All too often, public officials, including authority staff, mistakenly believe they must award contracts to bidders with the lowest price. While fiduciary responsibility to ratepayers and constituents is important, this misplaced notion can open the door to contractors or service…

With harsh winter weather just around the corner, emergencies will likely be right behind the snow and ice. So what are the rules for emergency contracting in the public sector? Are bids required? How about public notice? And can an…

Exceeding Basic Compliance = Real Results Risk is defined as “the possibility that something unpleasant or unwelcome will happen” and also as “a situation involving exposure to danger.” At times, when authorities think of the risk associated with their purchasing…

Online Bid Management Made Easy Electronic bid management, e-procurement, online bidding, and e-purchasing. By now, you’ve likely heard one or more of these terms. Often used interchangeably, they refer to the process of conducting competitive bidding electronically, via the internet,…

A Guide to Saving Time and Money with Every Purchase. Townships that are still using manual procurement methods for all their purchasing may want to step out on a limb and try e-procurement. This electronic way of managing bids and…

Add value to your purchasing process by shedding the status quo. This article is the first in a series that will explore several topics related to the procurement process and offers some “Best Practices” geared towards maximizing the value of…

Maximizing the value of your time and resources. In this second installment in our series focusing on “Procurement Best Practices” we continue exploring various facets of the procurement process and how authorities and other public agencies, as well as their…

Add Value to Your Purchasing Process by Shedding the Status Quo. In this edition, we wrap up our series on “Procurement Best Practices - Part 3” by exploring a few more facets of the procurement process. Areas of opportunity for…

Owner & Stakeholder Responsibility Many authority leaders do not have a complete technical understanding of every aspect for every project - nor should they. In general, authority leaders can see the larger picture and balance the needs of competing demands.…

Procurement. Purchasing. Competitive Sealed Bidding. RFP’s, RFIs & RFQ’s. Public Solicitations. Quotes. Single or multi-prime contracts. Chances are, you’re familiar with these terms, and your reaction to them begins with a slight tingling at the base of your skull that slowly grows into…