The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) this month launched a new e-Tendering and planning service to assist businesses compete for up to 2,000 contracts.

ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: "The London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games can be a showcase for world class business as well as sporting performance. We want to ensure businesses can see the opportunities in advance so they can prepare to bid. We also want to make the contracting process straightforward, consistent and simple."

The website identifies current, future and past opportunities in addition to FAQs. Once again, do share any information you have on proposed IT systems.

Tags: Olympic Delivery Authority, e-Tendering, e-Procurement

Remember these two guys?

They are going from strength to strength. They reported a triple whammy recently, i.e. new website, new release and coverage on vecosys by Sam Sethi.

I have been a user of Yuuguu from almost the beginning. Sam does a good coverage of the product, so I will not repeat it. About the new website:

1. Great strap line: See together: Be together. It would be interesting to hear how this came about. It makes perfect sense – makes the proposition very clear – catchy. Anish/Phil make sure you protect it.
2. Website is structured better – blog is no longer the home page. Theme of "simplicity" is carried through out  – the website and the product. well done again.
3. Product – what is it? I summarise it as a free collaboration tool with ability to share screens across the net with instant messaging capability.
4. Now available on mac platform in addition to windows.

Ok. everything cannot be positive, so what are the negatives?

1. This version wiped out the old database. I have been assured this is "one off" – ok fair enough
2. They had a crash – they came out in public – so no damage done.

Questions now are:

1. Get the revenue model right
2. Get the product road map right
3. Ensure loyalty of user base – get viral marketing into gear – no longer in private Beta
4. Understand who the competition is and how it differs

By the way, Anish will be a key speaker at the next NW Start Up 2.0 event. Watch the space?

Tags: Yuuguu, Vecosys, Anish Kapoor, Philip Hemsted

According to computing magazine, Accenture has beaten BT Global Services, IBM and LogicaCMG to win the lucrative contract to run the back-office systems of the The London Organising Committee for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (Locog).

Accenture will integrate Locog’s systems and services to create a platform which will drive the planning of the games. The integrated system will provide a single repository for all new and recorded data used in the planning process of the London Games across functions including finance, accounting, facilities, ticket allocation, scheduling, personnel and procurement. The deal will not cover the Games’ time operating systems or the core Games management systems that relay results, events and athlete information to spectators and media around the world during the event, which will be provided by Atos Origin, the IT systems integrator responsible for the design, build and operation of the Games IT infrastructure.

That’s all fine, but what about streamlining the document exchange among stakeholders?

In September 2006, Phil Brown, CEO of Causeway Technologies who runs Tradex met with Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, Jack Lemely during EMAP Contractor 100 Breakfast Club event sponsored by Causeway. Here is an extract from the news release:

In his opening address Phil set out both the opportunities and challenges that the London 2012 Olympic Games represent not only to the UK construction industry, but to the overall UK economy. With approximately 5 years and 11 months to deliver up to £6.5bn of investment which is set to include world class sporting venues, significant regeneration of our capital and the enhancement of much of the capitals infrastructure, London 2012 represents an unrivalled opportunity to showcase the efficiency of the UK construction industry in front of a worldwide audience.

In his speech Jack Lemely spoke passionately regarding the role of the Olympic Delivery Authority and his vision that the ODA will become recognised as an intelligent client. Jack also stated that the ODA will not be responsible for building any venues that do not have an ongoing use once the games are finished; therefore underlining that London 2012 will leave a lasting legacy on our capital.

Given the current success of Tradex within the construction industry, Causeway perhaps has the best chance of ensuring that ODA remains an intelligent and efficiently run organisation by streamlining how it exchange structured documents with its suppliers as well as how various supply chains remain efficient. In this regard, Tradex (or whoever win the contract) would need to work alongside Accenture and perhaps Atos Origin.

It will also be interesting to hear which ERP system Accenture will choose as the back-end system. Please do share any information you might have on systems selected.

Tags: Causeway Technologies, Tradex, IBM, BT Global Services, LogicaCMG, Accenture, Atos Origin, Olympic Delivery Authority,  EMAP Contractor 100 Breakfast Club