SUMMER 2025 DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 33
LOCAL AUTHORITY & COUNCIL
GPSJ
How devolution will reshape procurement,
and why smart SaaS buying matters
As councils across England
develop proposals to merge
into larger authorities as
part of local government
reorganisation plans,
procurement teams will
face growing pressure to
scale services, systems,
and solutions across
broader geographies.
Whilst challenging, this
transformation is also an
opportunity to modernise
systems, streamline
operations, and adopt
technologies that support
collaboration and e昀케ciency.
A new shape for local
government
English local government
is undergoing its biggest
reorganisation in decades. As
councils plan for consolidation into
larger unitary authorities to reduce
duplication, simplify governance,
and improve capacity for strategic
planning. The goal is to streamline
administration while enabling
councils to better address
complex, cross-cutting priorities
such as housing, social care,
transport, and economic growth.
But structural change will
bring operational challenges.
Newly formed authorities will
need to align policies, integrate
legacy systems, and harmonise
procurement approaches - often
across vast and varied service
areas. The ability to buy smart,
scalable solutions will be critical to
delivering e昀케ciency and value from
day one.
This change will mark a shift
toward greater autonomy and
higher accountability, with more
local procurement decisions,
and will strengthen the case
for adopting more 昀氀exible and
scalable Software-as-a-Service
(SaaS) platforms that are agile
and cost-e昀케cient enough to meet
changing needs.
What local buyers need in a
devolved world
Larger, consolidated councils will
face increased pressure to choose
platforms that are cost-e昀昀ective
and ready to scale. Budgets are
already tight, scrutiny is growing,
and public expectations for digital,
accessible services are rising.
Add to this, increased scrutiny
for new unitaries and pressure
to modernise services, and new
authorities will need solutions
that can deliver more for less.
Procurement decisions are already
about more than just compliance
- they’re about strategic value,
and again that’s not going to
change. Local government
buyers increasingly need tools
that reduce operational costs,
demonstrate clear, measurable
ROI, and can be deployed quickly
with minimal IT resources required.
Solutions must scale easily across
multiple departments or service
areas, support hybrid working,
and meet environmental and
social governance (ESG) goals.
Crucially, as procurement teams
work within new areas, buying
services through frameworks will
o昀昀er added assurances for buying
teams. Buying from suppliers that
are on public sector frameworks
like Crown Commercial Service’s
(CCS) G-Cloud helps reduce
procurement friction and
governance administration,
streamlining buying processes
to make for more e昀케cient and
compliant choices in a changing
public sector landscape.
with existing line-of-business
systems and can be live within
weeks, easing the strain on
internal teams. It automates digital
and physical mail processing,
delivering signi昀椀cant cost and
time savings while maintaining
UK GDPR compliance, robust
security, and a complete audit
trail.
Aceni is designed to scale
- supporting a single service,
multiple departments, or crosscouncil delivery models. It also
advances ESG priorities by
producing carbon-neutral mail,
reducing paper use, enabling
remote work昀氀ows, and supporting
digital-昀椀rst strategies.
Because Aceni is listed on
public sector frameworks such
as G-Cloud, procurement is
straightforward and fully compliant
- removing the friction that often
delays implementation.
Long-term value for local
government
Authorities that embrace 昀氀exible,
future-proof SaaS solutions will
be better placed to navigate
the challenges of a devolved
environment. Aceni supports
innovation without requiring
disruptive changes to legacy
infrastructure. Being cloud-based,
solutions like Aceni work remotely
wherever your teams need
to work, and help council sta昀昀
respond quickly to shifting
conditions with outbound and
inbound mail processing that can
be scaled up or down quickly in
response to changing demands
for inclusive communication with
recipients.
Collaboration also becomes
easier through shared platforms,
which promote e昀케ciency and
reduce duplication across councils
and combined authorities.
SaaS is no longer just a
technology choice - it’s a strategic
procurement decision aligned with
the core values of modern public
service: agility, value for money,
sustainability, and citizen focus.
Ready for a devolved future
The success of local government
restructuring will depend on the
ability to deliver faster, smarter,
and more inclusive services.
Trusted, proven platforms like
Aceni can help councils cut
complexity, reduce costs, and
improve outcomes - turning
structural change into a lasting
advantage.
Datagraphic is proud to partner
with the public sector on this
journey, bringing the expertise,
reliability, and technology needed
to thrive in a reorganised local
government landscape.
SaaS procurement
for strategic, scalable
advantage
For newly formed or merged
councils, SaaS platforms like
Aceni - Datagraphic’s multichannel
hybrid mail platform - o昀昀er a way
to meet multiple objectives with a
single, framework-listed solution.
Aceni integrates seamlessly
Gemma
Tappenden,
Public Sector
Solutions
Consultant at
Datagraphic
GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR JOURNAL SUMMER 2025
33
