DHL has reported success in fulfilling a new contract to design and deliver uniforms and equipment for the metropolitan Police.

The company has been undertaking the entire task of supplying the equipment over the last five months, in a move that is designed to save money through the efficient concentration of resources in the hands of a single provider. The National Uniform Managed Service (NUMS) is the result of their collaboration.

A DHL statement said: "Historically, police forces across the UK have sourced products individually. Now, for the first time, NUMS provides a single national platform, enabling cost reductions and product improvements through collaboration, scale efficiencies and supplier consolidation."

Now, it added, the NUMS system has proved a means of providing a "significant step change" to clients.

"While MPS is the first adopter, NUMS was developed as a national solution, and greater savings are projected as more forces and other public sector organizations come on stream," the company concluded.

A key element of the system is that it works in the same manner as an online shopping site. It means officers can simply go online and place an order in the same way they would if they were buying goods from a normal e-commerce site. Previously, they would have to seek different products from various manufacturers and distributors.

Managing director of specialist services at DHL Supply Chain Paul Richardson said the NUMS system is a demonstration of how the best practice in the private sector can be used to help generate efficiencies in the public sector, saving taxpayers' money in the process.

DHL will now aim to make the system one that other police forces across Britain will seek to use, in order that they can also enjoy significant efficiency savings.

The Metropolitan Police employs 31,000 officers and 13,000 other staff, along with 2,600 police community support officers and 5,100 voluntary members of the Metropolitan Special Constabulary.