Workforce management solutions company Matrix has announced the launch of their enhanced Matrix Milestone solution, a procurement and supply management service line, with new technology and four new people appointments to their business development department, in readiness for the new procurement reform bill being launched in 2024.

Commenting on the launch, Chris Duck, Matrix's supply chain director, remarked, "Public procurement in the UK is on the brink of significant change, and Matrix Milestone is getting ready for those changes in order to support organisations through this transformative period. We believe that the Act will be a complete re-write of the current UK procurement rules, and we welcome the six-month transition period to fully familiarise ourselves with the changes. We have been active as procurement and supply professionals for many years now and we're committed to helping navigate the complexities of the forthcoming Procurement Bill and the associated secondary legislation, which are expected to deliver the most substantial changes in decades to the management of public procurements."

The central objective of these reforms is to create an environment where public procurement is accessible to new entrants, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and social enterprises. By fostering competition and driving innovation in public contracts, these changes aim to revitalise the procurement landscape.

Duck goes on to say, “This changing landscape, where the precise legislative details remain in flux, the Milestone team firmly believes that taking action promptly is of utmost importance. Irrespective of the eventual legislative intricacies, the Milestone solution will have significant enhancements to provide clients with fresh contract advice, guaranteeing comprehensive compliance and coverage. This not only facilitates cost savings but also ensures the preservation of flexibility in procurement processes, encompassing the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT), formerly known as MEAT.

The Matrix Milestone team are already working towards these changes with guideline papers being prepared for our customers to get ahead of the game enabling them to monitor developments and to manage effective implementation of the changes. Whilst open procedures and frameworks will continue to satisfy much of the future procurement needs of organisations, Milestone will embrace the ‘Competitive Flexible Procedure’ to support innovation and to drive value for money in more complex projects.

About Matrix:

Matrix is a market-leading workforce technology platform and services business that supports organisations to source and manage extended and indirect skills and talent. The Matrix Milestone solution combines an intuitive technology platform with dedicated category specialists. Clients have the unique opportunity to collaborate with sector experts to design solutions that ultimately lead to enhanced outcomes for public funding. This comprehensive approach ensures clients experience substantial cost savings. The solution further provides invaluable support in specification development, supplier identification, and tender evaluation, covering a wide spectrum of categories, project sizes, scopes, and complexities. Additionally, clients gain access to a vast network of fully accredited suppliers spanning 27 categories and 360 sub-categories. Matrix Milestone is dedicated to empowering clients to maximise the value of their Statement of Work (SoW) spend while upholding unwavering standards of quality.