Leading e-procurement services provider Millstream has appointed Graeme Fraser as its new Head of Information Technology.
Millstream operates the mytenders and Tenders Direct websites, which allow public sector organisations to publish tenders and private sector companies to bid for new business, as well as national procurement portals for Scotland, Ireland and Norway.
Graeme will be responsible for overseeing Millstream's IT infrastructure and software development teams, using emerging technology to develop the functions of the websites and portals to ensure they run as efficiently as possible for customers.
This appointment is expected to pave the way for further growth at the Aberdeen-based company, which currently employs around 40 staff.
Graeme has vast experience in enterprise web applications and customer portals, latterly working as a freelance software development consultant.
With an increasing number of European governments and public authorities now handling procurement electronically to save money, time and comply with the latest EU legislation, he said it was an ideal time to join Millstream.
"Millstream is a company that's very much centred around its people, who believe passionately in the strength of its products. The opportunity to join a skilled, enthusiastic team who are committed to technical excellence and customer service really appealed to me." he said. "Procurement can be complex, so it's vital that the products we provide are optimised to be helpful as possible for our customers.
"I have been impressed with the solutions that have been implemented to some challenging problems. I see my role as listening to our customers' needs to ensure our technology platform stays one step ahead, while ensuring that our products are always performing and that we continue to provide industry-leading solutions.
"I am also keen to ensure that within the business we are using the full power of our information systems to drive decision making."
Graeme lives in Aberdeenshire with his partner Victoria and away from work his hobbies include photography, motorsport, cycling and hillwalking.
Tim Williams, managing director of Millstream, said Graeme's appointment would also lead to the creation of additional software developers posts.
"We are delighted to have Graeme on board and welcome him to the team. He has a lot of experience in web applications and portal development, particularly around usability and accessibility, which are absolutely key in delivering our services.
"Eventually all procurement processes will be conducted entirely online so harnessing technology will allow us to continue to grow as a company. We develop applications and add new features in response to demands from customers of the mytenders and Tenders Direct websites, as well as the national portals we run for several governments, including Public Contracts Scotland.
"Our aim is to make it as easy as possible for small and medium sized companies to identify new business opportunities and crucially to give them the best chance of winning that business," he added.
EU legislation means that contracting authorities must adhere to transparent, non-discriminatory and proportional principles when purchasing goods and services. They must also advertise all contracts above threshold values in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).
Millstream was recently awarded extensions to its contracts with the Scottish and Irish Governments and also continues to provide the Doffin portal for the Agency for Public Management and eGovernment (Difi) in Norway.
mytenders has been in operation since 2002, with more than 700 public sector organisations in the UK publishing all of their new business opportunities on the website.
Millstream's Tenders Direct website allows private companies from all sectors throughout Europe who are seeking new business opportunities to identify real business opportunities from the public sector, such as the government, local authorities, emergency services, health trusts and the armed forces.