Housing & Local Government

Delivering clarity and precision in municipal technology procurement

Braintree District Council – In-Cab Technology CRM

Braintree District Council (BDC) sought to procure a new waste management digital service incorporating in-cab technology to modernise operations, improve service delivery, and optimise contract performance. To ensure the tender specification was robust, accurate, and future-proof, BDC engaged Apprilis to provide an independent consultancy assessment of the draft tender documentation.

Challenge

BDC faced two critical challenges:

  • Ensuring that the tender specification fully captured business requirements while remaining technically feasible.
  • Reducing the risk of costly contractual Change Control Notices (CCNs) by aligning requirements upfront with supplier capabilities and internal support models.

Our Approach

Apprilis structured its engagement in two phases:

Phase 1: Technical and Business Requirements Review

  • Conducted a GAP analysis of the existing tender specification.
  • Assessed technical, infrastructure, security, and integration components.
  • Applied the PPT (People, Processes, Technology) framework to evaluate alignment between organisational needs and system requirements.

 

Phase 2: Strategic and Market Analysis

  • Extended the review using a PESTLE-informed strategy, focusing on supplier landscape, technology options, historical contract performance, and tendering patterns across local authorities.
  • Facilitated stakeholder workshops to refine requirements and validate findings.
  • Ensured recommendations strengthened the specification and embedded resilience into procurement planning.

Impact

  • Delivered an independent, evidence-based assessment of BDC’s tender documentation.
  • Identified specification gaps and risks early, reducing the likelihood of downstream contractual disputes.
  • Strengthened BDC’s ability to manage suppliers effectively and build internal capacity for self-support.
  • Ensured the specification was both strategically aligned with business drivers and technically robust.

Key Outcomes

  • Comprehensive GAP analysis delivering clear recommendations.
  • Enhanced confidence in tender specification accuracy and completeness.
  • Reduced risk of contract variation and CCNs with suppliers.
  • Independent consultancy support that positioned BDC for a more efficient and resilient procurement process.

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