Problem

Block 5’s client was experiencing delays within their procurement process. This was causing frustration due to consistently missed deadlines. The lack of knowledge and understanding of the procurement process was leading to a shift within the business dynamic, creating a culture of finger-pointing and disruption within the team. This resulted in attempts by the business to circumvent the procurement process to attempt faster project delivery which was not in line with their corporate requirements and did not provide the best value for money.

Block 5 Actions

Block 5 used their industry knowledge and experience to identify where there was an opportunity for improvement within the organisation by analysing the situation and consulting internal stakeholders to identify the main source of pain. Responses were vague, illustrating general confusion as to the procedural hold-ups. To identify the source of the issue, Block 5:

• Gathered historical cycle time data and created a register to capture data moving forward,
• Analysed the available data to determine problem areas in comparison to industry standards,
• Created a report to showcase the results of the data analysis and illustrate the findings in an easily comprehensible way which could be easily replicated on a monthly basis,
• Communicated report findings to executive staff with recommendations for rectification.

Outcome

Block 5 found that delays were as a result of business workloads and priorities impacting on document review times, rather than the issue being created by the requirement to follow a procurement process or the procurement representative causing delays. Block 5 were able to demonstrate where the bottle necks were being created with data and facts and encourage a cultural shift within the organisation towards a more self-aware and communicable environment, reducing cycle times, improving internal relationships and increasing results delivery.