Name:

John Dunne

Organisation:

Pierhead Housing

Job Title:

Technical Services Director

Number of properties and location:

1,700 throughout Merseyside and North Wales

Merchants Used:

We currently use Plumbase but will be expanding this as we progress and use a number of other suppliers who are recommended by PfH.

Why did you take up the PfH Materials Agreement?

We wanted to get some consistency with our materials purchasing and we thought that PfH could help us achieve this.

What benefits has PfH created for your organisation?

Consistency and value for money have been the key advantages to the agreement so far. The problem with materials is that you get a job done and you have irregularity with the labour agent and the materials suppliers. For example, if we wanted to purchase a door we'd get two or three different prices from contractors. We had lots of approved contractors all coming in on different prices for materials. We really needed uniformity with pricing and at the same time, be able to demonstrate we were still getting value for money.

Was it easy to set up with the Account Cards?

Yes, we had lots of help from PfH. They sorted it all out for us, dealing with contractors direct, visiting contractors, setting out agreements and answering all their queries and then setting up the different accounts.

How did you make changes with your contractors? What did you have to consider? How easy was it?

It was quite straightforward as PfH arranged a meeting which all the contractors were invited to. The PfH team presented to them for about two to three hours and there was an in depth question and answer session which helped to put contractor's minds at rest. I think this consultation with contractors - through the pilot scheme and Q&A meeting - was a major factor in getting them to come on board. They felt involved and informed, PfH tackled all their concerns and it went smoothly from then on.

What savings do you expect to make annually?

10 - 15%, but this is a conservative estimate. It will probably be more once we've analysed the figures after 6-12 months. There are definitely substantial savings to be made.

Have you managed to reinvest your procurement cost savings?

Yes, every penny we can save from our annual budget is re-invested in things like adaptations, which benefit vulnerable residents.

How will your residents and their neighbourhoods benefit from this reinvestment?

They benefit by getting lower priority items attended to, things like additional fencing.  Our adaptations budget, which never seems to be enough is also supplemented from our procurement costs savings. These savings go a long way to satisfy people's needs.