Purchasing administers and operates a cooperative purchasing program used by over 100 municipalities both in and outside of the County. This program allows municipalities to combine purchase volumes of certain commodities to obtain more favorable pricing. This has proved to be of great benefit especially to smaller townships and villages, where retail prices are often charged because of their small usage.
E-Commerce
Purchasing is changing the County's business model to move from a conventional business process to a web-based procurement program. A third party Web site host is used to advertise bids and RFPs. Eventually our conversion to a new web based procurement system will allow for a complete electronic exchange of solicitations, responses, archival information, and payment for services.
Contract Administration
Purchasing's Contract Administration function currently has responsibility for three blanket contracts. Since more than one County department uses the blanket contracts, Purchasing serves as the administrator. These blanket contracts are for office products, janitorial supplies, and laboratory supplies. All items are ordered by user departments through the vendors' Web site. Each blanket contract requires an administrator to make changes to the terms and conditions, monitor the Web order process, and oversee the pricing and invoicing process.
P Card
The Procurement Card program allows for the use of a specially regulated credit card to make small item purchases. This program is expanding to include some aspects of travel as well. This is intended as another method of paying the bills. The administration of this program includes training of users, monitoring daily reports, expanding the card use to other departments, and coordinating with the credit card bank.
