RE: Intersting article on G-Cloud1 Dec 2014 19:19
Locked out
CRM vendor Really Simple Systems is one of the once-accredited G-Cloud companies which struggled to make any money on the framework. It successfully got on the third iteration of G-Cloud, but after failing to ring up any sales, decided to give future versions a miss.
The firm's chief executive John Paterson said the complicated application process was not worth it in the end.
"We went through the process and applied and had zero interest, zero enquiries and therefore made zero sales," he said.
"It must have taken about a week to actually apply... if you're not used to dealing with government, it is a very confusing process, particularly because you cannot phone anyone up and say ‘is that OK? Have I filled it in correctly?' And the contractual terms of dealing with government are onerous - they want an awful lot of insurance and protecting. They want to pass all the risk to the supplier and not the purchaser. Covering their backsides and making sure they comply with the legal process is higher on the list than having a product that is value for money and actually works."
He said that about a decade ago, the systems his company sells would have carried a price of between £50,000 and £100,000 but that now, the offerings go for about £10 per user, per month. He said this, coupled with the high investment in applying for government business, means many smaller firms like his do not even bother to apply.
"It is far easier for us to sell to someone in New Zealand than it is to the UK government," he said. "The way all our customers find us is on Google. They sign up, put their credit card details in and off they go - that is zero cost of sale so we can price competitively. But you can't price your products dirt cheap if you have a high cost of sale, which, dealing with government, you generally get.
"In a strange convoluted logic, it means it is impossible for the government to buy anything cheap. It is like telling them they can only buy their groceries from Harrods or Fortnum & Mason because they don't have a car and they can't drive to Tesco."