IT systems and services provider Datapac has signed a deal valued at over €1m per annum to be the sole computer consumables supplier to a new e-procurement service for Irish schools. Datapac entered into the contract with ScoilBuy following an intensive tender process.
ScoilBuy is a service provider that was established last year to bring schools together on a co-operative basis to obtain better value for their procurement expenditure. This it intends to achieve by creating volume purchasing which in turn leads to improved pricing, service and quality for all purchases.
ScoilBuy provides both schools and suppliers with an electronic ordering solution capable of handling supply contracts with suppliers of many different commodities and services. The system also allows ScoilBuy to interactively manage the collaborative process between schools and suppliers and provides each school with detailed management information.
It is understood that some 48 schools have so far registered for membership of ScoilBuy’s e-procurement service.
As part of the deal with ScoilBuy, Datapac will supply a full range of computer consumables including ink cartridges, toner cartridges, cdrs, and accessories to participating schools.
The potential value of the contract, should all schools become registered members, is estimated to be in excess of €1m per annum. “We need a technology partner with a proven track record that will work with us to deliver value for money,” explains Paula Curran, Operations Director of ScoilBuy. “With Datapac’s help, schools will benefit by being able to purchase consumables at more competitive prices and have them delivered the next day using an efficient, paper free procurement process.”
By John Kennedy
