Guide to Purchasing ICT: A Good Practice Guide for Small Businesses

This Guide to Purchasing ICT (Information and Communications Technology) has been produced by Accredit UK as a result of research undertaken with The National B2B Centre in 2007. This revealed the problems encountered by small businesses when making ICT purchases.

The Guide is designed for infrequent or small-value Purchasers of ICT. It is aimed at the Company Director or Owner / Manager of a small business and offers advice that will help to make better, more reliable purchasing decisions.

Most business people need help with ICT purchasing. 86% of small businesses interviewed for our research acknowledged that the success of an ICT purchase depends upon the Purchaser as well as the Supplier. 71% of businesses also explicitly cited the need for a guide to good practice. Research undertaken by Royal Holloway, University of London, concludes that lack of expertise means that most small firms fail to make best use of their IT.

ICT is seen as a highly technical and specialist subject and many people find it confusing, especially with the amount of jargon that is used. For the inexperienced or non-specialist ICT Purchaser, choosing a solution or selecting a Supplier can be a daunting task.

For simple purchases it may be sufficient to ask colleagues or friends for advice. However, as your business grows and your reliance on ICT increases, or if you have specialist requirements, you will probably need to contact specialist Suppliers. At this point, you will need a reliable way to purchase your ICT solution and choose the best Supplier for your particular situation. This Guide, based on purchasing best practice, provides seven practical stages to help the ICT Purchaser through their purchasing decisions.

This Guide is not intended to provide advice about particular ICT solutions. It focuses on how to go about making an ICT purchase, rather than on what to purchase. However, following the stages explained in this Guide will help ensure that you, in conjunction with your Supplier, purchase the most appropriate ICT solution for your particular business needs.

Download The Guide To Purchasing ICT as a pdf booklet