How does your school or district solicit bids from prospective vendors? 

For the purchasing director at Utah’s Granite School District, posting bid notices on their website was not necessarily the most efficient way to solicit bids.  The district subsequently took on a bidding service that served as an exchange between them and vendors and allows for the transmission of documents, proposals and questions.

As a result of the transition, the new procurement service has increased the efficiency of the purchasing department, as well as saved the district thousands of dollars each year in paper, ink and labor expenses.

According to the purchasing director, not only has the new service increased efficiency and lowered expenses, it helps match them with the best bidder for each product and service, too.  Because the services shed a lot more visibility into the proposal process, it increases competition amongst bidders.

Another benefit of the service is that districts can collaborate to consolidate products or services needed, in effect lowering the overall cost for both.  They can also share experiences on pricing, market conditions and proposal process strategies.

Click here to learn more about how these procurement tools are helping schools save money.