Accredit UK is making available two free guides to help private companies and public sector organisations to buy IT products and services with some common sense guidance.
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Coventry, 24 June. Two new guides will help small companies and public sector organisations to make better, more reliable decisions when buying technology products and services.
 
The guides are being launched at the Accredit UK Conference on 24 June at the Motor Heritage Centre, Gaydon and provide users with a step by step approach to choosing the right technology supplier.  They also list common challenges that buyers may face when short listing technology companies.
 
Copies of the ‘Guide To Purchasing ICT’ (information communication technology) are available to businesses and public sector for free download at Coventry based Accredit UK’s website www.accredituk.com, or via post on request. Accredit UK is an independent organisation that helps businesses use and trust IT solutions. It is a quality mark that promotes trust in IT and helps suppliers prove their excellence.
 
Vaughan Shayler, Director for Accredit UK said: "The guides will be invaluable tools for any small company which may find the technology sector full of jargon and slightly daunting.  We developed both the SME guide and the public sector guide as a direct response to research conducted with the National B2B Centre, which revealed some of the common problems encountered by small businesses and public sector organisations when purchasing technology products and services.” (research available at www.accredituk.com)
 
Lynne Wroe, ICT Cluster Regional ICT Co-ordinator, Business Link:  ‘We recommend that businesses always take steps to minimise the risks associated with purchasing ICT services, which often includes evidence of a supplier’s track record, professional memberships and achievement of industry standards such as Accredit UK. These guides will help to steer them in the right direction and aim to reduce the risks associated with purchasing ICT services.
 
Tim Ring of the Evaluation Centre, said: “I thought the guides were excellent.  They are concise and the visuals help to represent the purchasing process in simple, easy to follow stages.  I was particularly impressed with the extremely helpful checklist at the end and the ‘Common Problems’ sections’.
 
"The guides include detailed good purchasing practices highlighting planning, detailing requirements, identifying suppliers, evaluating supplier responses, supplier selection, order placement and implementation."
 
ABOUT ACCREDIT UK:
 
Accredit UK will help businesses use and trust IT solutions. It is a quality mark that promotes trust in IT and helps suppliers prove their excellence. It will prove to potential IT purchasers that companies holding the mark operate with appropriately skilled people and clearly defined processes, and that they have a track record of meeting customers’ expectations.
 
Accredit UK has been created by the National Computing Centre as part of a project joint-funded by the NCC, Advantage West Midlands and the European Regional Development Fund.
 
For more information please consult the Accredit UK website at: www.accredituk.com or contact:
 
Simon Brandon, Marketing Consultant T: 01332 695077
E: simon@simonbrandon.com