Crunching the numbers: How our data team turns facts and figures into savings and efficiencies
This month we are focusing on the work of our Technical Programme Management Office, which is part of our Technical Services team.
They develop a range of digital tools and reports designed to make it easier for our team, our customers and our suppliers to get the most out of our frameworks and services.
George Martin, Senior Systems and Process Analyst, has developed a number of these tools while working for the team. He told us more about how they were developed and what they are used for.
“I have developed a number of digital tools – all of them, ultimately, aimed at making it easier for colleagues and customers to understand data.
“One such tool was the Vendor Discount Matrix, which I developed in conjunction with our Digital and Technology Services category team. Customers can use this tool to establish the best value option for a given requirement under the Total Technology Solutions framework.
“This involved taking a large set of data that was difficult to understand and navigate, and turning it into an interactive table that was easy for customers to use.
“Customers can use the tool to view discounts, or for market research purposes, such as finding vendors or manufacturers for certain ICT product areas, or identifying which suppliers hold a particular partner status with a given vendor or manufacturer.
“We have also developed a number of digital tools for the team at NOE CPC to use. These include a report that shows how much spend is flowing across our frameworks, broken down by organisation and framework, giving us a greater understanding of spending requirements across the industry and providing us with an overview of how we are performing as an organisation.
“A huge motivation for us as an organisation is saving money on behalf of our customers, and that is why we have developed a savings report. This gives us an appreciation of the difference we are making to the NHS, because this is money that can ultimately be reinvested into frontline services.
“Our team includes dedicated data specialists who are aligned to each of our category teams. We can develop bespoke tools for our customers, converting raw data on spend, contracts, suppliers or savings into interactive reports which can ultimately generate efficiencies for the organisations we work with.
“We also develop tools that are essential to the way we operate commercially. We have recently developed a tool designed to monitor the Management Information that is submitted by suppliers – the data that tells us which frameworks they have used, when they have used them and which services or products were purchased. We then use the tool to compare this data with national information on spending by NHS organisations to find potential discrepancies.
“We have a similar tool which is available for suppliers to use, so they can see what organisations are spending in various category areas and compare themselves with the rest of the industry.
“If you would like to find out more about the work of our team and how we can support you, please contact our Support Desk and we would be happy to discuss your requirements.”