"This accreditation recognises Mercato as offering good practice in procurement policies, procedures, and ways of working."
Data management technology provider, Mercato Solutions, has been accredited by the internationally respected Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) as an acknowledgement of its ability to provide good practice in procurement.
This is the first time that CIPS has accredited an organisation that manages and standardises real-time supply chain data before applying software tools that help in-direct product buyers more efficiently secure sustained best value on purchases.
The move is considered to be a landmark as procurement moves into a new dimension as forecast by Professor Richard Lamming.
Professor Lamming predicted in 2007 that within five years purchasing officeswould be dominated by automated procurement technology capable of supplier relations, performance management and resourcing with procurement professionals taking on a more strategic 'deal shaper' role.
The procurers of tomorrow would use technology to access structured market and supplier information, making buying decisions on more than just price, looking at economic and market data claimed Professor Lamming.
Mercato Director of Marketing, Stephen Bushell said: "The CIPS accreditation is an accolade we are extremely pleased to receive and strategically should tick all the boxes of reassurance for ICT buyers in both private and public sector.
"Mercato's current suite of buyer tools deliver more efficient ways of buying, selling, managing, analysing and interacting within a range of marketplaces with total transparency."
One cost reduction tool within the Mercato suite is Mercato ITelligence. IT buyers receive structured real-time market information which gives them automated price and stock comparisons on over half a million current IT products in the UK trade channel.
Mercato ITelligence gives buyers accurate and up to date IT market intelligence to facilitate price discovery, so they can negotiate the best deals from their preferred IT suppliers. It saves time benchmarking and policing deals and cost-plus relationships, which would otherwise be spent manually ringing alternative suppliers.
With its tracking, forecasting and reporting functionality the solution is appealing to IT managers, FDs and CEOs in private and public sector organisations, delivering instant return on investment in the IT procurement function.
Major users include Legal & General, Camelot, John Lewis, Whitbread, Poundland, Transport for London and the Office for National Statistics. Mercato ITelligence is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants as offering a Best Practice Best Value procurement solution.
Head of the CIPS Procurement Excellence Programme, Mike Mari said: "As a former procurement practitioner I can see the value add that Mercato can offer in taking forward the role of procurement professionals operating in a transparent environment. Automated technology is playing an enhanced role in enabling the delivery of more collaborative and streamlined procurement approaches.
"This accreditation recognises Mercato as offering good practice in procurement policies, procedures, and ways of working."
Mercato Solutions' Managing Director and entrepreneur Peter Robbins, said: "Mercato has succeeded where all others have failed, we've cracked the enterprise content management nut and joined the CIPS accreditation elite with a sector first thanks to solutions that foster better procurement, empowering professionals to play a more pivotal and strategic role."
