Gloves are off: improves working conditions Winter 2019 web version… · January 2019 Helping you...

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STUDENT MENTAL ILL HEALTH: Legal obligaons on educaon instuons CASE STUDY: Dressed for success at the University of Exeter AIR POLLUTION: Logiscs companies respond to the Ultra Low Emission Zone The magazine for LUPC Members and Suppliers WINTER 2018/19 Gloves are off: LUPC factory audit improves working condions

Transcript of Gloves are off: improves working conditions Winter 2019 web version… · January 2019 Helping you...

Page 1: Gloves are off: improves working conditions Winter 2019 web version… · January 2019 Helping you draw the right conclusions Experienced lawyers for the higher and further education

STUDENT MENTAL ILL HEALTH:

Legal obligations on education institutions

CASE STUDY:

Dressed for success at the University of Exeter

AIR POLLUTION:

Logistics companies respond to the Ultra Low Emission Zone

The magazine for LUPC Members and Suppliers WINTER 2018/19

Gloves are off: LUPC factory audit improves working conditions

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lupc.ac.uk2 London Universities Purchasing Consortium Winter 2019

CONTENTS

MEET THE TEAM

Don Bowman Acting DirectorTel: 020 7307 2769Email: [email protected] of contracting team and procurement programme. General consortium direction and management of Ensemble Purchasing.

Darran Whatley Senior Contracts ManagerTel: 020 7307 2764Email: [email protected] and Lab, including IRLA, lab equipment, consumables, microscopes, lasers, PPE and veterinary supplies; AV; furniture; soft furnishings; paper; photographic; travel; vehicle hire; utilities.

Mike Kilner Senior Contracts ManagerTel: 020 7307 2768Email: [email protected] hardware and software; insurance; white goods; telecommunications; electronics; laboratory gases; electricals.

Cristian Martin Senior Contracts Manager Tel: 020 7307 2771Email: [email protected]; professional services (including legal, debt collection, occupational health, temp staff and global mobility); post; office supplies.

Jim Biggin Graduate Procurement Officer Tel: 020 7307 2778Email: [email protected] general procurement, membership and data analysis competencies across all categories, alongside team members.

Sam Randhawa Senior Contracts Manager Tel: 020 7307 2772Email: [email protected] maintenance and minor works; cleaning; security; waste management; outsourced catering; catering consultancy.

Teele Jõeleht Systems Manager & Data Analyst Tel: 020 7307 2770Email: [email protected] management and development; collection, analysis and reporting of Member and supplier data.

Caroline Ford Office Manager Tel: 020 7307 2762Email: [email protected], general enquiries and administration.

Marisol Bernal Responsible Procurement Officer Tel: 020 7307 2765Email: [email protected] responsible procurement competencies through study and hands on experience, undertaking tasks and projects.

Suzanne Picken Head of Membership & Marketing Tel: 020 7307 2776 Email: [email protected]; marketing agreements and services; training; Conference and events; LUPC website; publications.

Joyce Kadri Contracts OfficerTel: 020 7307 2763Email: [email protected] appliance testing; signs and signage; taxis; travel; promotional products; removals and relocations; professional services including ceremonial gown and photography; cash and valuables in transit; audit services; childcare vouchers; recruitment advertising.

Welcome 3News 4-5Commodity updates 6-8

Electronics Watch update 9

Malaysian Glove Factory Audit: outcomes and future learning 10-12

Student Mental Ill-Health: Legal implications on education institutions 13 Case Study: Graduation Attire Limited revamps the University of Exeter’s graduation ceremonies 14 Water recycling in the paper industry 15 Air pollution: Logistics companies and their responsibility to reduce emissions 16 Let’s Talk… to Queen Mary, University of London’s Bahar Shahin 18 Focus On: LUPC Member Spend 2017-18: HE Consortia Framework Agreements 19

LUPC : 020 7307 2760

: [email protected]

LUPC, Shropshire House, 179 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NZ

LINKED is printed on 100% Recycled Offset paper

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WELCOME

Ringing in the changes for 2019Welcome to the first Linked magazine for 2019 and a Happy New Year to you all, in what promises to be a busy year ahead.

This is my first Linked introduction since I was appointed to the permanent Director role in December. I would like to thank you for your support while I was acting Director and look forward to working with you all in the future. There have been a number of other staffing changes at LUPC, the full details can be seen in the news section on page 4.

As you may be aware, LUPC has added a few new Members recently, we are now up to an impressive 86 full Members, continuing our steady growth, and allowing us to invest to deliver further benefits for our existing Members. Whilst this is good for the consortium and our Members, it does make it more difficult to ensure all of our Members have input into how we operate and have their needs met.

Because of this, we are embarking on an ambitious Member Engagement plan in the next few months, to ensure that all Members feel represented; by having a named contact on the Executive Committee assigned to them, as well as a dedicated LUPC staff member to contact. LUPC’s Executive Committee

Don Bowman LUPC Director

Members are procurement professionals, drawn from and democratically elected by the Membership and meet four times annually. They set the consortium’s operational priorities and decide on sourcing strategies for the goods and services made available through our agreements. A Member’s dedicated Executive Committee Member will be able to provide the Member with greater input to LUPC’s operations and to ensure their voice is heard.

We are also eagerly awaiting the final outcome of our re-assessment for working to the ISO20400 Sustainable Procurement standard, we are hoping to have some good news on our progress from our initial assessment in 2017.

I hope to see most of you at the LUPC and SUPC Annual Conference on 16th May 2019, yet again being held at the magnificent County Hall venue, full details of this event including booking will be available by the end of January. The Conference is just one of the areas we work closely with SUPC on and more areas will become evident in the next few months.

Please ensure you check our website for upcoming events in 2019, from new member inductions, to category specific events.

Don Bowman January 2019

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NEWS

LUPC Team Update

ISO 20400:2017 Re-Assessment

Brexit: Supply Chain Impacts

There have been a number of changes within LUPC over the last couple of months, following the departure in 2018 of Andy Davies, Director, and Laura Compton, Assistant Director, Membership.

We are pleased to announce that Don Bowman was appointed Director of LUPC in December. Don joined LUPC in January 2016 as Assistant Director, Procurement and was acting Director for the seven months preceding his appointment as Director.

Don said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as Director at LUPC, this is a period of significant change, both within the sector and at LUPC itself and I am looking forward to meeting these challenges. We have a busy few years ahead, with the implementation of the Future Collaboration Project with SUPC, the development of a strategic plan to support delivery of our new corporate strategy and the planning for the COUP 2021 conference, which will be hosted by LUPC in September 2021. I have a difficult act to follow, but am grateful for the support and guidance given by my predecessor, Andy Davies.”

Suzanne Picken, formerly Senior Contracts Manager in the Estates and FM category, was appointed to the role of Head of Membership and Marketing in November. Suzanne has worked at LUPC for over five years and her knowledge of both procurement and the sector, as well as Member relationships developed during her previous role at LUPC, made her an ideal candidate for this role.

Suzanne said: “I’m so happy to be given the opportunity to work on the membership and marketing side of LUPC and to develop some new skills. I’m really looking forward to working closer with our Members”.

Sam Randhawa started at LUPC in January as the new Senior Contracts Manager for Estates and FM. Sam has a background in quantity surveying and was previously working as a Category Manager in the Estates & Facilities Team at Goldsmith’s University of London where he was responsible for the procurement and contract management of capital projects, refurbishment works, maintenance and soft FM requirements across campus.

Marisol Bernal, LLM International and Commercial Law, has also joined LUPC as a Responsible Procurement Office. Marisol spent three years working at the Columbian consulate in Aruba before studying her masters degree at the University of Greenwich.

As part of LUPC’s endeavour to be the leader in the sector in responsible procurement, LUPC underwent re-assessment in December for ISO 20400:2017, the international standard for sustainable procurement.

Our previous score was 3.71 out of 5 or 74.2%, and this time we were looking to achieve a score of 4.2, or 84%. Following on from the feedback

received in our last assessment in July and August 2017, we were looking to improve in the areas of risk assessment, responsible procurement policy and strategy (including special projects) and due diligence.

To enhance our sustainable procurement performance, we have developed Equiano, our risk assessment system, and have started to assess our Framework Agreements against risk and type of supply chain. We have also created additional special projects, many of which provide due diligence against certain framework agreements, for example the gloves social factory audit.

We can confirm achievement of a new score greater than 4.2, but are awaiting news of our final score as well as the assessment report which we will share with you in the next edition of Linked.

LUPC, along with each of the other five regional purchasing consortia, are assessing framework suppliers on the degree to which their services/goods provision will be impacted by Brexit.

All framework agreements are then being categorised in terms of Brexit having a low, medium or high risk impact. The focus will be on framework suppliers in medium and high risk categories. Although there remains a high level of uncertainty surrounding Brexit and its impacts, these suppliers will be asked to detail the actions being taken to mitigate the risks identified and to provide us with their contingency plans.

We will keep Members informed as this work progresses.

Left to right:, Suzanne Picken, Marisol Bernal, Sam Randhawa and Don Bowman.

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LUPC are hosting a full day of training on the 5th April 2019 covering Debt Recoveries & Legal Student Matters. The material is targeted at:

• Finance and Income specialists

• Legal counsel or those responsible for obtaining legal advice

• Procurement specialists that are responsible for the professional services category

• Well-being officers or those that offer advice to students, e.g. debt problems• Or anyone else that oversees these areas.

Come and meet with your new framework suppliers on the Debt Recovery framework (PFB5044 LU) that started in October 2018, as well as those on Lot 6 (Student matters - PFB5041 LU) of the National Legal Services framework that went live in May 2017.

There will be continuing professional development (CPD) presentations from both debt recovery and legal suppliers sharing specialist debt recovery market knowledge and legal cases, and the legal impacts of mismanaging student or staff wellbeing.

Suppliers offering debt recovery services can be put into two separate groups which informed the Lot structure:

Lot 1: Pre-Legal only collections

Lot 2: One stop shop and Legal recoveries

Lot 6: Student matters of the National Legal Services framework is a niche service provided by specialist lawyers who will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about contracts with students, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and what members can put in place to support students.

Networking opportunities will also be available with other legal firms on the national framework for those members interested in the wider legal framework in the afternoon.

To register for the event and tell us your pressing question for the panel to debate, please go to www.lupc.ac.uk/events

NEWS

Launch Event: NEW Debt Recoveries Framework & Legal Student Matters

NEW AGREEMENTS

• Library Security and Self-Service Equipment, Software and Maintenance

• Entrance & Access Control Systems & Associated Equipment & Services

• National Education Recruitment Advertising and Resourcing Services (NERARS)

For more information on all agreements visit: lupc.ac.uk

• Sustainable Waste Management (expected award date Feb 2019)

• Occupational Health Services (expected award date Mar 2019)

• Temporary Staff (expected award date Mar 2019)

• Taxi Services for London and surrounding counties (expected award date April 2019)

• Royal College of Psychiatrists• Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult• Met Office

• Meet the Team breakfasts – 1 Feb, 2 May 2019, London

• New Member Inductions - 1 Feb, 2 May 2019, London

• Debt Recoveries Framework & Legal Student Matters Launch - 5 April 2019, London

• LUPC & SUPC Conference 2019 16 May 2019, County Hall, London - details coming soon!

To keep track of all our events visit www.lupc.ac.uk/events

UPCOMING TENDERS

NEW MEMBERS

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Welcome new MembersLUPC has welcomed three new Members in the last quarter. The first is The Royal College of Psychiatrists, which adds to the other four medical Royal Colleges that are already Members of LUPC. The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the professional medical body responsible for supporting psychiatrists throughout their careers from training through to retirement, and in setting and raising standards of psychiatry in the United Kingdom.

Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, a not for profit research organisation fostering a world-leading cell and gene therapy industry in the UK, has also joined us.

The latest Member to join LUPC is The Met Office, the United Kingdom's national weather service making meteorological predictions across all time scales from weather forecasts to climate change.

We’re delighted to have you on-board!

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London Universities Purchasing Consortium Winter 2019

This section will give you an update on any new agreements in place, or news on existing agreements. Please note this is not the full list of available agreements, just those where there is some news to report. For the full list of agreements and for further information on any of the agreements listed here, please visit the HE Contracts (HEC) site: www.hecontracts.co.uk

The initials next to each agreement indicate the LUPC Contracts Manager you should contact for further information about a particular agreement, these are as follows:

CM Cristian Martin 020 7307 2771 [email protected] Joyce Kadri 020 7307 2763 [email protected] Mike Kilner 020 7307 2768 [email protected] Sam Randhawa 020 7307 2772 [email protected] Darran Whatley 020 7307 2764 [email protected]

Other useful contacts:JISC www.jisc.ac.ukTUCO www.tuco.orgTEC www.tec.ac.uk

Catering - Outsourced Services – National SPFramework suppliers will shortly be invited to meet with LUPC for review meetings .

CATERING

ESTATES & FM

Cleaning and Janitorial Products – National SRA re-tender of this agreement is underway and will be in place in July 2019

Cleaning Services – Regional SRFramework review meeting held with Tenon FM who has recently been awarded a second contract through the framework. Framework review meeting scheduled for February with Churchill, who now have five contracts through the framework.

Couriers - National CMThe current Courier, parcel and international mail services framework is being re-tendered and the new framework will be in place in July 2019

Electrical Materials & Associated Products – National MKReview meetings are in the process of being organised for either February or March. Feedback on the agreement from members ahead of these is welcome and will be formally requested once the meeting dates have been finalised.

Electronics (NUWPEC) – National MKMinutes from the last review meetings, held at LUPC on 25 October, have been circulated and the contract management team arranged a site visit to RS Components with the aim of seeing their new production line and packaging reduction processes. Work has also commenced on undertaking a price comparison exercise.

The group will be attending a meeting on 26 February 2019 at CPC offices in the lead up to the tender renewal process, a user questionnaire will be developed and issued around this time for feedback. The group’s discussions will include pricing options; historically based on a discount structure, which is complicated to manage and monitor, versus cost-plus, fixed priced, open book and end column pricing. That intention is to increase the number of goods in the tender basket and take account of purchases made through the agreement including variable weightings based on volumes purchased.

Estates Maintenance & Minor Works – Regional SRA breakfast networking meeting between LUPC Members and suppliers on the Estates Maintenance and Minor Works Framework is taking place on 24 January 2019. As well as networking, attendees can hear about the WELL Building Standard and the evolution of NEC3 to NEC4 contracts.

Freight and Haulage – National CMThis is a brand new agreement that will be run as a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) and will cover both general freight and exhibition freight. The DPS will be in place by end of January 2019 and will be promoted to suppliers in February 2019.

Security Services – Regional SRFramework review meetings have been held with CIS and Noonan. Three contracts have been awarded via the framework in the last quarter.

Signs and Signage – National SRThis framework is being re-tendered and will be in place in July 2019.

Waste Management Services (Sustainable) – National SRThe ITT of the re-tendered framework is in the final stages of evaluation, with award scheduled for the end of January. The new framework will be open to Members of LUPC, SUPC, NEUPC, NWUPC, TUCO and HEPCW. The Framework go live date is scheduled for mid February.

Furniture Supply & Installation – National DWThe award process of the re-tendered framework agreement is now complete, please check HEC for details, as Lots started on different dates: www.hecontracts.co.uk/agreements/484

White Goods – National MKReview meetings are to be held with all suppliers in March, dates to be confirmed. A survey will be distributed prior to this to obtain feedback from members on supplier performance and framework satisfaction. Suppliers will be asked to provide information on packaging processes and initiatives as a focus area. Resultant information can be shared with interested parties.

Stearn are hosting a visit to the GDHA factory for the NWUPC Domestics Category Group. The group will experience UK manufacturing of home appliances with a focus on sustainability; an article on the visit will be produced and potentially shared with members.

FURNITURE & FURNISHINGS

Computing - Data Centre Management Equipment & Infrastructure – National MKNow in its final year, a draft Procurement Strategy has been formulated as part of planning for the next tender and a request will be made shortly for tender working party volunteers to help with the procurement.

Computing- Desktop & Notebook Agreement - National (‘NDNA’) MKSales figures and charts by region and OEM (including resellers) for the agreement up to and including Q1 2018/9 have been shared to both the working party and the framework suppliers as well as hosted on HEC for institution visibility. Detailed Sales and Service Management Information, Minutes and Matters Arising from Meetings, Mini-Competition Exemplars and Presentations will continue to be available either on HEC or from the Contract Manager on request.

Acer have now filled their previously vacant third business partner position by the addition of Centerprise as of 7 January 2019. The next review meetings are being held at Stone Computers between 18-20 March and will include a full on-site review of Stone’s operation including their recycling centre.

ICT & TELECOMS

COMMODITY UPDATES

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COMMODITY UPDATES

The framework suppliers continue to participate in providing advice on the potential impact of Brexit outcomes on the IT supply chain/NDNA within the UK.

Computing - National Education Printer Agreement (‘NEPA’) MKHP Inc have recently completed the acquisition of current reseller Apogee and the parties have confirmed that Apogee will not receive preferential terms from HP over other resellers. As from 21 December 2018 and across all Lots, Apogee will no longer be a Canon reseller.

The potential final year extension of the agreement, which is due in April, will be considered as part of a survey to gather feedback issued to HE Consortia members.

The current suppliers have been invited to review meetings in February.

Computing - PCs with Apple Operating Systems – National MKCurrent framework supplier review meetings were held on 13-14 November 2018 at UCL and were immediately preceded by a highly valuable discussion with their Supplier Responsibility Team, including a number of their States-based team. Minutes from the reviews should be available shortly and will be circulated to commodity group members.

Using the same format as before, the intention is to now meet with Apple’s Environmental team on 21 May with the reviews immediately following.

Computing - Server, Storage & Solutions National Agreement (“SSSNA”) MKSupplier reviews with each of the manufacturers took place in November and the minutes from these meetings are available on request and correspondingly shared with the LUPC Computing Group.

Software Licence Resellers (SLRA) – National MKThe next set of review meetings are scheduled for January 2019. An agreement spend and product trend report for year 1 of the agreement has now been completed and is available to members.

Finance, HR/Payroll, ERP and Associated Services MKFull details, which are available on HEC at www.hecontracts.co.uk/agreements/551, have now been circulated to all parties regarding the new 2 + 2 year agreement.

Unit 4 were contacted and agreed to present at the LUPC/SUPC ICT conference held late November.

The process of on-boarding Hitachi Consulting UK Ltd to the agreement has now been completed.

Telecommunications inc. landline & mobile – (CCS) RM1045 MKCCS are holding a number of introductory webinars starting from the end of January for those interested in taking part in the next mobile aggregation opportunity. The project timeline is for delivery from May 2019:

• January – early March: customer engagement and webinars

• End March: deadline to return customer requirement template

• April – May: goes to tender

• End May: formal award

• End June: service available

Further details can be found at ccsheretohelp.uk/how-to-buy/aggregation/

Computing – General Matters not covered elsewhereThe Jisc Routing and Switching framework is due to go to OJEU shortly as part of its re-procurement. Contract documentation is in the final stages of drafting and presently being reviewed ahead of its issuing.

The LUPC and SUPC ICT Briefing and Networking Event was successfully held at the end of November and c.40 attendees saw presentations and demos from Jisc, Intel, Unit 4 and HP as well as having the opportunity to explore the latest technology on display within HP’s Customer Welcome Centre.

Serials – Inter-Regional (LUPC and NWUPC) CMThe tender documents for the framework re-tender were completed before Christmas and went out to market on time. The tender process continues as scheduled with bids expected back in February.

LIBRARY

Office Supplies – National DWThe tender working party met during December to discuss the strategy issued by NWUPC for the new agreement commencing in August 2019. CM is due to meet in January with CCS, HP and NWUPC about the re-tender and responsible procurement

OFFICE SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Insurance – Regional MKThere was a record response to the annual insurance survey and the findings were discussed in depth at the service review meetings held between the ITSG and Gallagher, ZM, RSA and Atrium/TRF on 4 December. It was confirmed that Gallagher had recently recruited two additional members of staff and addressed allocations across the whole team in an attempt to ensure that response times improved. It was also agreed that an actuarial review of PA/Travel premiums by the Gallagher Actuary team will take place prior to any decision on whether or not to re-tender PA/Travel outside of the group’s normal 5-year arrangements, to enable greater focus on that area.

Bomb blast scenarios are now being completed by the Terrorism providers (Atrium/TRF) on behalf of each member and without the BI information as agreed.

ZM have created new centres of excellence in Glasgow for Property and Motor and PL/EL in Farnborough following the end of their internal consultation process. Building and training the new teams is currently underway. The intended group visit is likely to be in March as the teams will be undergoing intensive training during February.

The group was also working with ZM and Gallagher towards offering Accident Management training to all members paid out from the ZM Risk Management bursary.

Debt Collection – National CMAll framework documents, including desk-top calculators are now on HEC. A launch event is organised for the 5 April. The event will be focused on debt collection best practice as well as student wellbeing/legal impacts. This event is linked with student matters Lot 6 of the legal framework, with suppliers on that lot invited to present on the day, and the remaining legal suppliers invited for networking in the afternoon.

The new framework has a different Lot structure to mirror the supply market:

Lot 1 - Pre-legal only collections (Debt collectors)

Lot 2 - One-stop-shop (Pre-legal collections and Legal Recoveries) (Legal firms only)

Legal Services – National CMA joint event with Debt Collection is organized for Members for 5 April 2019. The event is titled, “Debt Recovery and Student Legal Matters”. See above.

Occupational Health Services – National CMThe current agreement has been extended and is being re-tendered using the Open Tender procedure.

We are looking for tender working party participation by Members.

This will be a national framework, with an additional Lot for London only suppliers. The amendments will make the framework easier to use for suppliers and members. Acknowledging that the cost/risk in supplying the service is in medical staff time, a calculator is being drafted to help members estimate how much time is needed, and greater

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COMMODITY UPDATES

(Correct at 14 Jan 2019) Full details of all agreements are available at lupc.ac.uk

Taxi Services – Regional JKThe tender documentation for the re-tender of this framework is being prepared.

TRAVEL

For all TEC news, visit their website at www.tec.ac.uk/news

UTILITIES

PublicationsMonthly e-bulletins were issued in November, December and January.

MembersNew full Members in the last quarter include Royal College of Psychiatrists, Met Office, and Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult.

EventsLUPC has started a series of networking and information events, to improve engagement between LUPC staff and our Members;

• The first quarterly Meet the Team breakfast and New Member Inductions took place on Friday 2 November. The next one is scheduled for Friday 1 Feb.

• An ICT Briefing and Networking Event was held on 29 November

• An Estates Networking Event is scheduled for 24 January

• A Debt Collection and Student Legal Matters event is planned for 5 April

• A launch event for the new Waste Management Framework will be held in the spring

The venue for the LUPC & SUPC Conference 2019 has been booked at County Hall for 16th May 2019.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Other Laboratory – UpdatesSTEMed group met in November to discuss strategy update and Brexit approach to this market’s suppliers.

Darran Whatley shadowed a LUPC commissioned social factory audit based on SMETA standard, which includes ETI base code application. Corrective action and full report received. Engagement and support from the glove manufacturer has continued. Initial report has been issued, and further report due in January to update the SHIELD Scientific progress with corrective actions.

Gases (IUPC) – National MKSales figures and charts by region and supplier for the agreement up to and including Q1 2018/9 have been shared with both the working party and the suppliers, as well as being hosted on HEC.

The minutes from the most recent review meetings held 26 October at LUPC have been circulated to the group. The potential inclusion of lab freezers via refrigerant product suppliers such as Air Products on the next agreement has been a point of discussion at this and previous meetings areas.

A programme is in place to move sites across to BOC’s ‘Accura’ cloud-based, App-accessible cylinder management program following a number of successful trials including at LUPC’s Member, the Science and Technology Facilities Council, as well as Strathclyde University.

General Laboratory Equipment, Supply/Installation – National DWDW met with Appleton Woods on 18 October, SLS on 23 October, Sciquip 24 October and Wolf Labs 26 October, to discuss Orders, MI process, Equiano response, their modern slavery statement, sustainability across the supply chain, BT14 Sustainability Benefits and Brexit.

Meeting with Triple Red delayed until second week of January.

Next review will now be March, confirmation will be sent in late January.

Laboratory Consumables - Inter-Regional (IRLA) DWThe SUPC category contracts manager who manages this framework agreement has left and a consultant has been re-appointed on a temporary basis. A permanent contracts manager for this area has been appointed by SUPC and is due to start in February.

A meeting is being held in January to discuss the legal advice on the proposed terms and conditions for the new framework agreement being led by SUPC, with the tender working party chair and LUPC in attendance.

The current framework has been extended to 31/05/19, and the new tender contract plan will be available soon.

Laboratory Chemicals General Purpose- Inter-Regional (IRLA) DWSame details as for Laboratory Consumables above.

Laboratory – Life Sciences – Antibodies and Sera DWBecton Dickinson have been removed from the framework agreement, as they have not agreed terms and conditions.

Laboratory – Life Sciences – Equipment First FA DWA meeting was held with KCL lab Managers about the lot structure and equipment type specifications.

Equipment type specification work with Kings College London’s research staff due for completion by 07/01/19, the tender pack will then be updated and sent to the tender working party for final comments.

Laboratory – Molecular Biology Research Services (previously Life Sciences – Services) DWNEUPC advised award notices to be published by the end of January.

STEMed & LABORATORIES

encouragement is being made to commit to resources to remove some of the risk from suppliers. This should result in increasing the quality of service and achieving value for money by greater supplier participation and less need to build in risk within the pricing model.

Temporary Staff – Regional CMSUPC is tendering a National agreement for temporary staff with a London focused Lot to assist SMEs. The SQs have been marked, over 50 suppliers submitted bids. The ITT has been issued. The current agreement has been extended to co-terminate with the new agreement start.

Ceremonial Gown & Photography Services—National JKA future event for Members and framework suppliers is being considered.

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NEWS FEATURE

Our latest Electronics Watch (EW) update focuses on the Affiliates & Monitors Meeting and the Third Annual EW Conference, which were held back-to-back on adjacent days last December in Amsterdam. Unlike the previous years, the format moved away from a combination of panel discussions and longer presentations to greater emphasis on shorter talks and interventions, as well as opportunities for wider delegate participation.

The Conference has grown over the years and 25 founding members have now become more than 300 affiliates across several countries making their voices heard within the industry. The Affiliates & Monitors Meeting focused on a number of local stories concerning strengthening workers’ collective voices and influence in the workplace and worker driven monitoring and supply chain transparency. It was evident from the first day that the wide practice of exploiting migrant workers remains a very real problem and one that remains high on the agenda. There was also a problem in promoting the achievements in a way that would give assurance to factory workers participating in audits and studies that their voice is being heard and making a real difference on-the-ground to the overall benefit of everyone.

Board of Trustees colleague, Gopi Parakuni, gave a hard-hitting short talk on the issue of fake auditing practices within Asian-based factories. In this scenario, the company-employed ‘auditor’ would be tasked with rooting out potential trouble makers on the factory floor during the course of a faux independent 1:1 interview process. Gopi also observed that in many parts of the world, a separation of classes remains. This often results in a general distrust of auditors and therefore presents great difficulty in finding out the truth in workers’ rights related matters.

At the Conference session, I was delighted to be asked to present a short talk on the connection between purchasing practices and working conditions. This included our current engagement with the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the provision of information to date. One key message that I wanted to get across is that the possibilities for contracting authorities like LUPC to procure sustainably are balanced, sometimes precariously, against

the imperatives of competition and transparency. Compliance with environmental, social and labour law are optional grounds for exclusion however buyers remain, for a variety of reasons, wary of attempting to push through their enforcement within tenders or call-off competitions. This was later touched upon in one of the afternoon technical workshops, led by legal expert David Hansom of Clyde & Co, covering the new second generation EW contract clauses, and the encouragement of affiliates to include the terms and toolkit materials in their procurements.

There were two further excellent workshops that ran concurrently to this session, one taking the audience through the launch of the new Performance Tracker enabling public buyers to immediately compare and contrast the performance of their suppliers against several indices. The other reviewed recent guidance and legislation on human rights due diligence in global supply chains with cross-nation participation including Crown Commercial Services, who agreed to become engaged and work closely with EW during 2018.

Each of the interactive sessions led to the discussion and writing-up of a significant number of ideas and suggestions on the workers’ rights issues and solutions we see in global supply chains, as well as the future direction of travel for Electronics Watch. One such proposal was to set up separate WhatsApp groups for public sector affiliates and monitoring partners to share ideas, important developments and areas requiring discussion in an immediate way, given that the vast majority have only a limited means to currently interact with other affiliates outside of the annual conference.

All full Members of LUPC are also affiliate members of Electronics Watch, an additional Member benefit.

Electronics Watch update

The third annual Electronics Watch Conference took place in Amsterdam in December. LUPC’s Mike Kilner, Electronics Watch Trustee, reports.

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London Universities Purchasing Consortium Winter 2019

Gloves are off on human rights violations in Laboratory supply chains

LUPC carried out an audit of a Malaysian glove factory to check the working conditions of migrant workers. LUPC’s Jim Biggin, Graduate Procurement Officer, provides an update on the findings.

Ready to commence the audit

LUPC Senior Contracts Manager, Darran Whatley, travelled to Malaysia in collaboration with Asia Inspection, an experienced auditing company, in October 2018. He helped undertake a pilot social audit in close collaboration with SHIELD Scientific and one of their sub-contracted gloves manufacturers on the Laboratory Consumables Framework.

This exercise was part of LUPC’s focus to be the leader in responsible public procurement in the UK and beyond by promoting ethical standards across supply chains collaboratively with suppliers. The audit came about from Darran’s scoping exercises and spend analysis on the Laboratory Consumables spend category, which highlighted that across five University Purchasing Consortia, more than £4m is spent on laboratory gloves alone. It was not in response to recent publications in the Guardian about serious labour rights abuse in the glove industry as it had been planned since 2017. These recent publications do however underline the significance and importance of socially responsible procurement.

LUPC NINE STEP AUDIT ACTION PLANSTEP 1 Identify the products

STEP 2 Gather detailed product information from re-sell suppliers

STEP 3 Investigate and verify the nature of location(s)

STEP 4 Compile an interactive map

STEP 5 Develop a grading system

STEP 6 Undertake a factory audit

STEP 7 Work with the supplier to address and/or remedy non-conformance

STEP 8 Follow-up

STEP 9 Case study and communication to Members

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As one stage in a nine-step action plan, Darran took the initiative by conducting the first in-person audit of any UK Higher Education Consortia.

The purpose of this special project was to acquire hands-on experience and evidence of risk identification, evaluation and mitigation using supply chain mapping and factory auditing.

Darran said “I had to see the experiences of workers first-hand to really understand the conditions they face, and it really gave me a feeling of how justified this work is.”

FindingsThe auditing team and Darran found that the conditions in the audited factory were mostly compliant with the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI) base code and Malaysian law.

It is also positive to witness the voluntary effort made by SHIELD Scientific to allow their supply chain to be audited. This has helped assure to LUPC they are complying with the framework terms and conditions and to demonstrate that the glove factory is taking human rights and safe working conditions seriously.

The auditing team did identify six minor non-conformances that needed to be addressed.

Four of the non-conformances related to Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) base code, an internationally recognised code of labour practice, which LUPC has voluntarily incorporated into its frameworks. They included:

• Potentially exceeding the ETI Base Code on weekly working hours

• The need to appoint a senior member of management to manage implementation of the ETI Base Code

• The need to communicate the ETI Base Code to factory employees

• The need to communicate the ETI Base Code to their supply chain

Some workers were found to be potentially exceeding the number of working hours in a week. Although further study showed that the number of working hours was fully compliant with Malaysian laws, and the information provided by the factory suggests that all ETI Base Code exceptions for working hours and overtime were met. As such LUPC did not think this constituted a non-conformance. SHIELD Scientific is continuing discussions with the factory’s CSR manager on this issue and is awaiting closure due to the final confirmation of the details of the law and how it measures against ETI Base Code exceptions.

The factory and its suppliers were unlikely to have known about the ETI Base Code requirement, so the responsibility for communicating this fell to LUPC and SHIELD Scientific. In light of this, LUPC will communicate and follow up with framework suppliers to ensure the ETI Base Code is being adhered to in the supply chain.

The rectification of the fifth non-conformance was the replacement of an inadequate covering of an electric box. Lastly, the sixth was focussed on improving the brightness of lighting in one of the workshops.

Five of the six non-conformances were rectified within 30 days with photographic evidence provided.

Addressing these within 30 days was an important achievement. It was positive to see that all parties equally understood the importance of compliance and the importance of ensuring public money is being used responsibility.

Rectifying the minor non-conformances will be beneficial for the workers in the factory as the corrective actions will consider every employee.

On the working conditions Darran witnessed, he said:

“I had to be relative with my opinions of the conditions. It’s a different kind of normal there, and it was so different to what we would accept in the UK, so I had to remind myself we were specifically observing our terms and conditions, and their local law, not ours.”

He continued by saying “Eventually we want to say work like this has brought their working conditions up to our standards.”

The audit had its challenges. As this was the first audit LUPC has conducted there was uncertainty about what would be found, making every moment a learning experience.

The audit spanned a three-day trip, spending six hours in the factory, and a translator was also needed to convey the multiple languages of a 99% migrant workforce.

In total, 26 workers were interviewed, six individually and four groups of five were also held from the 692 workers to get a representative idea of what it is like to work in that factory.

The audit used was the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) 2 Pillar method which utilises the Ethical Trading

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Initiative’s Base Code, matching LUPC’s commitment. LUPC was keen to use this methodology as it attempts to ensure “best practice ethical audit techniques” to evaluate all elements of responsible business practice. The service’s reliability was also influential when choosing this method, with 20,000 SMETA audits uploaded to Sedex, the creator of SMETA audits, every year.

Local law was incorporated into the SMETA monitoring standards, and the audit itself was carried out against the labour standards, health and safety and other elements of the factory.

Lesson’s learnedThe simplicity of the supply chain and the ubiquitous presence of laboratory gloves in Members’ laboratories meant it was an effective category to begin with. Therefore, the lessons learned and impact of these due diligence exercises were believed to have relevant benefits for a considerable proportion of LUPC’s Members.

Besides the action-points found, a raft of best practice was brought back that can be applied to further LUPC and other consortia audits. For example, a growing familiarity with the audit process means more valid and reliable outcomes, as LUPC would be more confident in asking questions.

Also, the demonstrable success of this audit transparently shows how a small organisation like the LUPC can make a big difference. Other suppliers can see the value of such work for themselves, as well as Members and other consortia, with the aim of encouraging further auditing.

Multiple actions were formulated to ensure that future audits are more effective in investigating, resolving and monitoring non-compliance in all supply chains LUPC is involved with.

LUPC has now considered greater work in the nine step plan pre-audit, such as asking Members what outcomes they would like, to generate greater LUPC ownership of the audit process. During the audit, an independent translator would also enable greater certainty that the answers workers gave were their own words and ensure consistency in the questions asked.

Next stepsLUPC wishes to continue this momentum of hands-on experience with risk identification, evaluation and mitigation

in its other categories. Next up, LUPC will be conducting due diligence exercises in the security and cleaning supply chains in collaboration with the other sister consortia to investigate potential human rights, health and safety and environmental non-conformances.

In addition, LUPC is increasing the utilisation of Electronics Watch’s tools for supply chain due diligence, e.g. the Company Performance Tracker and Factory Disclosure forms.

The collaborative relationship between LUPC and SHIELD Scientific has therefore resulted in material changes to the lives of people who help ensure that Members’ laboratories can perform to their high standards under the Laboratory Consumables Framework.

LUPC’s Director Don Bowman said:

“I am very proud Darran went so far for LUPC and the Members. It makes me feel confident that we are directing our own future and continuing to take the lead in responsible procurement”.

Look out for more updates by following LUPC’s responsible procurement work on Twitter, Linked magazine, the LUPC and SUPC annual conference in May, e-bulletin, website and working parties.

If you wish to have a greater impact on LUPC’s work, contact Darran Whatley, Senior Contracts Manager, [email protected]. T: 020 7307 2769 about joining LUPC’s Responsible Procurement Advisory Group, which spearheads LUPC’s responsible procurement policies and strategies.

Representatives from the glove factory; SHIELD Scientific, framework supplier; LUPC and the auditors QIMA (formerly AsiaInspection) at the closing meeting of the audit.

HE Procurement for TheNext Generation

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With a rise in mental ill-health among students, Hill Dickinson’s Iain Campbell examines the legal obligations on education institutionsWell-publicised tragedies have raised public awareness of the rise in mental ill-health among students. It was reported that in 2017-18, 95 students committed suicide, while the proportion of disabled students with mental health problems is said to have virtually doubled in four years. If a tragedy occurs, an inquest will be held. The knowledge and actions of the institution may be scrutinised in public by the coroner.

Do institutions have to protect students from the consequences of their own mental ill-health? Might this trend encourage claims from students who would argue, after the event, that they were entitled to be better protected from themselves? If things go wrong, what is institutions’ legal exposure and how can they defend themselves?

There is no shortage of policy announcements and politicians' exhortations: The Education Secretary in December 2018 called on universities to do more to follow up emergency contacts where a student was at risk of a mental health crisis. Increasingly, it is proposed that universities obtain students’ consent to notify family members where they may become worried about the mental health of someone who appears vulnerable, at risk of self-harming or even of suicide. But an institution which gains this right e.g. by taking consent from a newly registered first-year student, may risk a form of legal double jeopardy: either being held to have assumed a duty to intervene when, after a harmful outcome, intervention appeared with hindsight to have been the right option, or of being accused of breach of confidentiality by a student who had not wanted family members to be told of a personal issue.

There is a statutory duty on institutions to protect others on site from risks to their health and safety, through taking reasonable measures. Recently the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) dismissed a complaint by a student who had been excluded from campus for disruptive behaviour that was seen to pose a risk to others. Notwithstanding that the institution had no proof at the time that the disruptive behaviour was due to the mental ill-health of the student concerned, the OIA held it was justified in protecting others. But this duty only requires institutions to conduct their own affairs to protect people against such risks. It would not necessarily apply where the risk of illness or self-injury was not directly increased by the institution itself.

Of course, a student with a known disability has rights under the Equality Act 2010, including the duty on institutions to make reasonable adjustments. Questions include at what point low mood, depression or despair amount to a disability and whether institutions are responsible to identify persons experiencing this. When it is made known, those students must be entitled to support. But apart from disability, is there a more general legal

duty to identify those at risk of self-harm or suicide, and, where the risk is known about, to intervene?

Much is heard of a (or ‘the’) duty of care owed by institutions to students. This may be simplistic. Often, the real issues in any case are, firstly, from what harm the duty entitles the student to be protected (clear examples being physical injury from defective premises or equipment, and injury to the feelings of a disabled student, if caused by discrimination or harassment). Secondly, what is the scope of the duty, namely, what actions is the institution properly required to take to try to avoid such harm?

As yet, a universal legal duty to protect all students from self-harm or suicide, on or off campus, cannot necessarily be assumed. The moral duty is obvious!

Iain Campbell is a partner at Hill Dickinson LLP. Contact [email protected]

Hill Dickinson is a framework supplier on the consortia Legal Services framework. For Members seeking legal advice around any matters relating to students, you can instruct a specialist firm via Lot 6 Student Matters.

lupc.ac.uk London Universities Purchasing Consortium Winter 2019 13

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Student mental ill-health: some legal implications

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Graduation Attire Limited, one of the suppliers on the Ceremonial Gown and Photography Services Framework, was awarded the opportunity to work with the University of Exeter when the institute sought a new robing supplier to revamp their graduation ceremonies. Their existing contract had come to a natural end and the LUPC framework agreement meant that the University could take into consideration a variety of providers whilst evaluating key areas that mattered to them most; quality of service, efficiency on the day and a clear focus on the student experience.

Client Feedback“We believe that the huge success of this December’s graduations is the perfect example of what the LUPC agreement has to offer. Martin and the Graduation Attire team provided an exceptional service throughout the process, both with advanced planning and during the graduations themselves. They were efficient, professional, and worked wonderfully with our on-site staff to ensure that our students received the best possible service for their ceremonies.

Martin and the team were in regular contact with us prior to the graduation ceremonies; to advise on how to set up the robing room, provide updates on orders, and give invaluable advice on all robing matters. On the day, despite the challenge of a very short set-up time, the Graduation Attire team moved into place quickly and got everything working seamlessly. The operation was slick and efficient, and we were very impressed with the management of the room as well as the service that our students were offered. Feedback from graduates has been very positive and suggests that the Graduation Attire team contributed to a fantastic graduation experience.

We have also received excellent feedback from our Senior Management Team who were impressed with the way Graduation Attire slotted in to our process with ease. We are very much looking forward to working with Graduation Attire for our future graduation ceremonies.”

Gemma Edney – Graduation Officer, University of Exeter

ProductionThe attire for the Winter Graduation ceremony was produced following an incredibly efficient process, ensuring that it was ready in time for the December event. All attire was made to full specification using Graduation Attire’s Enviro-thread fabric, made

Martin Lewis is the Managing Director at Graduation Attire Limited, a framework supplier on the consortia Ceremonial Gown and Photography Services framework. Contact [email protected]

from 100% post-consumer plastic waste. Likewise, the exact design and creation of academic staff gowns were conceived to meet the requirements of the various universities across the globe.

Customer Service and the Finishing TouchesSupport for students is at the core of Graduation Attire’s mission. Multiple communication channels were set up for students in case they were unsure of any aspect of the graduation day process, including a Customer Message Portal, a Gradbot (Graduation Attire’s chatbot) and online instructional videos. This support ensured that all students walked into their graduation ceremony with total confidence and could enjoy their special day.

SummarySetting a benchmark for other institutions, the University of Exeter was the first to use the LUPC’s Ceremonial Gown and Photography Services framework to help make this very important decision. The process for the University of Exeter was executed effortlessly and ensured a suitably fast transition to the institution’s new robing supplier. The process has allowed a closer and stronger working relationship between the University and the supplier, ensuring that the student voice was always at the heart of the conversation. Verified feedback demonstrated that this process improved the quality of the University’s graduations, which is certainly worth celebrating.

Case study: Graduation Gown Hire by the University of ExeterMartin Lewis explains how the University of Exeter revamped their graduation ceremonies utilising the LUPC’s Ceremonial Gown and Photography Services framework

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Maisy Griffiths is a Marketing Manager at Springfield Business Papers. Contact [email protected]

Springfield Business Papers is a framework supplier on the consortia Paper – Print and Specialist framework.

lupc.ac.uk London Universities Purchasing Consortium Winter 2019 15

With water being a vital resource in high demand, Springfield Business Papers’ Maisy Griffiths reports on why the paper industry has innovated its use of water and how it is moving towards closed loop water recycling1.

FEATURES

Water is so valuable that NASA has even developed technology to recycle the moisture from astronauts’ breath!2 Each year the European paper industry uses around 3,397,000,000m of water3. For scale, that’s about the same amount of water as it would take to fill 1.4 million Olympic sized swimming pools.

Problems and Concerns Water is used for screening, cleaning and cooling machines. It’s an inescapable resource for paper production. Whether using virgin fibres or recycled paper, water plays a key part in producing the product we all know and love. Without clean water, the end product would not possess the properties we have come to expect – it would be grey, grainy and constantly jam in the printer. With the global population growing, competition for resources increasing and uncertainty about the effect of climate change, the pressure on the paper industry to adopt sustainable practice has considerably increased. A significant practical challenge is that paper production wastewater contains lignin, alcohols and chelating agents – as unpleasant as they sound, these elements can actually change the ecological characteristics of water. As knowledge and understanding of the effect of these chemicals grew it became clear that the paper industry could not turn a blind eye. It is, quite rightly, no longer acceptable that manufacturing causes damage and harm.

Finding Solutions The development of sustainable practices in the paper industry have been motivated not only by the importance of consistently producing quality products, but by the need to protect the reputation of paper itself. Many people are quick to assume paper production is all about deforestation, excessive waste and untenable practices. With the importance of corporate environmental responsibility exponentially growing over the last few years, something I am all too aware of when writing tenders, the paper industry has had to be proactive. To keep up with this sea change, the paper industry has focused its efforts on implementing continuing sustainability. Through diversifying the ingredients of paper, to include quick growing trees such as eucalyptus and investing in raw water treatment machinery, as an industry we’re a small but significant player in the push for long-lasting change.

The Benefits and Perks Using recycled water reduces the energy consumption of the paper mill. Not only does it eliminate the need to transport water

to the mill, which is energy intensive, but it also opens up the possibility of exploiting potential energy through hydropower during the water treatment process4. By using recycled water the mill reduces the manufacturing cost of the paper, therefore reducing the price for the end user. Win Win! Finally, one quite unexpected outcome of water recycling in the paper industry has been the creation of new markets, new products and new jobs. This is through industrial symbiosis, where the wastes or byproducts of one company become the raw materials for another, and bio refinery which integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power, heat, and value-added chemicals from biomass5.

Conclusions and Moving ForwardAs older mills upgrade their existing plant technology, recycling water processes are becoming streamlined and integral to the production of paper, and not simply an added extra. Through supplying and buying sustainable paper from reliable mills and merchants, we can all rest assured that we are doing our bit to protect the environment through reinforcing and rewarding sustainable practice.

If Water Can Be Recycled In Space…

1 https://www.edie.net/news/4/Pulp-and-paper-industry-switching-to-closed-loop-water-systems-/

2 https://www.nasa.gov/content/water-recycling/

3 http://www.cepi.org/keystatistics2017

4 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/hydropower/

5 https://www.scionresearch.com/science/bioenergy/towards-biorefining

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The new policy will tax all diesel vehicles manufactured prior to 2015, £12.50 if they pass through the Central London Congestion Zone. Unlike the Congestion Zone that is enforced from 7am-7pm on weekdays, ULEZ will be enforced 24/7.

It is no secret that London’s air is heavily polluted. As reported in the Financial Times in 2018, London has the fourth worst air quality in the world measured by N0� (Nitrogen Dioxide), behind only Beijing, Delhi, and Paris. People are more familiar with C0� and Methane, as they contribute to global warming, but it can be argued that N0� is more destructive to human beings. This is because high levels of N0� are responsible for inflamed lungs and airways, especially detrimental for those with conditions like asthma, and can even reduce life expectancy of an exposed population by up to 10 years. To put this into perspective, over 360 primary schools are in areas that exceed safe pollution levels.

This level of pollution did not happen instantly but has gradually worsened over time. One factor recently in the spotlight is the dramatic rise in e-commerce and the emissions from corresponding parcel deliveries. As consumers we now expect our wishes to magically appear via an app; a taxi via Uber, food from Deliveroo, and really anything else from retailers like Amazon. Needless to say, logistics companies have a central role to play in improving the situation as countless delivery vans traverse London daily. The £1bn question is how do you balance society’s insatiable desire for instant gratification with air that is already dangerously polluted?

CitySprint is the UK’s largest Same Day logistics network with a significant presence in London. Each day we make thousands of deliveries across the healthcare, public, and private sectors with growth unsurprisingly coming from online retail. Over the past few years we’ve taken many steps to reduce emissions from our deliveries whilst keeping our customers happy with timely deliveries:

• Pushbikes may not be new or exciting but they are the backbone for small deliveries such as documents, we have over 125 on fleet at full capacity.

On April 8th 2019, London will introduce an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in an effort to clean up the terribly polluted air. CitySprints’s Ali Kagalwalla reports on how their company is cleaning up their operations.

• Electric cargo bikes are proving to be a viable alternative to small vans in dense areas as they can carry loads up to 100kg and travel in the cycle lanes to avoid traffic. We have a fleet of 30 and growing.

• Electric vans play a part for our planned delivery routes, where we know the vans can be charged at the beginning or end of the day. More public charging points will support their uptake.

• In 2018 we proudly launched the first Hydrogen van for logistics in the UK. With a range of nearly 200 miles this van can reach outside of London and back on a single charge. However, limited hydrogen fuelling stations and extremely high vehicle costs are currently barriers for adoption.

Aside from the fleet, the CitySprint Group is investing millions into technology that is improving the efficiency of our operations. For example, using historical data to power machine learning – this helps us predict where and when our deliveries will be. Ultimately as a business we want to provide the right vehicle at the right place for the right item at the right time – this makes our customers happy and can help to reduce emissions.

As the ULEZ expands to the North and South Circular in 2021, we as business leaders and consumers cannot be complacent. Policy alone is not a universal solution but can motivate us into tangible action. Cumulatively, small measures like using public transport or ordering fewer parcels can all impact on the quality of the air we breathe each day.

CitySprint is a framework supplier on the consortia Courier, Parcel and International Mail Services framework. Contact Roger Castle, Business Development Manager [email protected]

Sources: DEFRA, Financial Times

Air pollution: Logistics companies' responsibility to reduce emissions

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London Universities Purchasing Consortium Winter 2019

How long have you worked at QMUL? Overall just over 6 years. I started as a Category Manager for Professional Services & IT in November 2012, and then became the Head of Procurement in July 2015.

How did you get into procurement?It was completely unplanned to be honest. After leaving university, I worked within insurance and banking. A role came up with a local authority as a Graduate Trainee Procurement Officer. I didn’t really know much about procurement, but as I read the job description and did a bit of research it sounded very interesting and matched some of the skills and experience from the roles in Insurance and Banking. The opportunity to go through a graduate scheme was really appealing and the idea of procuring different products and services made the role sound variable and interesting.

I applied for the role, was successful, and undertook my CIPS studies.

What do you most enjoy about your job? Leading a team who delivers value for money and most importantly who deliver solutions, innovate and actually make a difference to all at the university, from a cost and fit for purpose perspective. I enjoy providing the service in a pragmatic and enabling way, and finding the best solutions.

What’s the most difficult aspect? Balancing expectations with getting things right first time. A lot of stakeholder engagement is required to ensure that it is not just about the speed of procuring but more importantly that we get value for money and suitable solutions, working smarter as well as making a positive difference.

If you weren’t in procurement, what would you be doing?I think some form of project management as I really enjoy the process of improving and finding solutions and seeing the final outcome.

What’s the most interesting item or service you’ve had to buy?I’ve procured many interesting items and services over the years. To pick one, I would say the procurement of an Atomic Force Microscope, which was fascinating to try to understand and appreciate how it supports the research. The other interesting element of this procurement was that the stakeholder involved did not want to go through procurement, but was very grateful at the end as the competitive exercise saved a significant amount of money.

In your view, what value can working with the Procurement team bring to other areas in Estates, IT etc?There are various benefits to working in partnership with procurement. From ensuring the right outcome, getting the

This issue, we meet Bahar Shahin, Head of Procurement at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)

best deal and ensuring we work with suppliers in good standing (financially and sustainably).

The most important though is the added value that procurement can provide through managing the portfolio of requirements. This leads to collaboration within departments in the institution, and collaboration with other institutions that leads to greater value through economies of scales.

A significant benefit I would say is procurement’s expertise to compile contracts, which ensure performance and successful delivery and provide the commercial protection should an event occur where things go wrong.

There are many reasons to talk to procurement at the outset. This ensures planning but also a strategic input as procurement can bring teams together to deliver the best solution.

QMUL is a member of LUPC – what do you think have been the main benefits of joining the consortium?I think the access to the frameworks are a great advantage for us, from a speed perspective and avoiding ‘re-inventing the wheel’ and the reporting is very useful to demonstrate value for money.

The biggest benefit for me is the networking, forums and training it provides to discuss and learn from others around complex challenges that we all face.

What are the key challenges ahead for your institution?Delivering efficiencies whilst ensuring we meet the pace of the institution’s requirements and strategies, which means fit for purpose and commercially advantageous contracts in place as well as minimising the risk of impacts for factors such as Brexit.

What achievement are you most proud of (and why)?In 2018, working with a colleague across QMUL, we designed, tested and implemented an electronic supplier request process. I enjoyed the IT aspects of the system but also listening and understanding my colleague’s requirements and embedding them into the system.

I’m very satisfied that the system is now being used across the institution and has received excellent feedback.

It’s a simple system which provides a faster processing time, avoids printing and duplication of efforts and is completely transparent. A huge process efficiency for the institution.

What was the last film you saw/book you read?The last film I watched was Mission Impossible – Fallout which was a great film, I would say probably the best in the series.

Let’s talk…

Page 19: Gloves are off: improves working conditions Winter 2019 web version… · January 2019 Helping you draw the right conclusions Experienced lawyers for the higher and further education

19lupc.ac.uk 19 London Universities Purchasing Consortium Winter 2019

FOCUS ON

Focus on: LUPC Member Spend 2017-18: HE Consortia Framework AgreementsMember Spend Reports, including spend through HE Consortia frameworks in 2017-18 (1.8.17-31.7.18), have been recently circulated to those who provided annual spend data to LUPC. So what framework areas are Members spending their money on?

14%

15%Laboratory

£33,008,34516%Estates

£34,024,629

16%Professional Services £34,024,629

Travel £30,344,688

21%ICT £45,361,62513%

Library £27,812,317

4%Audio Visual £7,806,774

1%Office Supplies & Equipment £3,419,840 0% Catering

£121,842

*Excludes The Energy Consortium(TEC) and The University Caterers Organisation (TUCO) framework agreements.

**Framework spend data derived from management information provided by framework suppliers and excludes VAT.

In 2017/18 LUPC Members spent: £218m on HE Consortia frameworks**

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Page 20: Gloves are off: improves working conditions Winter 2019 web version… · January 2019 Helping you draw the right conclusions Experienced lawyers for the higher and further education

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