Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

In-house legal business case: streamlining supplier contract drafting and reducing procurement call volumes (worked example)

Precedents
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Executive summary

This report examines why 25% of incoming calls originate from the procurement team, either posing questions or passing on updates and information to the team. Conducted across August and September 2024, the study incorporates statistical data gathered and assembled from a range of various sources. A cross-party cohort of lawyers and support staff, headed up by Fred Smith, undertook the work. Its objective was to locate present bottlenecks within the process, determine their root causes, and outline how they might be resolved. The aim was to identify current bottlenecks, their causes, and remedies. The principal recommendations are:

  • enhance communication throughout the contract drafting process
  • define what constitutes a conflict of interest and explain why it matters
  • publish an online infographic of the contract drafting process as a clear and consistent point of reference
  • tighten compliance protocols for how information is stored on collaborative systems

Comprehensive details of these recommendations are set out below. If the proposals are accepted, an initial roll-out can begin within two weeks.

What is the problem/issue and what does it cost?

Problem/issue analysis

Issue: Delays at the outset of the new supplier process are prompting ongoing complaints and undermining the team’s credibility and reputation...

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Beth Pipe
Beth Pipe , FCIPD

Beth is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD) and has spent over 25 years specialising in Learning and Development. During that time she has worked across a broad variety of different industries and has, for the past 15 years, worked closely with a number of well known law firms; this has involved putting in to place systems and structures to encourage, enable and track the effectiveness of learning activities. Adept at face to face course delivery, and always enjoying excellent feedback, Beth is also accomplished at online delivery and created OnLive Learning in response to the challenges presented by the 2020 Covid-19 restrictions.Beth has written extensively for LexisNexis on subjects such as Performance Management, Managing Change and Stress Management. Away from her training delivery she is a published author writing about local history, hiking, wildlife and the outdoors and is...

Web page updated on 28/05/2026

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