Diane Holley, Editor

The Buyers Network is Published Monthly by the Purchasing Division of the West
Virginia Department of Administration to Promote Better Value in Public Purchasing

Welcome to the June 2002 Issue of the The Buyers Network!

4th Annual Vendor Purchasing Conference
Training Opportunity Meets the Needs of our Vendor Community

Director's Comments:
Looking from the Perspective of our Vendor Community

Purchasing Bulletin Changes Hard Copy Distribution

2002 Agency Purchasing Conference
QUESTIONNAIRE

Important Conference Details

A Pictorial Overview
VENDOR PURCHASING CONFERENCE...Training at its Best!

OOPS...
Correction on Business Hours

Statewide Travel Services Contractor to Offer Seminars for State Travelers

Inventory Management
Inventory Certification Required to be Submitted to Purchasing by July 15th

MONEYWISE...Tips for the Thrifty

WELCOME...Chuck Bowman Joines the Staff of the Purchasing Division

Current Statewide Contract Update

Questions?...Just Ask Us!

The 4th Annual Vendor Purchasing Conference took place at Canaan Valley on May 14 through 17, with over 100 business representatives in attendance. Although the majority of participants were representing West Virginia businesses, there were also others from surrounding areas, including Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Purchasing staff joined representatives from state agencies to present valuable information on purchasing rules, regulations and procedures. Agency representatives included Beverly Carte, Division of Natural Resources; June Casto, Department of Environmental Protection; Sue Farley, Department of Transportation; Dennis Meadows, Department of Health and Human Resources; and Les Smith, Division of Tourism.

Two general sessions were offered, "Introduction to Purchasing" and "Vendor Advocate Resources." The latter was presented by Kim Wood of the Regional Contracting Assistance Center and Carolyne Brown of the West Virginia Development Office’s Minority Business Development Center.

Small workshop sessions were offered to participants on a wide range of topics, including How to Get Started, The Basic Process Continues, Statewide Contract Management, the Purchasing Division’s Website, Marketing to State Agencies, What’s Your Question?, High-Tech Contracts, and Business Link to West Virginia Vendors. One-on-one consultation meetings were scheduled concurrently with the workshop sessions for participants to discuss their products and services with a Purchasing or agency representatives.

"Vendors were thrilled with the opportunity to learn more about our state purchasing process and, more importantly, to meet state decisionmakers face-to-face and market their products," said Purchasing Director Dave Tincher.

Although all evaluation forms have not been received nor tabulated, some of the comments thus far included the following: Once again, this has been an excellent conference...This conference was excellent!! I appreciate the purchasing agencies’ efforts to host this conference... Excellent information for me as a new vendor...Very good. Please invite us to your next year’s conference.

"I would like to express my gratitude to the Purchasing Division staff and agency representatives for displaying high levels of dedication, professionalism and customer service to make this training event successful and memorable for our vendor community," Tincher added.

Back to the Top

The Director's Comments
                      Looking from the Perspective of our Vendor Community

By Dave Tincher
State Purchasing Director

After spending nearly a week during the Vendor Purchasing Conference with many business representatives who are pursuing or have proved successful in selling their products and services to state agencies, my perspective on how the state of West Virginia works with the vendor community became more clear.

I spoke to several individuals who expressed a desire to become involved in the state purchasing process and were eager to learn how they could become more successful in their efforts. Some of the conference participants brought samples and literature of their products. It was apparent that they were not just selling their products, but they believed in their product. They stressed how their products would result in savings to the state of West Virginia, as they have in other states.

From hearing the vendor’s perspective, I would recommend that we, as professional purchasers who are in charge of determining the best buy for the taxpayers of our state, possibly listen more to what the experts in the field are saying. Perhaps we need to research more what is available in the market and how that market is ever changing.

It is our job to find the best price, keeping quality and service into consideration. We need to think beyond the box and look at other cost-effective alternatives to meeting the needs of our agencies. And, most importantly, we need to listen to the experts, our vendor community.

The schedule of a procurement officer is hectic, deadlines to meet, paper to process. Equally important, we need to take the time to meet with vendors, to further examine specifications to ensure that they are complete, accurate and concise.

Together with our vendor community, the state of West Virginia has the potential to benefit with quality products and services at the lowest possible price.

Back to the Top

State Agencies Encouraged to Offer Suggestions for Purchasing Handbook

In July, a group of Purchasing staff and agency procurement officers will begin reviewing the Purchasing Division Policies and Procedures Handbook. The new handbook is scheduled to be distributed at the Agency Purchasing Conference on September 24-27, 2002 at Canaan Valley State Park.

Agency purchasers are encouraged to forward suggestions and concerns to Diane Holley, Executive Assistant, by telephone at (304) 558-0661 or via e-mail at dholley@gwmail.state.wv.us.

The individuals who are serving on the Purchasing Division's handbook committee are as follows:

(Purchasing Division staff) Karen Byrd, Jo Ann Dunlap, Diane Holley, Ron Price, Debbie Watkins, Evan Williams.

(Agency representatives) Syble Atkins [Department of Tax and Revenue], Jo Bess [Department of Health and Human Resources], Sue Farley [Department of Transportation], and Phillip Uy [Department of Education].