Advice Cloud

G-Cloud experts and government procurement consultants

0330 124 4224

  • About
  • For Suppliers
    • For Suppliers
    • Our Framework Services
      • G-Cloud
      • Digital Outcomes & Specialists
      • Technology Services
      • Transport Technology & Associated Services
      • Medical IT
      • Network Services
      • Technology Products
      • Data and Application Solutions
      • Other Frameworks
    • Our Support Services
      • Buyability™ Review Service
      • Win with G-Cloud
      • Win with DOS
      • Win Public Sector Business
      • Win Central Government Business
    • Our DPS Services
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Cyber Security Services
      • Automation Marketplace
      • Spark Technology Innovation Marketplace
      • IoT Technologies Services
      • Digital Technology Services
      • Quality Assurance and Testing for IT Systems
      • Gigabit Capable Connectivity
      • YPO Care Technology
      • HSCN Access Services
    • Why Choose Us?
      • Case Studies
      • Our Experience
      • Our Process
  • For Buyers
    • For Buyers
    • Our Services
      • G-Cloud Support Desk
      • G-Cloud Procurement Services
      • Digital Outcomes and Specialists
      • General Support Services
      • UKCloud Health services
    • Why choose us
      • Our Experience
  • Training
  • Spend data
    • Spend data
    • Spend Data
      • G-Cloud Sales
      • Digital Outcomes and Specialists and Digital Services Sales
  • Resources
    • Resources
    • Procurement Essentials
      • Procurement 101
      • What is a Framework?
      • What is a Dynamic Purchasing System?
    • Ultimate Guides
      • Ultimate Guide to G-Cloud
      • Ultimate Guide to Digital Outcomes and Specialists
    • Tools
      • G-Cloud Sales
      • DOS and Digital Services Sales
      • Procurement Pipeline
      • Framework Alert
    • Resources
      • Blogs
      • G-Cloud
      • DOS
      • Business Guides
      • Expert Insights
      • Research
      • Events
      • Press
      • Videos
      • Announcements
  • Contact Us
G-CloudDigital Outcomes & SpecialistsTechnology ServicesTransport Technology & Associated ServicesMedical ITNetwork ServicesTechnology ProductsData and Application SolutionsOther Frameworks

Making the most of Digital Outcomes & Specialists 5

Join our upcoming webinar, on Thursday 11th February, 11am until 12noon, to learn how to use DOS5 to win more public sector business.

REGISTER

Buyability™ Review ServiceWin with G-CloudWin with DOSWin Public Sector BusinessWin Central Government Business

Making the most of Digital Outcomes & Specialists 5

Join our upcoming webinar, on Thursday 11th February, 11am until 12noon, to learn how to use DOS5 to win more public sector business.

REGISTER

Artificial IntelligenceCyber Security ServicesAutomation MarketplaceSpark Technology Innovation MarketplaceIoT Technologies ServicesDigital Technology ServicesQuality Assurance and Testing for IT SystemsGigabit Capable ConnectivityYPO Care TechnologyHSCN Access Services

Making the most of Digital Outcomes & Specialists 5

Join our upcoming webinar, on Thursday 11th February, 11am until 12noon, to learn how to use DOS5 to win more public sector business.

REGISTER

Case StudiesOur ExperienceOur Process

Making the most of Digital Outcomes & Specialists 5

Join our upcoming webinar, on Thursday 11th February, 11am until 12noon, to learn how to use DOS5 to win more public sector business.

REGISTER

G-Cloud Support DeskG-Cloud Procurement ServicesDigital Outcomes and SpecialistsGeneral Support ServicesUKCloud Health services

Read our 'Social Value in IT procurement' White Paper!

Social Value seems to be the hot procurement topic at the moment. But, what is it and does it have a place within IT and Digital procurement? Download our free White Paper.

READ NOW

Our Experience

Read our 'Social Value in IT procurement' White Paper!

Social Value seems to be the hot procurement topic at the moment. But, what is it and does it have a place within IT and Digital procurement? Download our free White Paper.

READ NOW

G-Cloud SalesDigital Outcomes and Specialists and Digital Services Sales

Grab a copy of our Public Sector Sales & Marketing Guide!

Our expert advisers and staff have put together this in-depth report to help you get to grips with navigating the Public Sector market. Grab your FREE copy here.

DOWNLOAD

Procurement 101What is a Framework?What is a Dynamic Purchasing System?

Download our free Guide to DOS Tenders!

Get expert advice and tips on how to write winning bids for opportunities on the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework.

DOWNLOAD

Ultimate Guide to G-CloudUltimate Guide to Digital Outcomes and Specialists

Download our free Guide to DOS Tenders!

Get expert advice and tips on how to write winning bids for opportunities on the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework.

DOWNLOAD

G-Cloud SalesDOS and Digital Services SalesProcurement PipelineFramework Alert

Download our free Guide to DOS Tenders!

Get expert advice and tips on how to write winning bids for opportunities on the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework.

DOWNLOAD

BlogsG-CloudDOSBusiness GuidesExpert InsightsResearchEventsPressVideosAnnouncements

Download our free Guide to DOS Tenders!

Get expert advice and tips on how to write winning bids for opportunities on the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework.

DOWNLOAD

G-Cloud, PressPublished: 02 August 2015

Whitehall devolution threat means IT suppliers “must improve” at selling cloud to local councils

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Public sector IT suppliers must swot up on selling services to local councils, as Whitehall proposes devolving more power to them.

Public sector IT suppliers must get better at selling cloud to local government, as responsibility for a wider range of IT spending decisions looks set to pass from Whitehall to local councils from 2016.

As set out in the launch of chancellor George Osborne’s 2015 spending review, Whitehall departments have been told to find ways to cut their resource budgets by up to 40% by 2019/2020.

To achieve this, the review puts forward the idea of passing on responsibility for delivering more services to local government, as Osborne and co push on with their efforts to claw back a further £20bn in public spending and eradicate the deficit for good.

If this devolution of powers to local government becomes mandated in the finished version of Osborne’s review, due for publication in November 2015, council CIOs may find themselves having to stretch their IT budgets further to deliver the new services falling under their remit.

Whatever the outcome of the review, Jessica Figueras, research director at IT market watcher Kable, said the mooted spending cuts look set to shake up the entire public sector and its attitude to IT.

“The feeling is that radical transformation will be needed, and all parts of the public sector are going to need to do things fundamentally differently, which does create technology opportunities,” she said.

“Many of the different parts of business done by the government now may not be in the future and this could lead to an acceleration in the pace at which government services become digitised,” she added.

This could pave the way for more local councils to adopt cloud, as they look for ways to free up budget by cutting back on large capital expenditures, according to Chris Farthing, founder of public sector procurement advisory firm Advice Cloud.

“Having worked quite extensively in local government for some time now, we’ve already seen how the government austerity measures have taken hold in this part of the public sector, but some fairly major transformational stuff needs to happen now as they prepare for the prospect of further cuts,” he told Computer Weekly.

An opportunity for IT suppliers

This presents public sector IT suppliers with an opportunity to win more business at a local government level, particularly those with services listed on the government’s G-Cloud procurement framework, said Farthing.

However, they will need to develop an appreciation of the nuances involved when doing business with local government, which – if they’ve mainly sold their services to central government in the past – may prove a stumbling block, in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), he added.

Smaller companies sometimes lack the time, resources and experience to build out their knowledge of what specific pressures different departments in local government are under, for example.

But they could stand to lose out in the long-run by not getting to grips with this if, as is expected, responsibility for more central government IT spending decisions end up being passed downstream.

“SMEs don’t always appreciate some of the challenges local governments face, which sometimes means they end up trying to sell them services they already have or offering generic services that make it difficult for buyers to see how they stand to benefit from using them,” he said.

“When a supplier has done some market research, attended some local government events and has a firm grasp of how their technology can actually do to benefit a specific department in a council it really makes a difference.

“Someone who does that marks themselves out as someone who understands the market and the pressures local government is under, and how they can change that,” Farthing added.

In anticipation of this potential shift in IT buying responsibility, Advice Cloud has partnered with former Hampshire County Council CIO and BCS president Jos Creese to help the latter firm’s SME clients develop an understanding of the pressures local government IT buyers are under.

“The local market is growing in importance and value, but it is also complex and diverse and can be hard to deal with without an understanding of its mechanics, drivers and decision-making processes,” said Creese.

“Cloud offers huge benefits, not just in terms of reduced cost, but in terms of integrated and shareable platforms accessible across multiple local public services. That can be essential for joint working and information sharing in areas such as health and social care.”

Farthing said partnering with Creese should also provide clients with a clear idea of what the demands of a CIO working within local government are.

“You can get that from attending events, but people have to be quite circumspect with what they say, whereas Jos is freed from the politics and can use his experience to guide our clients who include suppliers and end users,” he added.

Share

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Tags: G-Cloud, Local Government

Advice Cloud Latest

  • DOS5 is now Live!
  • Webinar: Making the most of Digital Outcomes and Specialists 5
  • New year, new public sector strategy?
  • Technology Services 3 is now closed
  • What is Find a Tender?
Tweets by @AdviceCloud

Related Posts

  • G-Cloud application roadmap

    [Infographic] G-Cloud Application Roadmap

    We've updated our G-Cloud application roadmap! It features the key steps to getting your application completed in time, and how long each step should take.

    Read more
  • G-Cloud 12 and the Service Definition

    Our Strategic Adviser, Lindsay Smith, looks at why the Service Definition is an essential part of making a success of G-Cloud - especially with its upcoming 12th iteration.

    Read more
  • About
  • For Suppliers
  • For Buyers
  • Training
  • Spend data
  • Resources
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie policy
  • © 2021 Advice Cloud
wiredsussexchambermembertechukcrownsupplierSussex Business Awards 29Brighton and Hove living wageCyber Essentials CertifiedInnopsis

Advice Cloud Limited | Registered in England | Company Registration no 05776223
Registered Office: Advice Cloud Ltd, 15-17 Middle Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1AL

We use cookies to improve your website experience. For example we use cookies to show you relevant webinars, content etc.

We have placed cookies on your device to help make our website better. Some of the cookies we use are essential for our website to work.

We also use some non-essential cookies to collect information to provide you with a better experience and to improve Our Site by better understanding how you use it.

You can use this tool to change your cookie settings.

To control third party cookies, you can also adjust your browser settings.