True Sustainable Procurement- don’t buy stuff you don’t need?

This chair was pulled from a skip with all wheels intact, lumbar support and gas lift working.

You probably know this already: If you work in a large organisation, there are surplus operator’s chairs, inkjet cartridges and desks in the organisation not being used- stashed away for a rainy day. 

 

 

 

Yet in other departments, staff are still buying operators chairs, inkjet cartridges and desks- even when there is a surplus elsewhere!

 

WARPit is a sustainable procurement tool which is saving organisations money, carbon and waste. 

 

The tool reduces procurement spend by making it really easy for anyone purchasing "anything" in an organisation to check whether anyone else in the organisation has the item spare first. 

 

WARPit reduces waste disposal spend because it allows anyone in an organisation to give, loan, share, rent or sell a resource internally or externally. 

Instead of throwing "stuff" away, staff should be able to find new owners (with in the organisation or externally) easily and legally.

The tool  also allows organisations to collaborate with each other and claim/borrow what each other have spare. This is like nothing else you have seen before- it is the first of it's kind.  

 

Basically it allows the whole organisational estate to swap, share, trade, sell, and rent  surplus resources (Like some Ebay/Amazon/Freecycle cross breed on steroids) and save money- but also "friend" (just like Facebook) other organisations to share surplus resources.

 

Surplus and redundant furniture, fixtures/fitttings, consumbles, supplies and equipment is massive problem in the public sector.

 

In June I was asked to dispose of 200 excellent condition operators chairs by a large public sector organisation. When questioned, I was told new homes could not be found internally. 

200 excellent condition operators chairs out the front door week 1

The following week, in a different department in the same organisation, I observed 30 new operators chairs being delivered- costing £130 each.

30 brand spanking new operators chairs in the back door 2 working days later!

 

People are inherently good, not evil- staff do not want to waste resources like this but there is something wrong with the system. 

It is a challenge to find new owners for useable resources legally, quickly and easily. It is also easier and quicker for purchasing staff to purchase new “stuff” rather than find the surplus resources in the organisation.

Staff should not be buying stuff that the organisation already has spare, and people do not want throw away good quality resources. 

Due to social networking technology, it is now possible to match supply and demand through nearly instantaneous mass synchronisation of wants and needs in a way which both sides gain. 

 

I am Daniel O’Connor , an ex Local Authority Officer and I have just launched a organisational redistribution network called WARPit  - it is a Social Network for organisational collaboration and resource sharing.

 

In simple terms WARPit reduces the need to purchase by making it very easy for staff who are about to purchase stuff, to find others in the same or partner organisations who already have spare "stuff".

 

WARPit also reduces waste spend by making it easy for people who want to dispose of "stuff" to find homes either internally or externally

 

 

There are loads of benefits: Please also check out how it works on Youtube and here is a summary of the problems that it solves.

Bound for the skip until thrid sector partners were informed

 

My clients are achieving payback times of about 10-14 days for your average organisation.

 

Have a look at Sunderland CC's WARPit portal. They are saving about £1000 a week on avoided procurement costs. Hit the green search button top right to see what they are swapping today.

 

If you like what you see drop me an email here