The Defence Medical Services has turned to a faster procurement route to modernise inventory management, in a move designed to cut waste, reduce errors and improve visibility across medical supplies.
According to a case study published by Constellia, the team needed to replace a largely manual system that relied on paper records later re-entered into spreadsheets,a process described as slow, repetitive and prone to mistakes. The result was misplaced stock, unnecessary surplus a...
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nd delays that made it harder to respond quickly to operational demand.
The project was delivered through the Neutral Vendor Framework for Innovation, or NVfI,a mechanism the Ministry of Defence awarded to Constellia in September 2024 to speed up access to novel technologies and widen opportunities for smaller suppliers. Constellia says the framework was used to bring in specialist SMEs, with early engagement through demonstrations and presentations helping to align bidders with the project’s aims.
A more flexible procurement process, operating under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, helped shorten the onboarding process and reduce administrative complexity. Constellia said the first tender run through NVfI took four months, though internal delays extended the timetable slightly. The company said the pace was not the only objective; value for money and compliance also remained central.
The contract was ultimately awarded to Kiniot Ltd, a UK SME based in Northern Ireland. Constellia said the outcome showed how the government can back British businesses while increasing MOD spending with SMEs.
The system is intended to support real-time tracking, quicker replenishment, lower wastage and more accurate transfers between stock locations, using edge computing to improve responsiveness. Constellia also said the procurement drew strong SME interest, with 95% engagement at the industry day, and that the approach should be scalable for later phases and wider deployment.
Surg Cdr James Saffin, a consultant anaesthetist at jHubMed, said: “Despite the nature of the project, the complexities of digital procurement and being the first tender run through NVfI, Commercial X quickly grasped the requirements and worked at pace to deliver a contract that provides good value to the MOD.”
Source: Noah Wire Services
