Building a modern procurement management system with Power Apps.

ThinkShare deployed Power Platform tools to streamline procurement operations for one of Scotland’s largest councils. Empowering their employees to track and analyse Risks, Issues and Savings across projects.

Our Client and the Challenge

ThinkShare worked with one of Scotland’s largest councils to modernise their procurement management system. Their objective was to transition from their existing SharePoint solution to a more secure and robust Power Apps solution.

Our client serves a large, diverse population and is committed to delivering reliable services that fulfil the needs of all residents, businesses and visitors to the city. Their focus is on delivering exceptional services, ensuring satisfaction in their community.

The client had previously implemented a SharePoint solution, but it had become outdated and no longer met their requirements. There was a critical need for more advanced functionality. The challenge lay in creating standardised processes to improve the service experience while adhering to strict privacy and compliance standards.

Power Platform – a range of business intelligence tools developed to better manage everyday business processes – was chosen to establish a modern procurement management solution. The project’s scope included SharePoint, Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI.

The Process

After submitting a competitive tender to the client, ThinkShare was chosen based on our cost-effective proposal and extensive technical ability. Our team have over 15 years experience in building and maintaining SharePoint solutions, so we understand the platform inside and out.

Following some initial consultations, we identified two primary focus areas – data migration and solution capabilities. We then undertook a collaborative discovery and design phase. This involved presenting multiple options to the client and discussing their project requirements in more detail. The client then selected Power Apps as the most suitable strategy.

The client needed a system that would allow users to initiate new projects and monitor their progress through internal processes. ThinkShare utilised Power Apps to interact with the data, Power Automate to handle complex logic and actions and Power BI for in-depth data reporting.

Through seamless integration with the client’s existing systems, ThinkShare optimised critical operations such as data flow, process automation and knowledge management. Given the sensitive nature of their data as a public sector organisation, the powerful security features built into Power Apps were a crucial deciding factor.

Within Power BI, our Power Platform consultants built a comprehensive dashboard to report on both the project data and the associated Savings, Issues and Risks for each project. This increased visibility and helped users stay organised and up to date with all procurement activities.

The tracking and analytic tools available with Power Platform were harnessed to enable better planning, better purchasing decisions and more accurate analysis.

With the roll out of the new solution, users gained the ability to create projects through a user-friendly Power App form. The advanced search and filtering capabilities made it more efficient to find current active projects and modify project details. Users also had the option to log and view Savings, Issues and Risks related to projects within the Power App Project screen.

The Outcome

By the end of the project, ThinkShare had successfully created a procurement app for a large Scottish council. This streamlined operations, increased efficiency and cost savings, and empowered employees to track ongoing projects.

The app also enables the addition and management of Projects, Risks, Issues, and Savings. Users could quickly access their associated projects after launching the app and apply various filters to refine their search. For example, filtering by stage, category, procurement lead, procurement support, senior category or simply the project name.

ThinkShare’s expertise in SharePoint and Power Platform, as well as our deep understanding of the client’s project needs, ensured a successful collaboration. We maintained regular, transparent communication to ensure they were happy at each stage of the build and launch.

We are very pleased with the new procurement management system we were able to build together. We were able to equip the council with an efficient, secure and scalable tool that met their complex needs. The client was satisfied with how the final solution enhances their ability to help service users.