Buy Smart!...Creating an Effective Plan

Efficiency should be a main concern for agency purchasers. An evaluation of the procurement system should be made on a periodic basis to determine if existing operating rules and procedures are beneficial, costly or time consuming.

Is a program in effect for researching the needs of the organization in relationship to current developments in the marketplace? Are personnel being trained appropriately? Is an attempt being made to reduce costs by using good purchasing techniques?

Develop a plan and keep an eye on your internal processes. Current practices may appear to get the job done, but is there a better, more effective, way to procure goods and services?

Interested in the list of solicitations which were published in a previous issue of the West Virginia Purchasing Bulletin?

In recent months, the Purchasing Division has offered the most current issue of the Bulletin to state agencies on the State Employee Information Network (Intranet). However, beginning with the January 26 issue, past issues are now available to view at this site. Each issue will be added to assist state employees who may be needing to research a purchase. As time progresses, our volume of past issues will continue to grow.

This is just another way to enhance our website to meet the expectations of our customers. Please let us know how we are doing. We continue to look at information that may be beneficial to our agency purchasers, vendor community and the general public.

Suggestions and comments may be directed to our webmasters, Dan Miller (team@gwmail.state.wv.us) and Diane Holley (dholley@gwmail. state.wv.us)...We appreciate your input!

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What's State Government Buying?

(This information is compiled from the West Virginia Purchasing Bulletin. The purpose is to provide an awareness of the variety of products and services being procured in state government. Only a small sample of solicitations are listed.)

w Office of Emergency Services
Provide a turn-key emergency reporting and tracking system

w All State Agencies
Provide disposable food service items to all state agencies and political subdivisions

w Division of Highways
Provide wildflower seeds packaged as individual species.

w All State Agencies
Provide credit card services for travel purchases for state employees.

w Development Office
Expression of Interest for architect/engineering firm to identify existing and reclaimed surface mining sites.

w Division of Motor Vehicles
Provide vehicle and driver license renewal forms and to mail the data tape from the Division of Motor Vehicles.

Keeping Pace with Market Trends...
                                                            What's New with Tools?

Several new products have been introduced and were recently showcased in the January-February 2001 issue of The Public Purchaser*. Below are a few tools which have significantly enhanced this market:

The SBI/SALA’s Vertical Net System is a debris containment and guardrail system that increases public safety by preventing debris from falling. The system is easy to install, remove, relocate and store. Constructed from polyethylene mesh, it is highly visible even from the ground. The net is UV-resistant and fire-retardant, and it exceeds strength requirements of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Mac Tools, a distributor of automotive tools, has a new e-commerce site for government procurement agents. The new site, buy.mactools.com, offers features like product-name search, national stock number search, quick ordering, order tracking and order history.

This site will accept orders from government purchase card holders working on General Services Administration-approved contract numbers.

JWC Environmental has a new septage receiving system that provides greater plant protection and cleaner handling of septage truck waste through separation of solids. Equipped with a Muffin Monster, the system brings all septage coming into a plant before washing, compacting and denaturing the inorganic materials for disposal.

For pavement sweeping, snow removal, lawn raking or thatching, walk-behind powered brooms from M-B Cos. features an easily adjusted broom head. Lower broom head positioning allows operators to scour or deep-clean porous paved surfaces.

A medium position will remove snow and ice, and a higher broom position allows raking, lawn thatching and landscaping. The self-propelled broom features separate drive controls for broom rotation and wheels, with brush speeds from 85 to 185 revolutions per minute.

(*Used by permission: National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, The Public Purchaser)

Handbook Survey Seeks the Level of Agency Satisfaction

A survey on the Purchasing Division Policies and Procedures Handbook is included in this issue of The Buyers Network

Agency purchasers are encouraged to complete this survey in order for the Purchasing Division to determine the level of satisfaction for this handbook.

The survey is to be returned no later than March 31, 2001 to Diane Holley, WV Purchasing Division, 2019 Washington Street East, P.O. Box 50130, Charleston, WV 25305. Additional pages may be used.

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT: Meet Our West Virginia Businesses!

Each month, The Buyers Network familiarizes our readers with state businesses who have attended our past vendor purchasing conferences. We appreciated their participation in these training events.

Introducing West Side Telecomunications of Morgantown, West Virginia

West Side Telecommunications of Morgantown, West Virginia, offers a variety of services, including telephone, Internet, voice mail, automated attendant, interactive voice retrieval, Internet Telephony, computers, networks and software.

Dennis Oyler, Marketing Representative for West Side Telecommunications, indicated that a direct approach has proved most successful in marketing to state agencies. He deals most with the West Virginia State Police, Corrections, DHHR and the Division of Highways. Oyler benefited greatly from attending last year's Vendor Purchasing Conference. "The opportunities unrealized by in-state vendors are amazing," he said. "The state is extremely willing to keep money in West Virginia."

For more information on the services offered by West Side Telecommunications, contact Dennis Oyler at (800) 296-9113 or via electronic mail at denniso@westco.net.

Purchasing Division Policies and Procedures Handbook
SATISFACTION SURVEY

The following questions pertain to the Purchasing Division Policies and Procedures Handbook which was distributed December 1, 2000. Please take a few minutes to answer these questions and return no later than March 31, 2001 to: Diane Holley, Purchasing Division, 2019 Washington Street, East, P.O. Box 50130, Charleston, WV 25305. Thank you for your cooperation.

1. Have you received a Purchasing Division Policies and Procedures Handbook?
oYes oNo

2. If yes, have you used it for...

Reference? oYes    oNo

Training? oYes oNo

Other (please specify)? oYes oNo

3. What is your general opinion of the effectiveness of the handbook?

oVery Satisfied oSatisfied     oNo opinion oDissatisfied oVery Dissatisfied

4. Do you find the information contained in the handbook ...

Helpful? oVery Helpful oHelpful oNo opinion oUnhelpful oVery Unhelpful

Understandable? oVery Understandable oUnderstandable oNo opinion oConfusing oVery Confusing

Accurate? oVery Accurate oAccurate oNo opinion oInaccurate oVery Inaccurate

Relative? oVery Relative o Relative oNo opinion oIrrelative oVery Irrelative

Complete? oVery Complete oComplete oNo opinion oIncomplete oVery Incomplete

User -friendly? oVery User-friendly oUser-friendly oNo opinion oDifficult   oVery Difficult

5. Have you used the online handbook at www.state.wv.us/admin/purchase/handbook?

oYes oNo

6. What is your opinion of using the online handbook?

oVery Satisfied oSatisfied oNo opinion oDissatisfied oVery Dissatisfied

7. Do you find the online handbook easy to navigate to seek information needed?

oYes oNo

8. What do you like the most about the new handbook?

9. What do you like least about the new handbook?

10. What would you like to see added to improve the new handbook?

11. Additional Comments (Use separate piece of paper, if necessary)

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Piggybacking Contracts...
         What's New in the Purchasing Division            Policies and Procedures Handbook?

Editor's Note: Each month, the Purchasing Division will highlight specific information which is contained in the Purchasing Division Policies and Procedures Handbook. For more details, please refer to the online handbook at www.state.wv.us/admin/purchase/handbook.

Piggybacking Contracts

Although previously highlighted in this publication, the directive on piggy backing contracts deems clarification and reiteration.

The Purchasing Division Policies and Procedures Handbook refers to §5A-3-19 of the West Virginia Code, the Purchasing Director "may, upon the recommendation of a state spending unit, make purchases from the federal government, from federal government contracts or from the University of West Virginia Board of Trustees or Board of Directors of the State College System contracts, if available and financially advantageous."

The following guidelines relate to these types of purchases:

• Requests for commodities and/services that exceed $75,000 must be competitively bid following all Purchasing Division requirements. Exceptions based on overwhelming evidence must be submitted, in writing, to the Purchasing Division to be discussed with the Cabinet Secretary of the Department of Administration or his designee;

• Requests may not be split or ‘strung out’ to circumvent the $75,000 limit;

• Requests that fall between $10,000 and $75,000 must be submitted through the Purchasing Division as a Direct Purchase Order. The requests must contain a copy of the contract, an original price confirmation quotation from the vendor, and proof that the requested purchase is ‘financially advantageous’ as mandated by law. Additionally, the request must contain specific agency approvals (IS&C, CTO, etc.), if applicable;

• Purchases less than $10,000 are delegated to state agencies. Documen-tation of the purchase must contain a copy of the contract, an original price confirmation quotation from the vendor, and proof that the requested purchase is ‘financially advantageous’ as mandated by law. Additionally, the request must contain specific agency approvals (IS&C, CTO, etc.), if applicable;

• Trade-in of existing equipment as a deduction from the purchase price of new equipment from a federal contract or higher education contract is expressly prohibited;

• State agencies are not authorized to obtain commodities and/or services from agency contracts, unless the contract(s) permits piggybacking.

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Finding Ways to Save Money? Look at the Obvious!

Saving money is always difficult; however, you may be surprised at the places where you can save a little change that adds up to a substantial amount.

Here are five hidden places to find over $1,000:

1) A cup of coffee every morning at 65 cents a day = $162 a year.

2) A soda at lunch at 50 cents a day = $125 a year

3) Renting two home videos a week at $3 each = $312 a year

4) Deli lunch purchased on workdays at $3 each = $750 a year

5) Five magazine subscriptions at $15 each = $75 a year.

Source: The Ultimate Credit Handbook by Gerri Detweiler

Current Statewide Contract Update