EU Public Procurement Learning Lab

1. E-PROCUREMENT PLATFORM EU Public Procurement Learning Lab July, 2006 Institutions are the sole responsible of information provided. Consip does not take any responsibility as to the quality of data.

2. Objectives • During the last EU Lab meeting (Brussels, December 2005), all members of the laboratory decided to organize restricted round tables on specific topics; • In June 2006, Consip promoted - in consequence of its own internal need - a brief benchmark on e-procurement platforms, aimed at collecting information on the current practices; • This Report collects the data provided by a group of institutions that expressed interest in the initiative; • Institutions are the sole responsible of information provided. Consip does not take any responsibility as to the reliability of data.

3. Institutions involved 11 institutions, representative of 10 countries, have been surveyed

4. Executive Summary (1/2) • APPLICATIVE SOFTWARE • Different initiatives are still in a start-up phase: public bodies are not able to indicate their own software preferences • It seems that a product market-leader does not exist: in particular electronic catalogues show a wide range of alternatives • A relevant number of bodies have developed proprietary solutions, with particular reference to “additional” services (e-publishing, aggregation of needs, e-staging area for catalogue import, e-notification, e-payments, etc.) • MAKE OR BUY OPTION • The Make or Buy option – in terms of “Application Development”, “Application Management”, System Hosting” - seems balanced between the participants • More diffuse is, instead, the option to maintain the property of the hardware (70%) • SERVICES • In addition to the standard services (electronic auctions and catalogues) particularly care is versus “catalogues management”, “suppliers IT system integration”, “logistic services”

5. Executive Summary (2/2) • PROCESSES AND COMPETENCES • The activities mainly garrisoned regard the attendance to the customers (in particular buyers) • In terms of competences results particularly strategic the technological aspect (management and control of outsourced activities) • COSTS & REVENUES • About 45% of the external costs is addressed to development and maintenance software activities

6. 1 - Systems/Applications/Infrastructure: Software • APPLICATIVE SOFTWARE • Different initiatives are still in a start-up phase: public bodies are not able to indicate their own software preferences • It seems that a product market-leader does not exist: in particular electronic catalogues show a wide range of alternatives • A relevant number of bodies have developed proprietary solutions, with particular reference to “additional” services (e-publishing, aggregation of needs, e-staging area for catalogue import, e-notification, e-payments, etc.)

7. 1 - Systems/Applications/Infrastructure: Make or Buy Options • MAKE OR BUY OPTION • The Make or Buy option – in terms of “Application Development”, “Application Management”, System Hosting” - seems balanced between the participants • More diffuse is, instead, the option to maintain the property of the hardware (70%)

8. 1 - Systems/Applications/Infrastructure: Make or Buy Options

9. 1 - Systems/Applications/Infrastructure: Make or Buy Options

10. 2 - Service Offering • SERVICES • In addition to the standard services (electronic auctions and catalogues) particularly care is versus “catalogues management”, “suppliers IT system integration”, “logistic services”

11. 3 - Processes and Competencies • PROCESSES AND COMPETENCES • The activities mainly garrisoned regard the attendance to the customers (in particular buyers) • In terms of competences results particularly strategic the technological aspect (management and control of outsourced activities)

12. 4 - Costs and revenues structure • COSTS & REVENUES • About 45% of the external costs is addressed to development and maintenance software activities