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Procurement
Buying in a System
What are the issues you must bear in mind when commissioning a system - or, for that matter, any other service or equipment such as display cases, interactive kiosks, websites and other educational material - from external suppliers?
“Budgets can be a particularly difficult area', says Mike Coyne of System Simulation Limited. 'Often museums, libraries and archives don't have a lot of money but they still go through lengthy procurement procedures for relatively small contracts.'
EU rules on public procurement apply to deals above £144,000 and there are UK public sector guidelines for contracts below that figure. Clearly, the rules should be observed but there has to be a sense of proportion, says Mike. - Read the full article
Getting Started
From time to time, libraries, archives and museums need to buy systems, services or other products from external suppliers. Procurement refers to the process of identifying the requirement, stating it clearly and buying-in the system or service as cost-effectively as possible.
Guide to Contracts and Purchasing
The following Guide is reproduced with kind permission of BusinessLink
Use of this Guide is governed by Crown Copyright
All businesses routinely enter into contracts with other businesses to buy their goods or services - for example, when purchasing a new computer system, a training package, or office cleaning services.
When you purchase goods and services for your business, you face many of the questions private consumers do, when ensuring the quality of goods or services and seeking redress if problems arise. But as a business, you don't necessarily have the same buying rights and protection as individual consumers do.
This guide explains the rights you have as a business purchaser of goods and services - it doesn't cover your rights or obligations when selling goods or services - either to other businesses or consumers. It outlines what you should watch out for in the terms and conditions of your contracts and how you can add to them to improve the deal.
