Stadskanaal Steps into the Future of Procurement with Mercell
With around 350 FTEs, the municipality of Stadskanaal in the north of the Netherlands manages annual spending of approximately €130 million, of which €57 million is influenced by procurement. With just two Procurement Advisors advising about nearly 45% of the municipality's spend, a streamlined digital platform is imperative. We talked to Patrick Kuipers, Procurement Advisor at the municipality of Stadskanaal.
Stadskanaal’s Success Story with Mercell
Procurement with separate documents
Patrick has been working at the municipality for over two and a half years. He remembers the procurement process from when he started: “Tenders were published using separate files, documents were edited and saved manually. This heightened the risk of inefficiencies and errors because we weren’t always working in the same version. That’s why we felt the need to get a standardised way of working.”
How Mercell supports the municipality of Stadskanaal
The municipality was looking for a platform where all procurement-related processes were combined, leading them to Mercell, since the platform supports the entire Source-to-Contract process. Patrick explains: “Mercell gives us a framework for publishing tenders. The platform includes tools for the submission, evaluation, and award phases.”
The municipality was interested especially in the intake form. “You can open it straight away from a link and you’re able to fill it in rapidly.” During their conversations with Mercell, the buyers realised that making the step from an intake form towards a full tender was easy. They got a demo and were immediately hooked. “We saw the benefits of working with templates and being able to manage everything in one place. It’s like a living document, and you're always working with the latest version,” Patrick says.
The municipality of Stadskanaal would like to add the contract management module to their package.
“Mercell offers us a fully streamlined procurement process, from A to Z. That spoke to us!”
Patrick Kuipers, Procurement Advisor at Stadskanaal Municipality.
Mercell is easy to use
The platform ensures a consistent procurement process across the organisation. All communication now takes place in one system, from the Information Notice to awarding the contract. Patrick: “Everything is in one place now, saving us a lot of time.”
A streamlined process is just the beginning. Patrick enjoys the intuitive and easy-to-use platform. “When evaluating bids, we sometimes have to involve colleagues who haven’t used Mercell before. It’s my job to help them get familiar with the platform.”
The evaluation process itself is much smoother now, since a link to the evaluation form can be sent directly to the committee. “Before, we had to open all the evaluation forms side-by-side, but nowadays, everything is clearly organised in one system,” Patrick says.
“With Mercell, everything is in one place now, which saves us a lot of time.”
Previously using other software
The municipality of Stadskanaal previously used another platform for their procurement, but the platform didn’t fully meet their needs. “I had to upload all files manually,” Patrick shares, “so I always had to double-check whether I was using the latest version. With Mercell, I can use comprehensive templates. We’re automatically working with the most up-to-date versions of the documents.”
The benefits of templates
Patrick is a big fan of the templates in Mercell: “During the demo, we saw all the possibilities the templates offered. We were very excited — it saves us a lot of time.”
During two recent tenders, the municipality received some questions. “So we made a slight change in our templates to include the information upfront.”
“In Mercell we’re automatically working with the most up-to-date versions of the documents.”
A thorough implementation process pays off
Patrick understands just how crucial it is for procurement teams to focus on a successful implementation, since it ensures a smooth experience later on.
He was involved right away with the implementation of Mercell. “The implementation process was great. Together with the Sales Consultant, I reviewed all options during the demo. He helped us choose based on our budget and timeline,” Patrick shares. Next up were the weekly sessions with the Intake Consultant. “It was a very positive experience as well. We made some progress every week. The first meeting was in May; by October we were up and running. That’s pretty fast.”
But the municipality of Stadskanaal is not finished yet. They are looking forward to additions to the platform. “The last few years just flew by. This year, we’ll make sure everything is fully set up. After that, we want to look into using contract management in Mercell as well. That would complete the circle: all procurement processes in one system.”
“Mercell is useful for other municipalities as well”
Patrick is satisfied with Mercell and how it’s currently being used: “Mercell has so much to offer. You do need to invest time in preparation, but it definitely pays off later.” He recommends other municipalities to use as many features as possible. “That’s how you get the most value from the platform.”
Would he recommend Mercell to other municipalities? “Definitely, and I have! That municipality has already started using the platform.”