Warm Leatherette

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy or LinkedIn here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy

If you are of a certain age you will remember the purpose of ‘a choke’, in our old 1970’s and early 80’s petrol cars. It was to increase the flow of fuel to a cold engine, to help start the engine more smoothly. Perhaps where the phrase ‘pump-priming’ may have originated. Most of us understand that that’s all about. Both are about efficiently warming up either an engine or an investment.

Partnering with a consultant, Critical Friend or supplier to expedite a project is a little like kick starting a vehicle and the process of getting to know what’s out there is the same process.

I was reminded of ‘warming up’ this last week when I was emailed out of the blue to ask if I would be responding to a portal opportunity, to help with a procurement. On one level I was surprised, on another, less so. I have never had a conversation with this organisation, done any work with them or know anyone there. With no warming up being previously done, it puts everyone at a disadvantage.

This is why I usually advocate getting to know the marketplace first, before even embarking on engaging or procuring anyone. This ensures you learn the art of the possible as well as potential budget needed. I try my best to persuade clients to know the market first, even if they have some knowledge from a few years back. Relying on old data can lead to surprises, particularly where effectively comparisons of new Cloud/browser systems, may being made with older cheaper client-server solutions, (which might by now be on their last legs, effectively declared end of life). 

Note that getting familiar with suppliers and the market is encouraged in public procurement. This is to help Social Housing, Councils and others obtain best value. Once an ITT is issued however, all communication must be formal & fair to all bidders. With a lack of 'warming up', your favourite supplier might not even express interest. A single leftfield supplier might engage landing you with a broken budget. One Scottish council went out for Document Management cold and landed up with a single supplier bidding and a £5m price tag. Exceeding budget by 235%.

The Pre-Market/warming up process can also shape the build of ITT requirements, OJEU (or post-Brexit compliant) procurement, with current/future art of the possible for transformation. Also, where mandatory requirements may be specified, additional knowledge of what’s actually possible, may prevent suppliers qualifying an opportunity out, due to not being able to meet a stated red-line. Over the years, I have also seen different suppliers qualify an opportunity out, as they had no real prior knowledge of the client. Some ‘warming up’ mostly can prevent this objection, as the impression can be that other suppliers are already closer to the client & opportunity already.

Occasionally too, suppliers can feel occasionally that they are persuaded to engage in a procurement, ‘just to make up the numbers’. I have seen this when I used to work ‘on the dark side’. Personally, I never liked that situation as so much time and effort can be wasted, when there is scant prospect of progressing.

So, in summary, don’t hesitate to ‘pull out the choke’, and embrace some ‘warming up’. It might make a real difference to your modern Cloud orientated HMS or Dynamics CRM Digital platform procurement, if you are looking to work with me, or one of the system suppliers or resellers.

If we at Acutance Consulting can help your organisation with pre-market exploration, procurement or HMS transformation, please just get in touch, for a chat over a brew. 

I will bring plenty of Ginger Nuts ☕😉

       Related Post: Make a cracking success of UAT (User Acceptance Testing) 

Catch the blog monthly archive at https://soundcloud.com/housingitguy/

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I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.

Warm Leatherette - Trent Reznor, Jeordie White, Peter Murphy.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here

Could we help you or your organisation? Our contact details are here , get in touch we will be pleased to chat about your problems and help with your organisation issues.

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Taxman

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy or LinkedIn here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy



No one could have missed the change in employment landscape over the last ten years. So many people now no longer fit into the full, temporary, part-time employee business model, that all of parents would have recognised. In those structures, your tax and NI would be faithfully deducted for Her Excellent Majesties Revenue and Customs.

The rise of the gig economy and a lot of us now working independently for ourselves, as resulted in more flexible working patterns, where we invoice as companies and sort our own tax and NI out, via an (expensive) accountant. This can be evidenced by the latter, sprouting up on many high streets, in what used to be the video rental shop.

Within SocialHousing, the 1% rent cut and other factors has meant that many experienced staff took voluntary redundancy and went to being self-employed. In a few cases, I have been at someone’s leaving do one week, to be back working with them as they are back on similar pay, for just three (not five) days  work. Why wouldn’t you do that? For the organisation themselves, it’s probably a win-win, as from one budget a person’s salary has been saved (yay!), and consultancy payments probably come out of a completely different budget (yay!).

There have been past cases where individuals have worked ‘under contract’ so to speak, but to all intents and purposes, were really employees, in the eyes of HMRC. The perception that some interim managers and contractors, were not paying their fair whack of tax has been reinforced by “bad press”.  For example in the case of Ed Lester and the Students Loans  Company in 2012,  where he was Chief Executive but paid through a Personal Service Company.

Since 2000, a regulation called IR35 has been in place to determine if contractors, are in fact that or employees. If a contractor works too much in a particular place or does not work with a changing set of clients, there are a number of tests to determine your IR35 status.

From April 6th 2017, new Public Sector regulations are expected, which means that the client you are working for, is responsible for determining the IR35 status of the work that you do. Many might take the path of least resistance and revert to paying the contractor or interim, directly with NI & tax deducted. This might have tax implications for many. Transport For London, has already acted in this area.

If you are a contractor / consultant / interim, doing long term contracts, it may be worth your while boning up on these changes - Here.

Catch the blog monthly archive at https://archive.org/details/@housingitguy

Related Post: How cartoons can really aid communication 

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I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.

The Beatles – Taxman.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here

Could we help you or your organisation? Our contact details are here , get in touch we will be pleased to chat about your problems and help with your organisation issues.
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