Background

ProClass was launched in 2006 and has now been adopted by 75% of local authorities in England.  ProClass is owned and developed by local government. From October 2007 the management and maintenance of ProClass and the website was passed to Coding International Ltd.


The following are the design attributes of the ProClass classification.

•     Designed to support Expenditure Analysis, Contracts Registers and some supplier portals
•     Complements existing coding structures already being used
•     Mapped to UNSPSC & CPV
•     Appropriate Hierarchy – tiered or single level to suit the complexity or value of the purchase
•     No more than three levels of hierarchy
•     Can easily compare the main levels of expenditure of local authorities
•     Easily identify areas for collaboration between authorities
•     Extendable and quickly maintainable
•     Cross-referenceable to other coding structures - including GL Chart of Accounts
•     Descriptions not numbers
•     User Friendly – hierarchy arranged alphabetically so headings are easy to find
•     Can be used by non procurement specialists
•     Free to use

The following are attributes that ProClass is specifically designed not to do:

•     Classify supplier types, only the products or services provides
•     Support for policies on a SMEs / BMEs and/or economic regeneration
•     Support Catalogue content and/or trade with the private sector
•     Replace the need for financial coding (subjectives and objectives)
•     Become a coding system - it remains at the classification level.