Report - Award of the Building Repairs Management
Renfrewshire Council · 13 February 2025
Back to Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board — 13 February 2025 and its agenda
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board On: 13 February 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: The Director of Finance and Resources and the Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Notification of Award for a Building Repairs Management System (RC-CPU-23-201) ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 The purpose of this report is to request the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board to homologate a decision of the Head of Facilities and Property Services and the Head of Digital, Transformation and Customer Services on the 29 November 2024 to award the Call-Off Contract for a Building Repairs Management System to Advanced Business Software and Solutions Limited (trading as Advanced). 1.2 This procurement exercise was conducted using the Direct Award procedure under Lot 3: Housing, Environmental and Planning Solutions of the Crown Commercial Services Vertical Application Solution Framework Agreement, reference RM6259 (the Framework). 1.3 A Contract Strategy approving the recommendation to use the direct award procedure under Lot 3: Housing, Environmental and Planning Solutions of the Crown Commercial Services Vertical Application Solution Framework Agreement, reference RM6259 was approved by the Head of Facilities and Property Services and the Head of Digital, Transformation and Customer Services in October 2024. ___________________________________________________________________
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2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Finance, Resources and Customer Service Policy Board homologates: 2.1 the decision taken by the Head of Facilities and Property Services and the Head of Digital, Transformation and Customer Services to award a Call-Off Contract for a Building Repairs Management System to Advanced Business Software and Solutions Limited (trading as Advanced) following a Direct Award procedure under Lot 3: Housing, Environmental and Planning Solutions of the Crown Commercial Services Vertical Application Solution Framework Agreement, reference RM6259 (the Framework). 2.2 that the Call-Off Contract Start Date was 5 January 2024 for a Call-Off Term of 2 years with the option of Call-Off Optional Extension at the sole discretion of the Council for a period of up to 12 months on 2 separate occasions until no later than 4 January 2028. 2.3 that the Call-Off Contract value is £272,777 excluding VAT for the Initial Call-Off Contract Period, with an additional £148,782 excluding VAT should the first extension period be utilised, and further £157,709 excluding VAT should the second be utilised. The approved contract value shall not exceed £579,268 excluding VAT. 2.4 that in accordance with the Framework Agreement there is an aggregate liability cap for this Call-Off Contract, which will not exceed the greater of £1 million or 125% of the Estimated Yearly Charges. _________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 The Council requires a suitably experienced Supplier to supply a single integrated software solution for Environment, Housing and Infrastructure that provides end-to-end repairs management functionality including, but not limited to the mobilisation of Building Services staff, stores management, job creation and gas servicing functionality. 3.2 Since January 2022, Advanced Business Software and Solutions Limited (trading as Advanced) (“Advanced”) have been providing the Council with five system modules: WorkHub (WH), Job Manager Mobile, Dynamic Resource Scheduling (DRS), ProPlanner, and InfoSuite, which together form the Council’s Building Repair Management System.
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Workshops in Summer 2023 demonstrated the operational significance of the Building Repair Management System in supporting Building Services to deliver their business-as-usual model as it provides the core functionality required to ensure the Council can schedule and resource the circa 81,000 repairs required annually in Council properties, including public buildings. 3.3 A decision was taken by the Head of Facilities and Property Services and the Head of Digital, Transformation and Customer Services to enter a new Call -Off Contract for the Building Repairs Management System with a Call-Off Start Date of 5 January 2024. The Call-Off Term is 2 years with the option of Call-Off Optional Extension at the sole discretion of the Council for a period of up to 12 months on 2 separate occasions until no later than 4 January 2028. 3.4 The Council is procuring a new Housing Management system which is anticipated to be implemented in 2026 and will replace the need for the functionality of the current Building Repairs Management System. The options to extend the Call-Off therefore ensures the Council can manage expiry of the Call-Off Contract for the Building Repair Management System to align with the implementation of the new Housing Management system. 3.5 Council officers have been in persistent dialogue with Advanced since late 2023 to conclude this Call-Off Contract. After a prolonged period of communication, the options available were either to: Agree an interim contract to cover the period from January 2024, plus a longer- term agreement; or Agree a contract for the full term required, including the retrospective period from January 2024.Advanced would only agree to contract with the Council for a multi-year Call-Off Contract under the Framework from Call-Off Start Date of 5 January 2024. 3.6 It should be noted that Advanced continued to provide Services to the Council, including software fixes and updates, as required during 2024 on agreement that payment would not be made until the Call-Off Contract was signed. The contract was concluded on 29 November 2024. 3.7 Had the Council not awarded the Call-Off Contract on 29 November 2024 with a start date backdated to 5 January 2024, the Council would not have been covered by a formalised contract from that date, with uncertainty around the relevant applicable terms and conditions. Environment, Housing and Infrastructure (EH&I) were also at significant risk of the system being ceased by the supplier whilst invoices for 2024 were outstanding.
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3.8 As noted in paragraph 3.2 of this Report, the building repair management system is necessary for Building Services to record, schedule and manage repairs in Council properties. If the Supplier had withdrawn support to the systems required, the Council would have had to process all repair requests manually with a paper-based approach, resulting in a significant time and cost impact for Building Services to continue delivering their core services. This would have required significant additional resources (estimated at approximately £1.5m), which Building Services does not have capacity to provide and would have led to significant delays to the Council’s timescales for repairs, therefore having a negative impact on Council’s housing clients and the Council’s ability to respond to reported repairs. For reference, there are on average 5,832 emergency repairs in a quarter (paragraph 3.6.2 of the Facilities and Property Services - Service Update Report noted by the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board on 21 November 2024). 3.9 To mitigate this risk and with consideration to the Council’s duty for best value, a decision was made to award the Call-Off Contract immediately with a retrospective start date, covering the Council for the period the system was being utilised and to ensure payment to the Supplier could be authorised immediately for 2024/25. 3.10 A review of the procurement options identified that the Framework could be utilised. The procurement exercise was conducted in accordance with the Call-Off Award Procedure as a Direct Award under Lot 3 of the Framework and in accordance with the procedures for use of a third-party framework under the Council’s Standing Orders Relating to Contracts. 3.11 A Direct Award is permitted under the Framework for easily defined requirements where the Buyer has a clear understanding of the services needed. The Direct award route provides Buyers with access to the Suppliers’ Service Offers within a structured catalogue format on the Government eMarketplace. In the absence of any suitable Service Offers, Buyers can issue a Price Request on the eMarketplace for their requirements. Council representatives utilised this mechanism to request a quotation for the modules required to form the Building Repairs Management System which are WorkHub, Job Manager Mobile, DRS, ProPlanner, and InfoSuite. 3.12 Advanced were able to provide a quote for all the modules required for the continuation of the Council’s Building Repairs Management System that was acceptable to the Council. The Contract was formed in accordance with the Framework’s Call-Off Award Procedure.
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3.13 The cost for this Call-Off Contract will be funded by the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure revenue budget within Building Services. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – The approved total contract value is up to £579,268 excluding VAT for the full Call-Off Contract Period, including the extension period (four years in total). The Call-Off Start Date was 5 January 2024. Costs for this contract will be funded from the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure revenue budget and adequate provision has been confirmed by the Finance Business Partner. Building Services revenue costs are fully recharged to the Housing Revenue Account and Public Building Repairs service. 2. HR & Organisational Development – None directly arising from this report. 3. Community/Council Planning – Working together to improve outcomes – this Call-Off Contract will provide the Council with the continuation of a Building Repairs Management System which ensures Building Services has access to all the functionality it requires to provide end-to-end building repair services as described in the background of this report. 4. Legal – This contact is a Call-Off Contract made under Lot 3 of the Framework. The Client service seek to homologate the decision taken by services to award the contract outside the board cycle for reasons as stated on the background to this report. 5. Property/Assets – This Call-Off Contract ensures the Council has a system in place to support end-to-end repairs of the Council’s property portfolio. 6. Information Technology - This Call-Off Contract will provide the necessary licences for a Building Repairs Management System. 7. Equality & Human Rights - The recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. 8. Health & Safety - None directly arising from this report.
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9. Procurement – The procurement exercise was conducted in accordance with the Call- Off Contract award procedure under Lot 3: Housing, Environmental and Planning Solutions of the Crown Commercial Services Vertical Application Solution Framework Agreement RM625. The Contract Award Notice was published in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. 10. Risk – The Council officers decision to enter this contract on 29 November 2024 with a backdated start date of 5 January 2024, ensured the Supplier providing and supporting the systems required to carry out the end-to-end repairs did not withdraw their services, therefore preventing significant disruption to building services core services and capacity to react to repairs from housing clients. The insurance cover held by Advanced Business Software and Solutions Limited was assessed as adequate as part of their appointment on to the Framework. An aggregate liability cap which will not exceed the greater of £1 million or 125% of the Estimated Yearly Charges, as per the conditions set out in the Framework, is in place. 11. Privacy Impact - A Data Processing Impact Assessment was completed by Environment Housing and Infrastructure and Advanced Business Software and Solutions Limited were required to confirm and agree to the Data Protection requirements as noted within the Order form and relevant schedule. 12. Climate Risk – The level of impact associated with this Call-off Contract has been assessed using the Scottish Government Sustainability Test and is considered to be low risk with limited climate change implications noted as part of this contract. 13. Children’s Rights – None directly arising from this report 14. Cosla Policy Position – None directly arising from this report. _______________________________________________________ List of Background Papers Facilities and Property Services - Service Update Report, Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board, 21 November 2024. ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Chris Dalrymple, Head of Facilities and Property Services and Patrick Murray, Head of Digital, Transformation and Customer Services