Luckley House School
Claritas delivers ongoing cost savings for Luckley House School
Luckley House School leverages the procurement specialist’s skills and experience to achieve significant savings on expenditure across the board
Claritas provides procurement support and contract verification services designed to help organisations to select high-calibre service providers, access significant discounts, achieve clarity over leasing terms and conditions, best-in-class service level agreements (SLAs), and best value for money.
Luckley House School initially approached Managing Director Derrick Murphy for support with the tender and supplier selection process for a new printer and copier fleet.
A safe pair of hands
As Bursar Norman Patterson explains: “Having previously worked with Derrick, I was confident he was a safe pair of hands. He professionally managed the entire process end-to-end, from simplifying complex jargon, navigating multiple supplier options, identifying and mitigating any potential risks, and negotiating the best contract terms.
“The end result was we achieved an overall cost reduction of around 48%, some £23,000 per annum, while also benefiting from new, energy-efficient devices, software that improved document workflows and security, as well as better service provision with stronger SLAs.”
Virtual procurement officer
This first project demonstrated the value-add of engaging with a procurement specialist and prompted the school to retain Derrick’s services as a virtual procurement officer (VPO) to support on future investment decisions, contract negotiations, and technology refreshes.
As part of this role, Derrick worked closely with Norman to co-create a Procurement Policy for the school, participated in supplier review meetings, helped the school to measure supplier performance and develop improved relationships.
Supporting technology refresh projects
“Derrick has been heavily involved in a number of technology-related projects including the procurement of MS Surface tablet PCs, which saw us realise savings of £20,000 per annum, a cost reduction of 14%,” Norman said.
He also spearheaded the school’s transition from its legacy phone system to an MS Teams telephony system, a move that in addition to yielding significant cost savings, also improved collaboration and remote learning capabilities by providing a unified platform for voice, video and messaging.
Other technology-related projects included reviewing and extending the school’s IT support agreement and upgrading its legacy mobile phone contract to deliver cost savings, improved reliability, and better integration with the school’s minibus platform. Derrick also supported the school’s head of IT in the procurement of specialist furniture, sound system and computers for a music suite revamp.
Norman continued: “Derrick is committed to securing best value for the school. For example, when considering options for procuring MS Surface tablet PCs, in addition to researching traditional sales channels, we also explored a number of device-as-a-service (DaaS) programmes. However, due diligence uncovered this model attracted a much higher cost per device, and so we acted on Derrick’s recommendation to purchase via a supplier on a national framework agreement who was able to provide preferential pricing for schools.”
The devil is in the detail
According to Norman, Derrick pays particular attention to the details in contracts and is extremely skilled in negotiating the most favourable terms.
“Five years ago, we invested £200,000 in a kitchen refurbishment. At the end of the contract term, we received an invoice for a not insignificant sum to take on the title of the equipment under lease,” he explained, adding: “I asked Derrick to review the contract in-depth to see if there was any wriggle room, he negotiated terms with the lease company and saved us thousands.”
As another case in point, Norman cites success in enhancing contractual terms with a school uniform supplier. “We were moving to a new supplier for school uniforms, and I asked Derrick to assess the contract, he managed to facilitate a number of improvements in our favour – one of which was a reduction in the cancellation period.”
Considering the bigger picture
The school was considering implementing an electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme for staff and asked Derrick to fully evaluate the scheme, explore all options, and conduct a full risk assessment.
“This was new ground for the school, and we wanted to ensure we made the best decision. A thorough review revealed that in the event a staff member moved on to a new position, the liability for the remaining lease rested with the school. We acted on Derrick’s valued advice and agreed that there was an unacceptable level of risk and decided not to proceed,” Norman explained.
In conclusion, Norman said that engaging Claritas’ procurement services has freed up a significant amount of his time. “Derrick is very easy to work with and his input into many different projects has saved us a lot of money. I like the way he does business, his attention to detail and commitment to excellent customer care, alongside his skill and experience combine to provide the highest level of procurement services. I would not hesitate in recommending him to others.”