Zerrin Lovett, Head of Strategic Stakeholder Management for Construction, Cabinet Office
Using e-auctions as a resource for procuring high volume standard products; the possibility for combined contracts, aggregating demand and achieving substantial savings.
2. What is an E-Auction
• Good for high volume
standard products
• Think of Ebay where the
price reduces
– Prices can be adjusted
whilst auction is live
– Suppliers are measured on
both cost and quality
aspects
UNCLASSIFIED
4. Background to London’s Highways E-Auctions
• Capital Ambition used e-
auctions previously
• Essex achieved approx
10% savings for blacktop
• London Highways
transformation project –
changing the face of
highways contracts
• Aggregation with WMHA
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6. Competitive Rivalry
High if: Low if:
High number of Street Low number of
Salt
competitors Lighting competitors
Lamps
Low number of Fragmented customer
customers base
London
Combined
Highways
Contracts
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9. Component
New Model Suppliers
Service Suppliers
Component Skills Materials
Suppliers Suppliers Suppliers Materials
Suppliers
Main Main
Contractors Contractors
Highways Highways Highways Highways
Authorities Authorities Authorities Authorities
Highways Highways Highways Highways
Authorities Authorities Authorities Authorities
Highways Highways Highways Highways
Authorities Authorities
UNCLASSIFIEDAuthorities Authorities
10. Pathfinder E-auction - Streetlighting Lamps
Indicative Savings SON T Master
60%
50%
40%
Saving
30%
Total
20%
10%
0%
B A A B A B A B A B
50 Watts 50 Watt 70 Watts 100 Watts 150 Watts 250 Watts
Suppliers/ Wattage
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11. Running an E-auction
• Identify new
opportunities
• Measure volumes/values
• Measure unit costs
• Liaise with potential
suppliers
• Run procurement
process
• Run e-auction
• Let contracts
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12. Moving forward
• Move to standardisation across
the Capital / Country
• Aggregate demand across
country
• Identify areas where e-auctions
can make most impact
• Continue to measure unit costs
• Greatest savings occur in first
round of auctions
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13. A Few E-Auction Factoids
1. GE used to run reverse auctions before the Internet, with bidders sitting
in a series of rooms in a hotel, with a GE person slipping the latest price
under the door.
2. Items sourced by e-auction include ejector seat components, missile
components.
3. Both BP and GlaxoSmithKline each run a over 1000 of e-auctions every
year.
UNCLASSIFIED