Out with the old, in with the new

Working as a content specialist in a change programme looking to speed up defence procurement, I noticed an opportunity to improve how suppliers currently get onboarded to Ministry of Defence finance systems.

The existing process was entirely email-based and old fashioned, with suppliers needing to email company information and banking details on letterheaded paper to their commercial officer. This was time-consuming, created room for errors and wasn’t secure.

I was aware that Government Digital Service offer a free service whereby anyone in government can create a secure online form in minutes using government branding and design patterns. I created a simple form and worked alongside colleagues to update processes so that instead of individual commercial officers being sent supplier details, they were forwarded to a centrally managed inbox.

Following a successful pilot with a small cohort of commercial officers and good supplier feedback, senior leaders in the Ministry of Defence requested that the new form be rolled out across all commercial teams which number over 2,000 employees. This represents a major shift in procurement processes and has all been achieved with no spend beyond the delivery team’s time.