What Procurement Agents Would Like For You to Know About Doing Business With Them SC Association of Governmental Purchasing Officials 34 th Annual Forum & Trade Show Presentation by Stacy Gregg, CPPB INSIDER INFORMATION

OBJECTIVES OF PURCHASING  To obtain the right materials or services in the right quantity from the right source with the right service at the right price.  To supply our internal customers with an uninterrupted flow of goods and service.

OBJECTIVES OF PURCHASING  To purchase competitively by keeping ahead of the marketplace.  To balance the dynamic tension between competing disadvantaged entities while satisfying our requirements for consistency, transparency, fairness, and equity.

 Do attend bid openings and pre-solicitations (if you can).  Do ask for post-award feedback, usually in the form of a bid tabulation; but give us time to get it to you.  Don't ask for other vendor bids prior to award.  Do adhere to any time or schedule we give you. BIDS

 Do read your solicitation and amendment thoroughly. And if you have questions, go back and read it again.  Do not leave blank spaces on your bids. If you are skipping a line or a section, let us know!  Do plan to complete your response to our solicitations early (questions may arise).  Do check our websites for amendments prior to responding to a bid. BIDS

ASK who has signature authority for agreements! REQUESTS

Big DO: Call Purchasing if you have contract administration issues with the user departments that are unresolved, and ask for our assistance. Big DON'T: Do not contact ANYONE ELSE during the solicitation and evaluation stages of a purchase. This includes elected officials, City Manager, Superintendents, my internal customers, etc. All questions should be directed to the buyer and if you aren’t receiving adequate response, the Director of Procurement. COMMUNICATION

 Do find out how we like to communicate. Some of us prefer s, while others would rather talk on the phone.  Do keep in contact with us at times OTHER than when you are expecting a big order.  Do send your solicitation questions in writing. COMMUNICATION

 Try not to drop in unexpectedly. Always call and make an appointment.  Be on time for the meeting and please don’t drag it out!  Send product literature prior to our meeting.  Please do not drop-in Monday mornings and Friday afternoons.  Please do not read what is on our desks!  Ask whether or not you are allowed to visit our other sites. The rules are different for every organization. MEETINGS

Notice and be aware of basic calendar trends:  Don’t ask for meetings in the weeks leading to the end of the fiscal year (June).  Be cautious about asking for meetings the week before Annual Forum because many of us are all preparing our desks to be absent for an extended period of time. MEETINGS

Calendar Trends…  Be cautious about asking buyers for educational institutions for meetings in December. If we are closed for the holidays, we are busy in the weeks preceding.  Also, be mindful that the same organizations are very busy in the weeks leading up to the first day of school ESPECIALLY if there is new construction involved! MEETINGS

Please learn to take “no” for an answer. GENERAL

Do not take trade show opportunities with any organization lightly. They help us to remember you! GENERAL

General Do not begin work or ship packages UNLESS you have a method of payment in your hands. This may include:  Purchase Orders  Expenditure Requests  P-Cards Remember to place the PO number on the invoices. Anything else will result in a delay of your payments.

Please do not offer us gifts of any type:  Meals  Gift cards  Charity donations in our names At the most, we can accept promotional items you would give away at a trade show; however, even that sometimes can appear to be unethical depending on how it is presented to us. GENERAL

Do not assume every procurement department operates in the same way. Know our websites, attend our meetings, read our brochures, and if you cannot find an answer… ask! GENERAL

It is our desire for every transaction to be a WIN!WIN! Solution. GENERAL

Please go back and tell your supervisors and owners that we said Thank You for your organization’s participation in our Forum. Your being here is an investment in us as individuals, in SCAGPO, and the entire procurement profession. We appreciate it ! GENERAL

Questions or Comments