Events featuring Open Windows

Open Windows Software will be exhibiting at the 2019 MAV Technology conference at Kardinia Park, Geelong from 25 to 28 March.

MAV Technology was established by the Municipal Association of Victoria in 2004. It is an independently funded group of local government IT, digital and business transformation practitioners, who are committed to demonstrating leadership to improve council and community services. 77 of Victoria’s 79 councils are current members of MAV Technology.

The primary focus of the conference is how we are transforming local government to serve and support communities in the digital era. Topics will include emerging technologies, AI, data ethics, business transformation, data governance, customer experience, smart cities, new and collaborative ways of working, digital access, equity and diversity – and navigating the massive cultural change that all this will bring. It will include case studies from rural, regional and metropolitan councils, state government, universities and the private sector.

Open Windows Software will be located at booth #5, click here to register.

Most procurement teams are grappling with the challenges of ‘going digital’. The drivers for this are many, from the desire to streamline processes and drive efficiencies, to better serve end users, to capture better data, to drive greater compliance, to free up procurement time to work more strategically or simply to buy better.

ProcureTECH is the region’s only event specifically focussed on those technologies that enable and assist the procurement function.

ProcureTECH provides the best opportunity of the year to explore a wide range of procurement enabling solutions in one place – at one time. At the time of writing, it looks like we will have the largest line-up of technology solutions in the technology showcase, with everything from enterprise end-to-end solutions to more niche players who specialise in specific elements of the procurement process. If you attend as a hosted buyer, you can use our online meetings scheduling system to pre-schedule 20 minute appointments with those vendors you are most interested in meeting with. There is also plenty of time built in to the programme to enable more informal viewing of the solutions being showcased.

Open Windows Software will be located at booth #3, and is available for meetings on both days. Book your one-on-one meeting by registering at https://pasaprocuretech.com/

OW2018

Open Windows Software is proud to present OW2018, our National User Conference. This year Open Windows is pleased to welcome customers to Brisbane on the 30th October at the Sofitel Hotel, and Melbourne on the 1st November at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where we will showcase the launch of open windows 8, as well as customer case studies and experts in contract management.

Melbourne Olympic Park
Olympic Blvd

Melbourne VIC 3000

The 6th Annual PASA Premier Confex Melbourne

Improving Customer Experience

The theme for the 2018 Premier ConfeX series is ‘Improving Customer Experience’.

In defining ‘Customer Experience’ we first need to identify who our customers are. I would argue that as a service function, which it is, all stakeholders that procurement comes into contact with could be regarded as customers – even our suppliers. While this may sound odd, we are providing services to both the buy and supply sides of the equation. Therefore, should we not treat our suppliers just as well as we do our internal customers?

And by serve, I do not mean we should be subservient. Rather, we should look to make the experience of working with procurement, with our business or government department, better for all.

So what are these issues that I see the theme addressing?

‘Procurement agility’ or ‘agile procurement’ are terms that have been increasingly used in recent years. How do we become more responsive to the needs of our customers/stakeholders? How do we increase the speed at which we serve while still ensuring appropriate governance and best commercial outcomes? Becoming more agile is all about improving our customer’s experience.

‘Digitisation’ is another hot issue. How can we use technology to improve our customer’s experience; whether by making it easier for them to buy, interact with suppliers, or by facilitating faster process and decision-making by procurement?

‘Innovation’ has been on PASA’s radar for some time now; specifically procurement’s role in driving innovation through the supply base. We use phrases such as ‘becoming a customer of choice’ to our suppliers. Improving our supplier’s experience of how they interact with us and our business is essential to achieving this status. For instance, SME’s are widely recognised as being the most likely source of innovation for larger organisations. How friendly are our procurement practices to SME’s?

Finally – and frankly – procurement has a brand problem! Issues around stakeholder/customer understanding of the procurement value proposition are always high on the agenda.

Too often procurement is seen as a roadblock; a function to be bypassed or avoided. We will only change these perceptions by making the experience of dealing with procurement more positive. Complaining isn’t going to help.

We need to better understand what our customer’s value. Plus, we need to ensure we are delivering it in a way that makes them see us as the trusted advisors we believe we should be.

I am sure there will be other issues that we will identify through the year, but in the meantime there is plenty there to work on.