xchangewales

The Welsh Assembly Government is helping to change the way procurement is carried out in Wales. The xchangewales eTrading programme has been introduced to create efficiencies in procurement and stimulate greater collaboration between Welsh public sector customers and their suppliers. Savings in the range of £70million - £200million are estimated for the programme. Participating organisations retain all financial and efficiency savings made, in order to improve their core activities.

The xchangewales eTrading programme provides an online service that allows buyers to manage catalogue content and order approved goods and services through a wide range of framework and privately held electronic catalogues. The xchangewales Hub solution is available to all public sector bodies including local and central government agencies as well as the NHS and schools (eTfS) across Wales.

It enables Purchase Orders to be submitted electronically to the supplier and allow Suppliers to return electronic Invoices and Credit Notes to the buying organisations.

The eTrading solution provides organisations with three key components:

• xchangewales Hub (eTrading)
  A central Hub which allows end users to view, manage and search online catalogues and transact electronically with suppliers. It also gives suppliers the ability to manage catalogue content, view orders and create electronic Invoices and Credit Notes.  
• xchangewales Hub (eTrading for Schools (eTfS))
  A solution similar to eTrading tailored for Schools.
• Management Information System
  A tool through which an organisation can review and analyse their xchangewales Hub transactions.
• Purchase to Pay (P2P) tool (optional)
  An optional tool, which enables users to raise purchase orders, receipt goods / services and process invoices and Credit Notes electronically.
  

Features & Functions of eTrading

Buyers can:

• View and search online catalogues of products and services
• Access better value collaborative contracts and frameworks
• View and search suppliers external eCommerce websites
• Send purchase orders and receive invoices electronically
• Manage users of the system and control which catalogues they can access.

Suppliers can:

• Upload and maintain online catalogues
• Establish links out to their existing eCommerce websites
• Receive orders online
• Create and send invoices online
• Integrate with back-office systems if required.

Use of the xchangewales eTrading portal is free for suppliers and full support is provided by ProcServe.

Further benefits include:

• Financial savings through more efficient processes, increased use of contracts and improved management information
• Easier access for end users to contracts - local, regional, national and corporate contracts
• Reduction in the number of invoice 'mis-matches' and errors
• Improved ability to meet prompt payment targets through faster processing of invoices
• Greater visibility, and therefore greater control of spend.

For more information, please visit www.xchangewales.co.uk