Chasing value

As one of Scotland’s ambitious high-growth companies that specialises in supporting the public and commercial sector in managing and rationalising its real estate assets, we welcomed the findings highlighted by Jeremy Peat (Perspective, 8 February), following the seminar at the Royal Society of Edinburgh, which discussed procurement in Scotland.

As an active player in the Scottish procurement market, we agree with Mr Peat that getting procurement right “could be a significant factor in strengthening our economy”.

How we procure and what we consider during the process is fundamental in ensuring that the client, local or national government or even in the commercial sector, considers the lasting effect of the project.

It has been encouraging for us to read that the Scottish Government, with the Scottish Futures Trust, is striving to open up the marketplace to companies such as ourselves.

Companies like ours are seeking to support those department heads faced with the daunting task of finding savings, while continuing to provide essential services.

Organisations must drive value for money and cost assurance over the lifetime of such projects for these clients, who support transparency in the process. This seminar comes at the same time as the recent announcement from the Deputy First Minister on the multi-
billion pound infrastructure
investment plan, where the 
contract value can quickly enter and stay in the Scottish economy, thereby safeguarding and increasing employment prospects.

We strongly advocate the substantial changes in procurement proposed in the new Procurement Bill.

These, coupled with the projected infrastructure investment in the current economic environment, have encouraged organisations like ours to interrogate the opportunities, as we have been afforded.

Kevin Galloway

Space Solutions

West Regent Street

Glasgow