About Wolseley Managed Services

‘Managed Services’ is a specialist division within Wolseley UK, offering bespoke supply chain solutions, including stores management and procurement models to clients responsible for large residential social housing estates, retail, major construction projects, and off-site construction and facilities management.

Livv Wolseley Case Study image

About the Contract

The contract would provide materials to support responsive repairs and maintenance services, cyclical works, planned investment, fire safety and voids work delivered by the in-house team.

About the procurement 

To optimise efficiency and ensure compliance with the UK Public Contracts Regulations(PCR), Livv Housing Group elected to procure the new building materials contract through the Cirrus Consortium Materials Framework. The framework provides quick, flexible and PCR-compliant access to the full range of building materials provided by a panel of market-leading suppliers.

The procurement process was divided into phases:

  • Consultation & pre-engagement
  • Mini-competition design & delivery
  • Evaluation & award
  • Mobilisation & contract delivery

“The procurement process ran smoothly, having Cirrus as our procurement partner works so well as they understand our business.”

Dean Benyon – F&AM System Implementation & Transport Manager, Livv Housing Group 

Consultation & pre-engagement 

Cirrus led key consultations with Livv stakeholders and conducted an operative survey and in-depth supplier pre-engagement sessions prior to the mini-competition stage.

This comprehensive research identified three key contract objectives: 

  • Minimise operative downtime and maximise supply
  • Substantially increase the use of materials deliveries
  • Providepositive social value in the Livv operating region

Mini-competition design & delivery 

As technical consultants for the project, Cirrus:

  • Designed the tender to target the key contract objectives identified in the pre-engagement phase
  • Developed a service specification based on consultations with Livv
  • Managed the tender process, including ensuring statutory compliance, validating cost submissions and facilitating the evaluation process.

Evaluation & award 

An evaluation panel was carefully selected to include key business stakeholders, meaning a wide range of Livv employees were involved in the selection decision and therefore the business as a whole supported the new materials contract. 

Of the 4 managed services specialist suppliers who submitted bids for the contract, Wolseley Managed Services were the successful bidder, with particular strengths in operational delivery and innovative solutions.

Mobilisation & contract delivery 

During the mobilisation period, Wolseley led operative briefings and workshops, to ensure that all employees involved fully understood the aims of the partnership and their roles in making it a success.  

The weekly workshops culminated in the creation of an operational manual and FAQ document that considered the feedback of the operatives.

To deliver the contract:

  • Wolseley created a new 15,000 ft 2 bespoke supply hub facility in the heart of the Livv operating area, with all 13,000 Livv properties within 7 miles of the distribution point
  • Three Wolseley vehicles provide deliveries to planned schemes, void properties (accessed via a key safe system) and van stock replenishments as well as one-hour deliveries to operatives for reactive repairs.
  • The Wolseley team manage all plant/tool requirements for Livv and collects non-hazardous trade-related waste when making deliveries to the site 

Wolseley and Livv have also worked together to shift the previous culture ofcollections from stores by operatives to direct deliveries to site and operative vans on the ground. This has already had some significant impacts:


The new facility and change of operational model are designed and scaled to accommodate planned growth by Livv Housing Group, futureproofing the materials supply service.


IT Systems 

To underpin these operational changes, IT systems development has been essential:

Wolseley has worked with Livv to integrate their IT systems to enable live job validation, XML invoicing & fixed commodity coding. 

Wolseley has also introduced SmartVan, a cloud-based system which uses Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology to allow Livv to effectively manage van stock profiles and control usage. The app offers real-time inventory monitoring by user or job, has the ability to assign products to job numbers and can automate re-ordering through the platform.


The bespoke reporting absolutely exceeds anything we’ve ever had before, the detail is great. The integration was also seamless, Wolseley have delivered exactly what was promised at tender.

Dean Benyon – F&AM System Implementation & Transport Manager, Livv Housing Group 

Social Value Success 

The Cirrus Consortium Materials Framework takes a flexible approach to social value to allow each member to meet their individual social aims and objectives.

Livv as an organisation has a strong focus on social value and wanted the contract to actively benefit local communities.

Wolseley ManagedServices have committed to devoting time to support the road from education to employment for people within the Livv operational area, offering job opportunities to local residents and have also activated the government apprenticeship scheme along with the Kickstart Scheme initiative. 

In addition to the environmental benefits of the 40% reduction in CO2 emissions, Wolseley’s commitments are calculated to achieve £413,198 in social value and economic contribution to the Livv local area. 

Contract objectives met so far: 


“In terms of our materials contract we have never had it so good.”

Dean Benyon – F&AM System Implementation & Transport Manager, Livv Housing Group

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