million transactions.
In a recent communication from the Office of Government
Commerce (OGC) to senior officials across the public sector,
GPC Visa has been identified as one of 12 commercial
procurement arrangements which should be adopted because
of the strong value for money that it represents.
David Harrison, Vice-President, Visa Commercial, Visa Europe, says:After more than a decade, public sector confidence in GPC
Visa has reached new heights. The fact that the OGC has decided
to recommend it across government as one of a select number of
commercial procurement arrangements is further evidence that
it has become an essential best practice tool to achieve public
sector efficiency gains. With over 108,000 cards in circulation and
cumulative savings to the taxpayer exceeding 470 million it
has reached full maturity and is suitable for small public sector
organisations as well as the largest government departments.
Peter Fanning, Former Acting Chief Executive of OGC, says:
It is OGCs role to help the public sector get better value ongoods and services across a wide range of categories. We believe
the time has come for all sectors of government to ensure that
their procurement spend is through the very best frameworks
so that they can take advantage of the governments collective
buying power. GPC Visa is one such example, and for those in
procurement roles it is not a case of whether they should be
using it but why they are not.
David Harrison
Vice-President, Visa Commercial
Visa Europe
For further information on GPC Visa, visit
www.purchasingcard.info or www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk
5GPC Visa
GPC Visa named by Office of
Government Commerce asone of the best commercial
procurement deals.
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006YEAR
ANNUALSPEND(MILLIONS)
3.2 19.7 61.2 122.3 208.4 304.5 404.8 527.3 676.1
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
50
0
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6 Making the most of GPC Visa
Cashing in on time savingsThe time savings generated by GPC programmes and other e-procurementprogrammes are often referred to as soft savings to distinguish them from theprice savings that are made from the use of contracts. It is often incorrectlyassumed that time savings can only become hard, cashable savings if anorganisation is prepared to reduce the number of staff working in an organisation.
Reducing the number of
staff in an organisation
can be difficult with
e-procurement initiatives
because technology such as
GPC Visa will reduce the time
taken to do frequent, repetitive,
administrative tasks by many
different staff across the
organisation. So whilst using
GPC Visa has made staff more
efficient, it is difficult to see
how this time can be translated
into cashable savings because
the time savings are spread
across so many staff members.
We are all well aware of the
28 financial savings attributed
to moving spend from traditional
paper invoices to GPC Visa but
how else does GPC Visa help?
Sometimes, the time savings
generated through the use of
GPC Visa may be significant
enough to merit a reduction
in staff in a large organisation.
This is because the use of GPC
Visa is making a significant time
saving over the previous process.
There is such a high volume of
work concentrated in one
department that it becomes
possible to deliver the same
service at a reduced cost to the
taxpayer. However, this is simply
not an option in many public
sector organisations, where the
time savings are not concentrated
in single departments.
In many organisations, the
amount of time savings
generated can add up to several
full-time posts but these savings
are spread across staff within
the organisation and cannot
reasonably be consolidated.
So how can these small,
diverse time savings be made
into cashable savings without
reducing the number of staff
who work in an organisation?
If an accounts payable
function has two permanent
administrative staff whose
workload is now reduced as a
result of the organisation using
GPC Visa, it may be possible for
these staff to be used in lieu of
temporary staff within the
organisation. If each of the
staff members time saved
from GPC Visa is equivalent
to 25 days of work over a year,
then GPC Visa is effectively
providing the organisation
with 25 days worth of free
temporary staff.
This free additional human
resource can be deployed
elsewhere within the organisation
to reduce the usage of other
departments temporary staff,
or can be used to perform
additional duties in their current
role, thus delivering a nil-cost
increase in productivity.
Organisations who want to
make savings in this manner
must be prepared to take three
steps in order to recover the
savings: firstly they must be
confident how much time staff
members will save through the
use of GPC; secondly, they must
be prepared to work with
department managers to help
them redeploy the time savings
instead of ordering temporary
staff; and thirdly they must
be prepared to monitor the
spend activity of departments
who are ordering temporary
administrative staff.
This may appear demanding,
but is likely that the small
example given would generate
a 5,000 saving. At a time
when many public sector
organisations are looking at
their use of temporary staff,
linking the time savings from
a GPC programme might be
an excellent way of delivering
cashable efficiencies against
a significant area of spend.
Ian Makgill, Ticon UK Ltd.
Ticon is a public sector
procurement consultancy,
which specialises in using
Visa and GPC in public sector
organisations. Ticon works with
public sector organisations to
implement GPC and to increasethe effectiveness of their
existing programmes. For more
information on Ticons skills
and services, please visit
www.ticon.uk.com
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7NWCE Case Study
Councils in the North West gain
cost-saving confidence from NWCEand Barclaycard Business link up
The North West Centre of Excellence (NWCE) is one of the
nine Regional Centres for Excellence (RCEs) that were set
up as lead change agencies by the Department for
Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to support local
authorities in delivering efficiencies and service improvements.
The NWCE, funded by DCLG, covers 47 local authorities in the
North West spanning from Cheshire to Cumbria. Following the rollout
of the Government Procurement Card (GPC Visa) on a national
level by the Office of Government Commerce, the organisation was
keen to implement something similar which covered the entire
North West region. The aim was to encourage greater efficiencies
and cost savings specifically with council purchasing and invoicing.
Neil Hind, eProcurement Manager for NWCE was tasked with
selecting a GPC Visa supplier,
We carried out a basic evaluation of a number of suppliers
and invited two of them, one of which was Barclaycard Business,
to present their offering to eight Local Authorities who were part of
the project team. Barclaycard Business won hands down because
it demonstrated it had the scale and infrastructure to fully support
the NWCE throughout the process.
As part of the package, Barclaycard Business assigned members
of their staff to work in the region and help each of the councils
implement the GPC Visa.
It was evident through Barclaycard Businesss work with othercouncils that it offered a dedicated approach to suit the needs
of each individual council regardless of its size and profitability.
Since we deal with councils both large and small, we wanted
peace of mind that all would be treated with equal importance
and Barclaycard Business certainly assured us of this.
Communicating the benefitsIn order to communicate the NWCEs plans for the rollout of the
GPC Visa amongst the regions, Barclaycard Business organised
a launch event that all council Chief Executives were invited to,
with around 60 delegates attending. Barclaycard Business had
calculated that by using the GPC Visa in place of paper based
purchase orders and invoices, NWCE councils could save an
average of 33 per purchase. A presentation was given at the
event by Barclaycard Business and VISA Europe explaining how
the card scheme could help each council make these cost
savings and also save their staff a considerable amount of time
spent on administration. Delegates were also provided with
briefing notes and advice on how to cascade the news of theprogramme down to each of the council members. Neil Hind
explained that the GPC Visa scheme was not obligatory,
We wanted to encourage the councils to implement the card
by communicating and demonstrating its benefits. What really
brought the card scheme to life however were the numerous
examples and case studies Barclaycard Business were able to
draw upon from their work with other councils. This really helped
our member councils to understand how it would work for them.
Accessing all areasThe response from NWCE councils to date has been very positive.
Many of them are already utilising the Barclaycard Business staffresources to help them write business cases on how they can
implement the GPC Visa. Most commonly, the card is used for
hotel, travel and day-to-day expenses but the NWCE are keen to
encourage councils to look at different areas where the cards could
help them buy more efficiently.
Already we have one council investigating GPC Visa use in
leisure centres as staff do not have easy access to finance systems
and purchases are often made in the evening and at weekends.
Neil also reports that other councils have suggested the cards
are introduced into school canteens enabling staff to purchase
bulk food with the card. Barclaycard Business staff working on theground with the councils has really given our members confidence.
Rather than feeling like they are starting from scratch, they are
able to tap into the experience and industry knowledge of the
Barclaycard Business staff and use it to their advantage, helping
them to gain momentum quicker and ensure their businesses
cases are viable and directed at the right audiences. Day-to-day
management of the GPC Visa scheme is managed totally by
Barclaycard Business, enabling the NWCE to focus on other
business areas and projects. Barclaycard Business feedback the
progress of the GPC Visa rollout formally on a monthly basis and
provide more regular updates on an ad hoc basis. Neil Hind
continues, There is considerable pressure on all councils to reduce
costs and increase efficiencies and, therefore, the sizeable savings
a Barclaycard Business GPC Visa can offer is very much welcomed
by us. To date, the experience has been hassle free and will
certainly allow our staff to direct their time and money into other
worthwhile areas.
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GPC recognition awards
First winners announcedat Procurement SolutionsProcurement Solutions in June was an exciting time for Barclaycard Business,not only were we the only bank to be supporting GPC Visa but we launchedour GPC recognition awards.
e invited the winners down to London to receive
their certificates and we were delighted to welcome
David Harrison from Visa and J im Parkinson from
OGCbuying.solutions to present our first Delivering a
Difference awards.
In recognition of the hard work and dedication organisations and
individuals play in delivering procurement efficiencies using their
GPC Visa programmes, these awards are a small way in which we
can thank our customers for their continued support and custom.
The awards are supported by both Visa Commercial and
OGCbuying.solutions, who recognise the true dedication that
goes into running a successful GPC Visa programme.
Richard Gould, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, says:
It is great that weve been recognised for the hard work
we put in to getting the best value for money for the public.
We are always working to improve our efficiency savings, and
knowing that we are doing well in this area is great news,
not just for the service but for the people of South Yorkshire.
W
8
June 2007 winners
Award 1 Innovative Spend
Charity Commission for Temporary Staff David Reynolds
Award 2Providing Best Value to Central Governmentand Devolved Assemblies
National Assembly for Wales Lisa Gibson
Award 3 Providing Best Value to the Health Sector
Medical Research Council C Belcher
Award 4 Providing Best Value to Local Government
London Borough of Tower Hamlets George Wallace
Award 5 Providing Best Value to Emergency Services
South Yorkshire Fire & Civil Defence P Alsop
September 2007 winners
Award 1Providing Best Value to Central Governmentand Devolved Assemblies
MoD Richard Pinder
Award 2 Providing Best Value to the Education Sector
Cornwall College Mr D Seymor
Award 3 Providing Best Value to the Health Sector
Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust Mr KG Davies
Award 4 Providing Best Value to Local Government
Northamptonshire County Council Mr Peter Cox
Award 5Providing Best Value to Emergency Services
Surrey Police Mr D Coulls
From left to right
Above: Steve Banwell (Barclaycard Business), Richard Gould (South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue),Jim Parkinson (OGCbuying.solutions) and David Harrison (Visa Europe)
Below: Steve Banwell (Barclaycard Business), David Reynolds (The Charity Commission)and David Harrison (Visa Europe)
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Can e-Procurement andGPC Visa work together?It is not uncommon for GPC Visa to be seen as a supplementary technologythat is used to support a large, centralised e-procurement solution.
PC Visa is even sometimes
viewed as the technology
that will mop up any
spend that cant be driven
through the e-procurement
solution. However, GPC Visa
can be very effectively used
as an integral part of any
e-procurement solution and in
many cases will provide added
functionality and benefits.
GPC Visa can be integrated
within these e-procurementsystems to make the process of
engaging with suppliers easier.
Because GPC Visa can act as a
common payment and invoicing
mechanism, it is possible to
bring any Visa-enabled supplier
with an email address into
an e-procurement system.
Additionally, suppliers who are
able to provide Level 3 invoice
data through their acquiring
systems are able to provide
the buyer with line item detail
on a transaction, which can
be matched with order data
generated in the e-procurement
system. Even when a supplier
provides only Level 1 data, this
information can be matched
with the order data generated
in the e-procurement system
to provide high-quality
procurement data.
By providing such detailed
spend data automatically,GPC Visa provides the usual
high levels of clarity provided
in e-procurement solutions,
without causing additional
manual intervention at the
payment stage.
Many organisations who
use GPC also use other
e-procurement technologies
to help them gain visibility
of their spend. Usually these
e-procurement systems feature
catalogue buying technologies,
and whilst these systems can
be highly rewarding, the task
of making them work properly
can be demanding for any
organisation. One of the most
time-consuming tasks is supplierengagement, which is also critical
to the success of implementing
a catalogue system.
Unless a buying organisation
provides a large proportion of a
suppliers business, individual
suppliers can be ambivalent
about joining an e-procurement
system. If the supplier is not
dependent on the buying
organisations business it can
be difficult to persuade them to
join an e-procurement initiative.
The result is that many
e-procurement implementations
are linked to too few suppliers,
hampering their effectiveness
and restricting the opportunity
for savings.
It is important to
understand that working
with GPC Visa doesnt
mean that you have to
hand out plastic cardsto staff members.
Suppliers can be given card
payment details which they
retain and use every time an
organisation sends them an
order, a practice known as
embedding or lodging a card
with a supplier.
Alternatively, card details can
be stored in an organisations
e-procurement system and
securely sent to suppliers when
an order is placed.
Procurement managers
can then set up their own
catalogue of goods or services
to be purchased from the
supplier on the system, orsimply send orders through the
organisations e-procurement
system. Using this method, the
supplier might never know that
theyve been adopted to an
e-procurement system, since all
theyve had to do is confirm that
they accept Visa and confirm
the correct email address for
receiving orders.
It is easy to see that working
with GPC Visa doesnt mean
that you have to hand out
plastic cards to staff. In reality,
organisations who are signing
up to the GPC Visa contract are
effectively signing up to the
Visa payment network.
When GPC Visa is viewed in
this light, it is clear that it should
not be viewed as an alternative
to an e-procurement system,
but as an enabling technology
that can be an integral part of
any e-procurement solution.
Ian Makgill,
Ticon UK Ltd.
Ticon is a public sector
procurement consultancy,
which specialises in using
Visa and GPC in public sector
organisations. Ticon works with
public sector organisations toimplement GPC and to increase
the effectiveness of their
existing programmes. For more
information on Ticons skills
and services, please visit
www.ticon.uk.com
G
e-Procurement and GPC Visa 9
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10 Greater efficiency and savings
As Government departments await the
changes that are hailed to follow the
publication of the Governments
Transforming Government Procurement report,
the GPC Visa has again been identified as a gem
in the crown of public sector procurement.In a letter to all Permanent Secretaries and
Chief Executives, the GPC Visa has been
highlighted by former OGC Chief Executive Peter
Fanning, as one of 12 commercial arrangements
that all Government departments should be
using to accelerate efficiency savings.
One component of the GPC Visas success is
that over recent years it has become accepted
by an increasing number of suppliers, from
large corporations to Small and Mediums
Enterprises (SMEs).
GPC Visa really comes into its own when it isused to make payments for goods and services
brought through existing pan-government
framework agreements. Adding to the significant
savings that can be secured by using
collaborative procurement arrangements,
the GPC Visa allows further efficiencies to be
reaped at the payment stage.
In line with its vision to help the public
sector make savings of 1billion by 2010-11,
OGCbuying.solutions, an Executive Agency
of the Office of Government Commerce, is
championing the use of the GPC Visa across
the whole public sector.
Establishing and managing a range of
procurement arrangements, OGCbuying.solutions
primary function is to bring together the public
sectors purchasing power in order to deliver
savings to its customers.
Customers benefit because buying through
pre-tendered, EU compliant arrangements
allows them to save time and associated
procurement costs. They can be confidentthat they will receive excellent value for money
because the prices they pay have been
negotiated using the colossal buying power
of the public sector.
OGCbuying.solutions offering is split
into two distinct areas; Catalist framework
agreements and Managed Services. These
encompass a series of product sub-categories
as detailed below:
Catalist framework agreements:
Information Technology
Consultancy Services
Resourcing Services
Business Solutions
Property Solutions
Payment Cards
Managed Services:
Managed Telecommunications Service (Mts)
Government Secure Intranet (GSi)
eProcurement Solutions Travel Services
Energy
Establishing andmanaging a rangeof procurement
arrangements,OGCbuying.solutionsprimary functionis to bring togetherthe public sectorspurchasing powerin order to deliversavings to its
customers.
Perfect PartnershipsHow the GPC Visa can be used with pan-government procurementarrangements to drive greater efficiency and savings.
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11Greater efficiency and savings
The great news for GPC users is that whenever
appropriate, customers can opt to pay for
goods and services brought through these
arrangements using their GPC Visa card.
OGCbuying.solutions eCatalogue facilitates
this by allowing customers to buy whatever
it is they need, when they need it, making
instant payment with GPC Visa. This route
is a clear winner in terms of improving
procurement efficiency.
Whats more, the GPC Visa is also available
in the form of a lodge card, which allows
customers to provide a supplier with a
card number, against which all orders, from
any number of employees, can be charged.
For frequent requirements such as stationery
orders, this can significantly reduce paperworkbut does not compromise control over spend
because, as with all GPC Visa schemes, detailed
management information is provided.
As an ideal payment means for online
procurement systems, the GPC Visa is
compatible with OGCbuying.solutions
eProcurement toolkit a suite of services that
enable the whole procurement process to be
conducted online.
Made up of eAuctions, eSourcing and Zanzibar
(a public sector eMarketplace), the GPC Visa
allows customers to heighten the savingspotential of these innovative systems that
are being adopted across the public sector.
The eSourcing component of the toolkit was
recently awarded an EU Good Practice label,
based on a recommendation from the European
eGovernment Awards consortium. The same tool
won the Shared Services Category Award at the
Government Computer Innovation Awards
earlier in the year.
Key advantages of these systems include
reduced spend, costs and associated process
time, adherence to best practice, a stronger
negotiating position and improved supplierrelationships. The GPC Visa complements
this package of benefits by bringing greater
transparency and efficiency to the payment
process for both customers and suppliers.
Travel is the third largest area of spend for
the public sector. It is also one of the most
susceptible to maverick spend. GPC Visa can
help to manage travel buyers, cut down
inappropriate spend and provide vital
management information that can be analysed
and used to develop robust travel policies.
Furthermore, organisations can use GPC Visa
in conjunction with OGCbuying.solutions Travel
Services framework agreements, enabling them
to make a much greater contribution to reducing
the public sectors annual travel spend which
currently mounts to some 2.5 billion a year.
The arrangements provide public sector
business travellers with access to a comprehensive
range of services including rail, air and ferry travel,hotel accommodation, conference facilities
booking services and vehicle hire.
As efficiency targets raise greater challenges
for public sector procurers, organisations need
to look for more creative ways to maximise
savings. Coupling GPC Visa payments with
other best practice procurement techniques
is an easy to implement, quick-win solution.
The arrangementsprovide public
sector businesstravellers withaccess to acomprehensiverange of servicesincluding rail,air and ferrytravel, hotelaccommodation,conferencefacilities bookingservices andvehicle hire.
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However, in the Government Procurement Card, procurement
departments are making large strides to contributing
towards a 2008 efficiency target of over 20 billion.
Using GPC Visa resulted in a monetary saving of 108 million in
2006, however, could much more be saved if public sector
managers proactively eliminated the inefficient non-strategic
purchases that are happening every day within their organisations?
By raising awareness in the public sector about the many tools
and services available from GPC-approved suppliers, organisations
could potentially shift invoiced spend onto GPC Visa and get
additional savings as well.
Argos Business Solutions, the business-to-business division
of the unique catalogue retailer, is an approved supplier with an
already pre-tendered framework contact with OGCbuying.solutions.
They have put significant resources towards assisting the public
sector and provide a unique procurement experience to help make
the leap to further efficiencies.
Argos has a dedicated team of public sector personnel visiting
organisations up and down the country helping them realise
where they can become more efficient with bespoke advice
tailored to maximise savings for individual organisations.
Orders using the GPC can be placed centrally
or at any Argos store and further benefit from
a 5% discount off the latest Argos price.
On the road to efficiency...
Meeting a cost reduction target of 21.5 billion in any industry is tough, nonemore so than in the public sector, where one of the major challenges in efficiencyis procurement. Procurement departments regularly struggle to achieve speed
and efficiency, with workers having to fully document and audit procurementprocesses that can often be lengthy, labour intensive, and time-consuming.
12 Argos Business Solutions
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13a leading figure in efficiencies in the public sector
One of the main areas where inefficiencies lie is the purchasing
of essential non-strategic items on an everyday basis. This can be
a time-consuming process, with the effort required to process
purchase orders and physical purchases soon adding up.
For example, the processing and transactional costs for buyinga 25 kettle can be as much as 94.50, once the raising of a
purchase order, collection of item and settling of an invoice is taken
into account, adding over 69.50 in unseen administration costs.
Yet few public sector organisations seem to take advantage of the
consolidation of low value ad hoc purchases that the Government
Procurement Card offers.
The retail framework agreement that Argos Business Solutions
holds with OGCbuying.solutions is helping public sector
organisations control, centralise and consolidate spend more
efficiently. The agreement means that public sector organisations
can order any Argos product without the need for tendering and
can also combine spend across departments.
With over 17,000 products available to the public sector and over
700 stores nationwide, Argos is an easy source for both regular
orders and unplanned purchases from the latest vacuum cleaners,
furniture, home starter kits, games consoles, DVD players,
camcorders, bunk beds, TVs, microwaves, washing machines
and everything in between.
Public sector professionals also benefit from the multi-channel
approach to retail from Argos, maintaining the convenient
shopping process government personnel come to expect asconsumers, including a well-maintained delivery system that
delivers most products in five working days across the country.
A range of public sector organisations are already taking
advantage of the tools and services offered by Argos in this area,
with the company helping the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Prison
Service, NHS, police forces, schools and other educational institutions
realise how best to make their procurement more efficient.
With a progress update on the Gershon report due for Parliament
discussion in the near future, the need to maximise efficiencies
has never been greater. GPC Visa, along with the tools and services
offered by some of its approved suppliers, gives every public sector
organisation the opportunity to streamline their buying processes
to control and increase their budgetary spend through the retail
environment today.
Argos Business Solutions offersthe public sector:
Choice, value and convenienceto the purchaser
Cheaper procurement costs
Control for budget holders
Convenience for budget spends
If you would like to find out moreabout Argos Business Solutions,
please call 0870 240 2007 or email:
Central government enquiries
Local government enquiries
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14 Doing business
How do you use yours...?With just under a month to go until the end of the year, have you andyour organisation done all you can to help meet the governmentsefficiency targets for 2007?
With just under a month to go until the end of the year,
have you and your organisation done all you can to help
meet the governments efficiency targets for 2007?
One way you can stay as efficient as possible is to constantly
review the way you use GPC Visa. Do you, for instance, have anup-to-date picture of which of your suppliers take GPC Visa cards?
Do all of your card-holding staff know how to use them? And are
you introducing new ways of using GPC Visa wherever possible?
Its also important to consider using OGCbuying.solutions range
of suppliers, as they have all gone through a rigorous, EU-compliant
procurement process. Alternatively, you may have your own list
of regular suppliers whom you trust and wish to continue using.
Either way, GPC Visa is the most efficient way to pay.
GPC Visa can now be used for almost every type of purchase in
any government department. From paying for train tickets online
to buying computer systems, GPC Visa is fast, flexible and efficient.
How do you use yours?
GPC Visa can now be used for almostevery type of purchase in anygovernment department. From paying
for train tickets online to buyingcomputer systems, GPC Visa is fast,flexible and efficient.
B&Q are a leading supplier of RMI products with over 325 outletsnationwide. They offer a complete range of maintenance andproperty improvement products, all at everyday low prices.B&Q are leading the way in electronic VAT invoicing data throughthe VGIS (Visa Global Invoice Specification) solution at their pointof sale. From November you will receive level 3 VAT information.
Contact information
Email: [email protected]: 07886 021241
Argos Business Solutions is the business-to-business division ofArgos, the UKs leading General Merchandise Catalogue retailer.They provide solutions that enable effective budgetary controland convenience when purchasing low value non-strategic items,delivered with effective customer service. Orders using GPC Visacan be placed centrally or at any Argos store and further benefitfrom a 5% discount on the latest Argos prices.
Contact information
Website: www.argosb2b.co.uk/ogcEmail: [email protected]: 0870 240 2007
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15Getting suppliers on board
In readiness for 2008, why not look to review your existing
suppliers to identify spend that can be migrated from traditional
invoices and help deliver additional benefits for your organisation.
Visa Supplier Matching ServiceVisa offers the above service which allows our customers tosubmit their own list of suppliers to be analysed. Visa will identify
which suppliers accept payment using Visa and highlight those
that dont. We can then work with you to recruit your suppliers of
choice so you can both share the benefits of making and taking
GPC Visa payments.
Barclaycard Business realise that some of you may already
have your own purchasing policies and we are not
encouraging you to step outside of these. We would like to
take this opportunity to purely raise awareness of some of
the suppliers available under framework contracts.
For a full list please visit www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk
Comet Business Services is one of the largest electrical retailersin the UK. They are the ongoing primary supplier of electricalproducts to many organisations within the public sector. Localgovernments, education authorities and housing associations arealready benefiting from working with Comet Business Services byusing the Comet Business Services Public Sector discount cardwhich gives you up to 10% discount on the retail price whenbuying on behalf of your government organisation.
Contact information
Email: [email protected]: 0870 129 6091
From Desktop to Data Centre
All over the world, enterprises are choosing Dell as their total ITsolutions provider. Combining a comprehensive portfolio ofcompetitive products that integrate the latest in scalable andstandards-based technology, strong partnerships with industry-leading players and excellent service and support packages, Dellexperts are able to tailor a complete-end-to-end business solutionto specifically meet your business needs.
Contact information
Website: www.dell.co.uk/public
Barclaycard Business does not and is not endorsing these third-party brands.
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Visa Global Invoice Specification
B&Q Brings Business CustomersElectronic VAT InvoicesB&Qs implementation of the Visa Global Invoice Specification (VGIS) an electronic VAT invoicing solution accredited by HMRC with automatedpayment provided through Visa Purchasing.
16
The electronic VAT invoicing data, available exclusively
through Visa is aimed at Visa Purchasing card holders across
public and private sector organisations as a way to reduce
transaction costs. Electronic invoicing with Visa Purchasing
means that payment is at the touch of a button, eliminating
time consuming and costly paper work. By reducing transaction
costs, it is anticipated that sales volumes will be increased
throughout B&Q outlets.
The benefitsBy developing VGIS, B&Q is now able to offer VAT-accredited
invoicing for Visa Purchasing card users a facility which isgreatly valued by customers to the stores.
Comments Mike Cartwright:
We have sensed a real demand from business customers
for a way to streamline their back office costs, which is why we
embarked on this project.
At B&Q we have always worked hard to make our customers
lives as easy as possible by offering longer opening hours to
access up to 40,000 products under one roof. Now, by giving
them electronic VAT invoicing data automatically, we are saving
them even more time and eliminating the need for manual
processing of invoices. As a result they are even more likely
to choose B&Q as their preferred supplier, thereby helping to
stimulate customer loyalty.
The secret of successB&Q and Barclaycard Business have worked in partnership to
provide all B&Q stores throughout the UK with the ability to
flow VGIS data. The partnership approach fostered by both
organisations has been central to the successful implementation
of this integrated development.
Barclaycard Business is committed to supporting merchants
with VGIS development and has helped generate an
understanding throughout B&Q of the benefits of this VAT-accredited functionality. Once the business decision was
taken by B&Q to move forward, Barclaycard Business provided
an Implementation Manager to the B&Q account to ensure that
this process was managed smoothly and any challenges
Background on B&QB&Q offers up to 40,000 top brand products catering for every
product area from replacement light bulbs for the office to
supplying materials for a housing regeneration team or hospital
maintenance department and all under one roof.
With 325 stores nationwide open early til late, seven days a
week, B&Q boasts a wide range of services for professional
builders and maintenance teams, including dedicated trade
staff, free quotations and a call and collect service.
B&Q is an approved supplier within HM Treasurys Retail Trade
Framework, having gone through a rigorous tendering process
with OGC Buying Solutions an Executive Agency of The Officeof Government Commerce. This means that they meet all of the
necessary statutory requirements set by OGC Buying Solutions
when a Government Procurement Card (GPC Visa) or Visa
Purchasing card is used at B&Q.
B&Q is leading the way in electronic VAT invoicing data by
implementing a VGIS solution at their point of sale.
Why offer enhanced VAT invoicing data?Corporate customers across the public and private sectors are
increasingly looking for greater financial control, in particular,
for VAT and internal auditing purposes. Electronic VAT invoicing
data is the key.
Says Mike Cartwright, Business to Business Manager at B&Q:
We decided to become a VGIS Purchasing card merchant
when we recently invested in a new EPOS (electronic point of
sale) system as part of our chip and PIN acceptance strategy.
This meant we could make electronic VAT invoicing data
available to Visa Purchasing users which conforms to the VGIS
standard format. This allows for very comprehensive information
to be included within the invoice.
As a result, instead of receiving a paper invoice, customers
can now benefit from HM Revenue & Customs approved VAT
evidence information on all B&Q purchases on their Visa
Purchasing Evidence for VAT Deductions report. In addition,by using their Visa Purchasing card at B&Q, customers no longer
need to use petty cash, make expense claims or issue a paper
purchase order.
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17Visa Global Invoice Specification
The futureB&Qs VAT-accredited electronic invoicing solution is available
to Purchasing card users when they purchase goods inside
B&Q stores. However, plans are already in an early stage of
development for phase two, which will extend the facility to the
e-purchasing environment purchases made over the Internet
and telephone orders.
encountered were resolved without any undue disruption.
Throughout all stages of this project, communication between
Barclaycard Business and B&Q has been crucial and has meant
that B&Qs project objectives were always central to both
organisations thinking.
Barclaycard Business has a team of experienced professionals
to help with all stages of VGIS development. This resource was
fully taken advantage of by B&Q and ensured that the project
was delivered successfully. Says Mike Cartwright, Business to
Business Manager at B&Q:
The expertise of the individuals on the Barclaycard Business
team has proved invaluable in helping us to bring this initiative
to fruition.
Barclaycard Business will be exhibiting at the Business Travel Show,57 February 2008 at Earls Court, London. With 22% of GPC Visa spendnow on travel, why not come along and see us on stand 437 to discusshow GPC Visa could help your travel programmes.
It's free to attend simply register in advance online atwww.businesstravelshow.com
Business Travel Show
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18 New framework agreement announced
The recently launched Government Merchant
Acquiring framework agreement is set to
result in a boom in the use of credit, debit
and charge cards for payments between public
sector organisations, and also between citizens
and businesses and the public sector.
Crucially, the predicted growth in the use of
cards will also enable the public sector to use itsaggregated procurement muscle to negotiate
more favourable service charges levied by the
banks down to levels enjoyed by retail giants like
Tesco and Wal-Mart.
The result is a win, win, win situation for the
public sector, citizens and all those trading with the
public sector.The public sector will make significant
cash and efficiency savings by using a faster, more
secure electronic system when making and
receiving payments. Citizens will have far more
choice and convenience in the way they make
payments for services, while suppliers can look
forward to cash-flow and efficiency benefits of their
own by receiving secure, automated payment for
goods and services, normally within just four days.
The architect of the new Government
Merchant Acquiring framework agreement is
OGCbuying.solutions Head of Payment Cards,
Jim Parkinson.
Flexible benefitsThe potential is enormous. Historically the
collection of payments for a wide variety of
goods and services within the public sector has
been limited to cash, cheque or Direct Debit, withlittle scope for payments by alternative cheaper
and more convenient means, says Jim.
These new arrangements will change that for
the good of all concerned. As a country we spent
240 billion using cards in 2004 and more than
42 million people are now carrying cards so it has
been a major anomaly that, in many cases, the
option of using a card to pay for public services
has not been available.
Very soon we will see everything from council
tax, parking tickets, court fines, student fees,
school meals, rent, leisure centre fees, charitydonations and more being paid for with cards.
The public sector is all about helping more and
more ordinary people to access public services
in the most convenient way possible and I
anticipate these new arrangements will do
just that.
We have talked in detail to a wide cross
section of the public sector to ensure that we
shaped these arrangements in a way that
maximises the benefits across the board, for
large central government departments and
smaller local organisations alike.
The benefits of electronic payment systems
and electronic trading are generally quite well
understood in the public sector, in terms of much
reduced back office administration, far fewer
opportunities for theft and the manual errors that
require costly, time consuming corrective action
and 24/7 accessibility.
Much of the work on existing systems is
boring and repetitive and switching to an
electronic system enables staff to be used in far
more stimulating and productive areas, such as
customer services.
The new service will utilise well proven,secure technology with minimal set-up costs.
Automated reconciliation promotes transparency
and delivers environmental benefits by
contributing to the paperless office concept.
Much of thework on existingsystems is boringand repetitive andswitching to anelectronic systemenables staff to beused in far morestimulating andproductive areas,such as customerservice roles
Fantastic plastic:real savings fromcard acceptance
The buying power of the public sector is about to deliver a new routeto hard cash savings running into tens of millions of pounds each year.
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19New framework agreement announced
Card Acceptance the key featuresMerchant Acquiring is also known as CardAcceptance. Organisations using the newOGCbuying.solutions framework agreement willbe able to accept payment from all major credit,debit and charge cards across the counter, orremotely by telephone or via the Internet.
The framework will be let in accordance withstrict EU procurement rules offering services froma variety of UK banks. Users will then conduct afurther competition to select a bank whoseservices most closely meet their requirements.Set-up and transaction charges will be highlycompetitive and payment transactions willbe authorised instantly.
How the transaction takes place Step 1 The Merchant (the public sector
organisation) accepts payment by card andswipes this through either a terminal rentedthrough their Acquirer (the bank) or, in thecases of large organisations, their own terminalsoftware. The terminal will either dial out for anauthorisation that the card is not reported lostor stolen, or work within floor limits agreed withthe Acquirer.
Step 2 The card transaction will be passed to theAcquirer for processing. The Acquirer will remitthe sale proceeds to the Merchants bankaccount, normally within 4 working days.
Step 3 The Acquirer will request payment fromthe Card Issuer, normally receiving settlement
within a few days.
Step 4 The Card Issuer will charge theCardholder, either by paper statement or to anominated bank account.
Step 5 The Acquirer will send the Merchant amonthly statement detailing each days bankingalong with the costs incurred. These arenormally paid by Direct Debit.
The new servicewill utilise wellproven, securetechnologywith minimalset-up costs.Automatedreconciliationpromotestransparencyand deliversenvironmentalbenefits by
contributingto the paperlessoffice concept
For more information please call OGCbuying.solutions
customer service desk on 0845 410 2222or email [email protected]
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20 Maximise the benefits
On 1st November we at Barclaycard Business received
the confirmation we had been waiting for; we had been
successful in securing supplier status as part of the
OGCbuying.solutions framework agreement for Government
Merchant Acquiring Services.
As the UKs leading issuer of GPC Visa, we have been working
successfully with the public sector for many years. And, because
of this excellent grounding, we have been able to closely align the
acquiring deal based on these core values and maximise the
expertise and brand integrity of the Barclays Group.
Our pedigree in acquiring spans some 40 years. We look after
the processing and payment of over a third of Britain's retailers, our
processing platform is one of the most advanced in the world and,
in 2005, more than 1.8 billion purchases were made with creditand debit cards through 192,000 Barclaycard Business customer
outlets in the UK. So you can be assured you will be dealing with
a trusted and experienced partner.
Taking card payments enables you to offer your customers
choice, convenience and flexibility when doing business with you.
It can help improve your cash flow, as payment is made direct into
your bank account in 34 days* and it could also help reduce late
or unpaid bills. With our range of card payment solutions,
customers can pay you in person, over the telephone or even via
your website. New technology, such as contactless payments,
enables customers to pay for low value transactions with cards
instead of cash. Car parking meters and vending machines inpublic places are two examples of where this new technology
could make a difference for both you and your customers.
Under the new framework agreement, Barclaycard Business will
offer a range of preferential rates on these products and services
which you will be able to flex depending on the individual needs
of your organisation. You may wish to avoid the sometimes
complicated detail of acquiring, so we have a single rate offering to
cover all card transactions regardless of whether they are credit or
debit. Alternatively, if you are one of our larger customers you may
require a bespoke pricing arrangement and will receive a dedicated
relationship manager.
Essentially, the agreed framework is a flexible one where we are
able to structure deals according to your organisations requirements,
with the aim of making the process of accepting payment for goods
and services easier and more cost efficient for you.You already trust Barclaycard Business to provide your GPC Visa,
so why not let us look after your acquiring needs? For more information
on how we can support your organisation please contact us on
0800 616161 quoting OGC framework agreement.
Improves cash flow
Reduces cash handling
Instant authorisation
Convenience for customers
Pre-negotiated contract
Preferential rates
Trusted financial partner
*This timescale may vary; this wil l be clarified w ithin the terms of your Merchant Agreement.
Barclaycard Business successful in being
accredited OGCbuying.solutions supplierstatus for Acquiring Services
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21Open your website to ePDQ
As well as bringing efficiencies to your purchasing activities
when you pay by card, accepting payments by card can
help streamline many of your payment acceptance and
collection processes.
As an increasing number of people turn to the Internet as a
more convenient way to pay, Barclaycard Business is pleased to
introduce ePDQ your secure way to accept card payments online.
ePDQ comes in several different guises, each designed to satisfy
different online business needs. The most popular version is our
ePDQ Cardholder Payment Interface (or CPI). CPI is a world-
class, secure online service for card payment authorisation and
settlement that lets you trade online quickly, easily and safely. It's
flexible, reliable and straightforward to integrate with your website.
When a customer chooses to make a payment from your
website and proceeds to check out, they are directed to the ePDQ
secure payment environment. Here they can pay quickly and easily
by debit or credit card. ePDQ automates and completes the
transaction and your staff can then fulfil the customer's order or
issue a payment confirmation advice.
ePDQ processes your payment transactions with the bank,
handles settlement, and provides you with online management
information and regular statements for all your online transactions.
Accepting Card PaymentsOnline with ePDQ
The benefits
Easier for customers allows your customers tomake payments online with their credit and debit
card so you can collect payment more quickly
Gives your customers choice ePDQ accepts allmajor credit, debit and charge card types
Security secure payment pages are hosted byBarclaycard Business and co-branded to give yourcustomer extra reassurance that their card details
will be safe. This also saves you the responsibility
and liability for security issues
Works for telephone and mail order paymentstoo ePDQ includes, as standard, the facility for
you to process your mail and telephone
payments together with your Internet payments,
which means your admin and accounting
procedures are simplified
You choose the level of security ePDQsenhanced fraud control means you can set
additional rules to help protect your organisation
from fraudulent card transactions
Free upgrades we are committed to keepingePDQ at the cutting edge of technology, and
making sure it is always compliant with the rules
of card payment schemes
You could be accepting card payments onlinewithin a few days ePDQ is straightforward to
integrate with your website and support is
available from our dedicated helpline and
technical team whenever you need it
Ready to start accepting online payments?Is your organisation thinking about accepting online payments? Would you like more information about ePDQ?
Call us on 0800 616161 quoting GPC News or email us at [email protected]
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Online Services
Now theres no need to wait for your paper statement to arrive each month.With Online Services you can have your account information at your fingertipswhenever you want it.
Fast, secure and easy to useAs a card administrator, Online Services can make managing
your cards easier.
Easy access see your credit limits, statements and
transactions whenever you want
Secure ID and verification for log in keeping personal and
transactional details safe
Key financial information if you have fewer than 10
cardholders, the most commonly requested information will
be displayed on your welcome page
Easier to manage your cardholders our selection of reports
helps you manage cardholder activity
Search options making it quick and easy to find the
transaction youre looking for
Access to previous statements and transactions building
to a rolling 13 months of information so if you cant find your
paper statement, you can view it online, removing the need for
additional paper copies
Ability to reset passwords no hassle of contacting us if a
cardholder forgets their password
Your cardholders can benefit tooOnce youve registered for Online Services, you can registeryour cardholders too. This will enable them to view their owntransactions and statements online.
If youre the only cardholder in your organisation, youll be setup as the card administrator so you can make the most ofOnline Services.
Join today
To apply for this free service, simply visit
www.barclaycardbusiness.co.uk/getonline
and complete the online form. Well then email
you a membership number so you can set up
your own password, passcode and memorable
word for security. Its as simple as that.
You can also view a demonstration of OnlineServices at www.barclaycardbusiness.co.uk/
existing_customers/paying_by_cards/online
_services/demo.html
Housekeeping22
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23
More opportunities to deliver savingsDo you have anyone new in your organisation,
someone who has recently changed roles or
been promoted and they have not yet applied for
their own GPC Visa card?
Additional cardholders foradditional benefits
Additional cardholders could extend the benefits
your organisation already enjoys through its
Government Procurement Card account:
Simplified procurement cards can be used
for a wide range of purchases, from office
supplies to temporary staff costs
Increased efficiency thanks to reduced
administration and bureaucracy
Control over expenditure by only allowing
cardholders to spend in specific purchasing
categories
Less paperwork which means less impact
on the environment as well as less admin
With no card or interest charges to pay, adding
cardholders wont cost your organisation at all
and its easy to do.
Visit www.barclaycardbusiness.co.uk/gpcnews
and you will find a link to an additional
cardholder application form or, alternatively,
please contact us in the normal way.
Cards no longer in useOn the other hand, you may have cards that are
no longer required. If you have, just let us know
and we can update your account. Again, contact
us in the normal way.
Housekeeping
FRAUD ALERT
If you receive anemail such as this
one, on no account
must you click
on the link and
fill in the details.
This is known as a
Phishing attack and
is a known method
to gain your card
details. This alert hasbeen highlighted by
OGCbuying.solutions
and if you receive
any such emails
please contact us
immediately so
we can notify
them and Visa.
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Further Information
84216NLTB1
Cr
eated
10/07
24
Please see the following websites for further details:
GPC News www.barclaycardbusiness.co.uk/gpcnews
OGC www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk
Visa www.visaeurope.com
Calls may be monitored or recorded to maintain high levels of security and quality of service. For BT business customers, calls to0844 numbers will cost no more than 5p per minute, minimum call charge 5.9p (current at October 2007). Calls to 0870 and 0845numbers cost 8p per minute, minimum call charge 5.9p (current at October 2007). Calls to 0800 numbers are free if made from aUK landline. Calls to 07786 numbers are to a mobile phone.The price on non-BT phone lines may be different.
This information is available in large print, Braille and audio format by calling 0844 822 2160.
This newsletter has been printed on recycled paper. Please consider the environment and note that further versions of this newslettercan be viewed in PDF format on our website: www.barclaycardbusiness.co.uk/gpcnews
If you require further information on any of the items discussed in this newsletter,please could you email your enquiry in the first instance to [email protected]
This will enable us to direct your enquiry to the most relevant team.OR
If you have a Relationship Manager, please contact them in the normal way.