Turning data, insight and innovation into NHS value
Welcome to the latest update in our #TeamTalk series, where we put a spotlight on the teams that make up NOE CPC.
This month we’re focusing on the Technical Services team for our NHS Supply Chain: Facilities and Office Solutions function, which develops tools, data and technical solutions that help customers make smarter procurement decisions.
Chris Whitlock, Technical Services Manager, gives us an overview of his team’s work.
“As Technical Services Manager and Data Manager for our Facilities and Office Solutions (FOS) function, I am proud to lead a small but highly skilled team that plays an important role in helping our wider organisation make better use of data, insight and technology.
“The Technical Services FOS team supports colleagues across the portfolio by turning complex commercial and procurement information into clear, reliable intelligence. In practical terms, that means helping teams understand spend, monitor performance, engage with suppliers, identify savings opportunities and make decisions based on evidence rather than assumptions.
“I currently manage two Data Analysts, Farah Naaz and King Leung, who provide analytical support to the wider team, as well as Keith Chikaviro, our Technical Officer, who manages our direct sales process through Management Information Online (MIO). Outside of this role, I also act as the organisational lead and developer for our AI services, known externally as CPC Searchlight. This gives me the opportunity to look not only at how we use data today, but also how artificial intelligence working with procurement and automation can help us work more intelligently in the future.
“One of the things I value most about our team is that our work often happens quietly in the background, but the impact is felt widely. Keith’s work on the MIO process is a good example of this. MIO is how we collect spend data from suppliers, and the quality of that data matters. In the past, supplier submissions could be late, inconsistent or difficult to work with, which created challenges for procurement teams who needed accurate information to plan, track performance and make informed decisions.
“Keith took a structured approach to understanding the issues and worked closely with colleagues and suppliers to improve the process. He helped map the journey from framework launch and supplier onboarding through to submission, monitoring and escalation. By introducing clearer guidance, standardised templates, onboarding logs, automated reminders and monthly reporting, we now have a more consistent and transparent process. This has improved supplier engagement, reduced delays and strengthened confidence in the data we rely on.
“Farah brings a wealth of experience in data, analytics and digital transformation. Before joining NOE CPC as a Data Analyst, she worked as a Data Programme Manager at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and, before that, as a programmer within global pharmaceutical organisations. That background gives her a strong understanding of how data can be used not just to report activity, but to improve services, automate processes and support better decisions.
“Her flagship area is the Combined Sales Dashboard, a Power BI reporting solution that brings together direct and transactional sales data into one source of truth. Since 2023, the dashboard has provided visibility of more than £663 million of spend and 120 million units supplied. It consolidates data from 550 organisations, covering 22,000 NPCs and 78,000 MPCs. Farah also manages supplier discounts, benchmark savings analysis and spend submissions from 124 suppliers across 20 contract titles, helping us provide better insight for contract management, supplier engagement and strategic planning.
“King also brings an interesting and valuable perspective to the team. He moved into NHS procurement analytics from a banking background and has built strong technical capability across SQL, Excel and Power BI. What stands out in King’s approach is his focus on working smarter with software and allowing the evidence to speak for itself. His work has evolved from simply reporting numbers to shaping how data is used to support decision-making across trusts.
“His flagship work, the Golden Report, helps us look beyond the numbers and understand purchasing behaviour in greater detail. Built on more than 4 million rows of procurement data from the past year alone, it captures activity across 61,804 unique requisition points, representing wards and departments across all NHS trusts. This level of detail allows us to challenge assumptions, identify savings opportunities and support trusts with evidence that is relevant right down to the point of delivery.
“For me, the strength of our team is the way we combine technical skill with a real understanding of the needs of the NHS. Whether we are improving supplier processes, building dashboards, analysing savings or exploring AI through CPC Searchlight, our focus is the same: to make information clearer, improve confidence in decision-making and support better value for the NHS organisations we serve.”