March is National Procurement Month, “a time to celebrate with pride the role of the public procurement profession,” according NIGP, The Institute for Public Purchasing. This past year, 2021, put many procurement professionals to the test with unprecedented difficulties brought on by the recent pandemic and supply chain delays, but they have continued to rise to meet ever-developing challenges.
In recognition of National Procurement Month, PlanetBids created the Breaking Barriers Award to acknowledge those professionals who have guided their organizations to greater levels of efficiency through eProcurement. Change can be difficult, and these individuals are champions who “broke barriers” to make it happen for their agencies.
Yanely Pulido, Assoc. DBIA, CSRM
Director of General Services
San Mateo County Community College District
The San Mateo College District was already using PlanetBids’ Business Certification module to manage its prequalification process at both the higher level of prequalification as well as for California Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act (CUPCCAA) for construction vendors. Recently, Yanely Pulido and the San Mateo County Community College District team began certifying firms for construction management and architecture. With this new certification capability and working with the PlanetBids team, San Mateo was able to configure its bench process and is live with Business Certification for prequalification and CUPCCAA, as well as bench certification. This process ties into bid management, allowing the district greater control over their bidding process. And with the entire process online, time and resources are saved and green participation is increased.
Alex Lebedeff, ARM-P
Director of Contract Administration, Purchasing, Risk Management, and Auxiliary Services
Ohlone Community College District
Many agencies have enabled COVID-19 restrictions that vendors and contractors must adhere to. Ohlone Community College District needed a way to manage this process electronically. Working with PlanetBids, the District was able to modify vendor registration to require vendors to read and acknowledge Ohlone’s COVID-19 requirements. Alex Lebedeff was instrumental in taking a paper-intensive process and moving it online for greater efficiency. Now, Ohlone College purchasers can quickly verify whether a vendor is following the District’s Covid-19 requirements before allowing a vendor on campus.
Kimberley Linser
Management Analyst II
Valley Water
Kimberley Linser was tasked with implementing the PlanetBids system at Valley Water. Kimberley was instrumental in not only configuring the system but in reevaluating internal work processes, identifying areas for improvement and streamlining the internal processes for multiple departments conducting bidding opportunities. Moving to an eProcurement system – PlanetBids – and making changes in the work processes have had a positive effect on Valley Water's internal and external communication and workflow. The agency can now move toward more strategic planning and decision making based on Kimberley's efforts.
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