Release note for system change going live Monday 17 March 2008
Willis Ltd – Specialist Construction Insurance Broker Joins Constructionline
HSE announces new CDM regulations
Constructionline Sponsors National e-Procurement Guidelines
Constructionline and EGS Launch Complementary Tool
Constructionline and BiP Sign Mutual Agreement
Supply2Gov Encourages the Use of Constructionline
Constructionline and @UK PLC Sign Cooperation Agreement
New IT system launched on the 6th March 2006

Release note for system change going live Monday 17 March 2008

17/03/2008

Following requests by our Buyer users the application has been amended as follows:

Buyer Services – Run Supplier List

1. The geographic maps have been resized so scroll bars are no longer required.

2. With the Run Supplier List function the label ‘Areas of Operation’ has been changed to ‘Location of Work’.

3. The Supplier Area of Operation monetary value is now part of the background selection criteria of the Run Supplier List search. The supplier selection is now as follows:

• Find suppliers who match the Notation values entered.
• From those matching suppliers then apply the Area of Operation Value(s).
• If the area of operation (AOO) value is less than or equal to (<=) the Low Notation value entered then the supplier will be included in the output.
• If more than 1 AOO is entered in the search criteria the area with the lowest value will be used to determine the match.
• If more than 1 category is entered in the search criteria the category with the lowest ‘Low Notation’ value will be used to determine the match.

4. The Run Supplier List output randomisation has been amended so that each time a list is run a different set of suppliers from the previous list is presented.

5. In the Run Supplier List the ‘Low Notation’ and ‘High Notation’ fields have been re-labelled as ‘Low Contract Value £’ and ‘High Contract Value £’

6. In Internet Explorer the secondary scroll bars have been made darker to make them more visible.

If you have any queries regarding this or need any help using the system, please contact our helpline on 0844 892 0312. Alternatively, please contact your local Client Relationship Manager to arrange training on system use.

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Willis Ltd – Specialist Construction Insurance Broker Joins Constructionline

08/10/2007

Constructionline is delighted to announce that Willis Ltd, one of the world’s largest insurance brokers and specialists in construction insurance has registered as a buyer on Constructionline, as we are continually looking for new ways to enhance the benefits of being a registered supplier.

Willis has agreed not to seek documents or duplicate questions where this information is already available through the Constructionline database. This fits with the Government’s and Constructionline’s desire to reduce the need for suppliers to provide the same information and documents over and over again.

Gareth Kings, Constructionline Operations Director, has said: “The Government makes constant demands of Constructionline to find ways of reducing duplication whilst bringing additional benefits to our registered suppliers of their membership. The application from Willis Limited to join Constructionline as a buyer and to utilise the database to help achieve our aims is most welcome, as the savings in time and money for all our membership can only make good business sense..”

Should you have either an immediate insurance renewal or an immediate insurance query please do not hesitate to contact Jo Locke on 01992 513 014 or by email at lockej@willis.com.
Or alternatively, please click here to submit your contact details to Willis.

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Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007

In light of the new CDM regulations, to be introduced in April 2007, Constructionline will be adjusting the Health and safety application forms to reflect these changes and will inform you of all amendments shortly.
Please read on for further information on the impact of these new CDM regulations on both clients and suppliers.

14/03/2007

Written by: Alec Ferguson, HM Inspector of Health and Safety, Health and Safety Executive

The revised Construction (Design & Management) Regulations (CDM) are on schedule to be introduced in April 2007, following an unprecedented period of consultation with the construction industry.

The introduction of CDM in March 1995 represented a major change in the way health and safety was managed for construction projects. The revised regulations will incorporate the provisions of both CDM and the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 (CHSW) into one set of regulations. The revision represents much more than a legal tidying up exercise. Underlying all the changes is one simple aim: To reduce construction accidents and ill health.

Whilst the on-site safety requirements are almost unchanged, there are significant changes to CDM. The most fundamental changes are:

• To place construction clients in a position where they can have greater influence over the health and safety standards of their project.
• To replace the role of Planning Supervisor with a new role of CDM Co-ordinator. The Co-ordinator will be empowered by the client, and will act as the client’s key advisor for effective communication and co-ordination of health and safety information.
• To emphasise the importance of competence at all levels in securing health and safety benefits, whilst simplifying the assessment of competence.
• To drive out needless paperwork and bureaucracy that had become associated with CDM 1994. Paperwork should be project-specific, relevant, proportionate to the risk, and of real use in helping to manage the risk. If not, it is not required.
• Simplification of when a project is notifiable. Projects will be notifiable if they will last more than 30 days or 500 person days. No projects for a domestic client will be notifiable.

So what are the main things to expect after April 2007?

Clients or their CDM co-ordinator should assess all the people they appoint (including designers and contractors) to make sure they are competent to carry out their work without risk to health and safety. The same will apply to other people making any appointments.

The client will provide relevant health and safety information about the project and site prior to construction. The client should also allow sufficient time to enable the proper planning and preparation for the work on site.

The onus will be on the client to take reasonable steps to ensure that designers and contractors have suitable overall arrangements in place to be able to manage the construction work safely, and that adequate welfare provisions have been made.

Those who are involved in design work will need to (so far as is reasonably practicable) eliminate any hazards and reduce the risk from any remaining hazards. They will need to avoid foreseeable risks for the construction, cleaning, and future maintenance. (Designers who are involved in designing a structure to be used as a place of work, will also need to comply with the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992).

The provisions relating to health and safety on site are not significantly different. However, there will be a specific requirement on the principal contractor to have arrangements to consult with the workers on site, which is seen as being essential for a “safety culture” to develop. Contractors can also expect more detailed enquiries from clients to demonstrate their competence.

There has been a significant improvement in construction safety since the introduction of CDM 1994, although occupational health improvements have been harder to achieve. The experience of the last eleven years has shaped the revision of CDM. The revised regulations are intended to provide the construction industry with the opportunity, and the means, to make the next step-change in health and safety performance.

Further information can be found at:
www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm.htm

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Constructionline Sponsors National e-Procurement Guidelines

22/01/2007

Constructionline, the UK’s register of pre-qualified local and national construction-related suppliers, announced today that it is sponsoring the National e-Procurement Project’s (NePP) guidance for the local authority construction sector. This is best practice guidance which will be published on the NePP website (www.localtgov.org.uk) and disseminated to all local authorities in England. Designed to help them gain the maximum benefits and efficiencies from the application of e-procurement tools and techniques, the guidelines will focus upon highways, property, housing construction and maintenance.

Constructionline will help the NePP demonstrate to local authorities how public and private organisations working together using e-procurement and e-collaboration tools, can demonstrate and assist in meeting cost saving targets. Constructionline will contribute to the project’s Stakeholder Group, which is developing and approving the guidance, and provide best practice case studies. These will be used by the NePP in its presentations, on their website and via email to demonstrate the direct benefits of e-procurement in construction.  

Martin Scarfe, finance adviser at Newham Council and a NePP Board member, said: “Approximately £25 billion is spent per annum on bought-in goods and services across local authorities in England and Wales. The single largest element of this is spent in the construction and maintenance of highways, property and housing.

e-procurement can help reduce this cost by automating the internal and external processes associated with buying, bringing direct benefits to citizens. We approached Constructionline because of its reputation in the construction pre-qualification arena, and we are pleased to have their support in communicating this to all councils.”

Gareth Kings, operations director at Constructionline, said: “The nature of construction procurement is complex and costly so adopting e-procurement can bring real value to local authorities. Online access to pre-qualification information regarding quality suppliers is a key element of this. We already work with a number of e-procurement solution providers such as @UK, BiP and EGS to help public sector buyers migrate towards e-procurement and were delighted to take up this opportunity to sponsor the NePP’s guidance. This initiative gives us a further opportunity to illustrate our continuing commitment to the world of e-procurement.”

Further information on the National e-Procurement Project (NePP) can be found at:
www.localtgov.org.uk

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Constructionline and EGS Launch Complementary Tool

01/12/2006

Constructionline and EGS today announced that the Constructionline functionality is now accessible through all EGS Exchanges such as IDeA: marketplace, Bluelight, and Unity. This joint initiative brings together two leading UK procurement services offering both pre-qualification and e-procurement through one integrated solution. 

The integration of Constructionline’s pre-qualification functionality into the EGS exchanges will enable procurement professionals to boost efficiencies and access cutting-edge e-procurement practices.  In light of the increase in spend on construction related products and services across the public sector, which is largely due to central government driven projects such as ‘Building Schools for the Future’ and the ‘Decent Homes’ initiative, the tool comes at an opportune time.   

Ian Busby, Chief Executive of EGS, said: “We are very pleased to be working with Constructionline to provide even more functionality within our public sector exchanges.  We are confident that this development will prove to be a useful tool in increasing procurement efficiency for both our existing and future members across the public sector.”  

By simply clicking on the new ‘Accreditation’ button within any of the EGS Exchanges, public sector customers will gain access to Constructionline’s extended supplier accreditation service at no additional cost.  As a result, Constructionline is integrated as part of EGS’ e-procurement solution.   

Warwick Gooch, Director for Capita, which manages Constructionline on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry, said: “This joint initiative will further streamline the procurement process for both buyers and suppliers in the public sector. Therefore, it will promote best practice by supporting business improvements through the cost effective and efficient purchasing of goods and services.”

Further information on EGS can be found at:
www.egsgroup.com

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Constructionline and BiP Sign Mutual Agreement 

27/09/2006

Constructionline, the UK’s register of pre-qualified local and national construction-related service providers and contractors, and BiP Solutions Ltd, a provider of public sector contract information, have signed a mutual agreement which will help streamline the procurement process for both organisations’ users.

Under the agreement, public sector buyers who access BiP’s Delta e-tendering solution will also be able to view Constructionline’s pre-qualified supplier list at no additional costs.  As a result, Delta-registered buyers such as local authorities will reap a range of benefits including improved efficiencies through Constructionline’s single, common source of information, enabling easy comparison of suppliers.  Buyers will also have the reassurance that all pre-qualified suppliers have been assessed to a single, government-approved standard.

In return, Constructionline will be integrated into BiP’s Delta e-tendering solution, resulting in Constructionline’s suppliers’ details being viewed by more public sector buyers at no extra cost to suppliers.   Suppliers may also gain access to more contract opportunities under the arrangement; and may be able to reduce their marketing activity and cost. 

Denis Walker, Director, Construction Sector at the Department of Trade and Industry, which owns Constructionline, said: “We are delighted by the possibilities of this alliance.  BiP offers suppliers and buyers access to one of the largest databases of current open contract opportunities.  This new relationship will deliver the Constructionline message – using the central register helps support suppliers’ profitability by cutting out their cost of responding to bespoke client data requests – to more public sector buyers. It may also give Constructionline-registered suppliers exposure to a wider range of work opportunities.”

Constructionline aims to reduce the administrative burden that suppliers face when tendering for work with public and private sector buyers.  Where buyers use the register, suppliers can divert administrative resource elsewhere in their businesses, rather than on completing individual pre-qualification questionnaires for each tender bid.

BiP Chief Executive Ron Burges said: “We are very excited by the benefits this mutual cooperation agreement can bring to our respective companies and clients.  Through this relationship with Constructionline, a nationally recognised accreditation service, we can help the thousands of buyers and suppliers who use our services to increase their efficiency and reduce costs.”

The Constructionline database is regularly accessed by over 1,500 buyers including local authorities, housing associations and NHS trusts.  The online system has been designed so that buyers can view details concerning individual suppliers or produce lists based on specific criteria.  The system has a range of search facilities including areas of operation, geographical location, financial capability and trade association membership. 

Further information on BiP Solutions Ltd can be found at:

www.bipsolutions.com

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Supply2Gov Encourages the Use of Constructionline

Launched September 2006

The DTI have developed Supply2Gov as a service for public sector buyers to advertise low-value contract opportunities and for suppliers to access these opportunities online.  Suppliers are invited to upload self-certified profiles for buyers to browse. 

Government and Supply2Gov advise public sector buyers to use Constructionline pre-qualified suppliers for construction related contracts due to the complex nature of construction procurement.  The OJEU threshold for construction is below £3.8 million, therefore, the use of accredited suppliers is recommended for both low and high value contracts.  This burden can be alleviated by Constructionline, government’s database of pre-qualified suppliers assessed to strict criteria. 

Constructionline and Supply2Gov compliment each other to provide the public sector with a tool to both communicate contract opportunities and source accredited suppliers suitably verified to tender for construction contracts.  The IT infrastructure of both systems has been developed to enable users to move seamlessly between Constructionline and Supply2Gov.  By linking the two systems buyers can use Constructionline to draw up a list of accredited suppliers or verify an individual organisation.  As a result, Constructionline registered suppliers are exposed to a greater number of public sector procurers. 

Further information on Supply2Gov can be found at:
www.supply2.gov.uk

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Constructionline and @UK PLC Sign Cooperation Agreement                                

28/06/2006 Constructionline, the Government’s register of local and national pre-qualified suppliers has signed a memorandum of understanding with @UK PLC setting out how both parties will work together for the benefit of public bodies and their supplier community.

The agreement will make it easier for the increasing number of local authorities and other public bodies using the @UK network for e-procurement to access pre-qualified suppliers. Benefits to public bodies include improved efficiency, streamlining the procurement process in a procedure free to buyers, with reassurance that all pre-qualified suppliers of goods and services have been assessed to standards endorsed by the OGC and other industry leaders.