Local authorities in Ireland are adopting new technology to help communicate more easily with their suppliers. A new solution, already implemented by Kerry County Council, allows suppliers to submit their annual quotes online using dynamic e-forms through www.LAQuotes.ie. The solution was developed in-house by the local authority, and during an initial three-week test period, received 107,000 quotations from 1,300 suppliers. It has since been adopted by eight further local authorities around the country, with plans to extend it to others in 2006. "Requesting and processing quotations from suppliers is a major task for all councils, who each have their own unique forms for seeking such information as road-making materials, concrete products, plant hire and haulage," said Catherine Carmody, e-procurement project manager, Kerry County Council. "As a result of moving to a standardised online process, we have delivered major benefits for internal workflows, process management and [it] has led to a faster and more efficient system."