Agency Relations & Customer Service Agency Relations & Customer Service Agency Relations & Customer Service 
Professional Development Reflecting on the Pandemic: Networking
You, like many people, may feel dread in hearing the word “networking.” You are not alone, according to one study from Harvard Business School, people feel gross about networking being pushed by their superiors because of the feeling of how transactional it can be. That same study showed, however, that people do feel good about organic (or self-initiated) networking. Networking can be good for not just you as an individual but also good for your department and organization. Read more “Reflecting on the Pandemic: Networking”
Contract Administration & Management Get the Full Picture with SRM!
Public procurement knows cost is just what you pay, value is what you receive and SRM (Supplier Relationship Management) brings value to procurement.
Professional Development Everything is NOT Awesome – Difficult Customer Situations
Imagine this – a state agency has come to you with frustrations about a lack of communication from the central procurement office. They have not heard back from the office in over three days, and they are frustrated that they do not know what is going on with their solicitation. This is just one example of a frustrated customer situation you might run into in your operations. When these unhappy customers arise, there are steps you can take in order to recover from a bad customer service experience. Read more “Everything is NOT Awesome – Difficult Customer Situations”
Solicitation Methods Black Swans: Anticipate Your Supply Chain Reactions
In a report released in late April , IBM’s Institute for Business Value weighs in on how organizations can reduce vulnerabilities through smarter supply chains. As supply chains start to react to the pandemic and deploy permanent changes in their processes, how can procurement officials brace for the change?
In this post we explore what changes supply chains are anticipated to make, and what those changes mean for public procurement officials. Read more “Black Swans: Anticipate Your Supply Chain Reactions”
Market Research Back to the Value
Thirty-Five years ago, when the Value Chain Model was first introduced, procurement was viewed narrowly as cut and dry cost savings. But as suppliers become more citizen-centric, central procurement officers (CPOs) need to become more value-aware of procurement’s unique position. Public procurement should no longer be viewed narrowly for cut and dry cost savings, but for the additional value the procurement process can add as a strategic partner. 
Read more “Back to the Value”
Protests To Protest a Bid, or not to Protest?
While not a Shakespearean existential inquiry, a vendor who did not win a competitive bid for a public contract may be faced with a critical question: “Should I file a bid protest to challenge this award decision, or not?”
Bidders who have standing want to exercise their right to protest to correct alleged improprieties. Sometimes vendors file what some would call “frivolous,” or “sore loser” protests, after the fact, when some of the questions could have been addressed before a decision was made to award the contract. Read more “To Protest a Bid, or not to Protest?”
Professional Development Relations Matter!
Agency relations and customer service is NASPO’s top priority for 2019. What an exciting topic to tackle as it is the first time it appears on NASPO’s Top 10 in the last two years! Current NASPO President Lisa Eason is a big supporter of highlighting agency relations initiatives across the country.
Improving relationships with state agencies not only increases the efficiency of procurements in the state but also makes the process and experience for both agency staff and procurement staff less tedious. However, many states have yet to implement extensive programs and initiatives due to the different puzzle pieces that need to come together to make the change effective. Improving agency relations and customer service is a complex task that requires both employees and management to change mind-sets and behaviors. At times, it requires organizations to restructure their operations to function in a customer-centric mindset rather than working in the traditional silos.
NASPO Events & Education A Day in the Life: Lisa Eason
This week we caught up with Lisa Eason, Deputy Commissioner for the State of Georgia, and 2019 NASPO President.
Lisa has served as Georgia’s Deputy Commissioner of the State Purchasing Division since August of 2015. She is responsible for the administration of the State’s purchasing card program, the sourcing division which includes the agency sourcing, strategic sourcing, contract management, and data analytics units. She also manages the policy and training division which administers the state’s purchasing training program and the development and oversight of Georgia’s procurement policies and procedures. The Audit and Compliance Division, which is responsible for audits related to P-Cards and the purchasing process, also falls under her purview.
Professional Development