The challenge of hiring and retaining employees was a hot topic at the 2023 annual CAPPO conference. With the silver tsunami of retirements and eligible candidates in short supply, the need to review the workplace to attract new hires has become a high priority for government agencies.
Mission Square Research Institute, which researches state and local government workforce issues to help governments be an employer of choice, partnered with Lead for America, a national service program building the next generation of public service leaders, to survey members on their interest in public service.
The study found that while parental leave and PTO, traditional benefits such as health care, and flexible hours were the top motivators for selecting an employer, 43 of those surveyed responded that teleworking was very important.
Procurement departments should heed these types of surveys and their responses, and government agencies and educational institutions should consider the systems needed to support an environment in which teleworking is an option.
Even before the Coronavirus pandemic forced nearly all office workers to work from home, having an online eProcurement system was a top requested resource by public procurement teams, who find paper-intensive manual processes to be problematic.
Golden State Water Company found success with PlanetBids when searching for a software solution.
"The rapid implementation of the PlanetBids’ bidding platform has streamlined our bidding process and reduced cycle time by 50%," a spokesperson for GSWC said. "PlanetBids has made their bidding portal easy for any user to understand. Our Procurement Administrators had a seamless transition from paper to electronic bidding processes.”
Regardless of the environment – even when procurement managers are out in the field or attending a procurement conference – eProcurement systems allow work to continue, as evaluators, suppliers, and other team members can move the process forward digitally.
Whether your work environment is in the office, at home, or from an emergency operations center, here are five key ways that eProcurement supports a telework environment:
1. Increased TransparencyWhen information is on a cloud-based platform, transparency is increased. From the date and time the solicitation was posted, to the list of vendors who have viewed and downloaded, and eventually through the evaluation process with calculations and final rankings, supervisors can easily track a project and determine next steps. Board members and other internal stakeholders can be updated and view bid progress in real time.
2. Expand Vendor OutreachAn easy-to-use vendor system is the best way to increase vendor and subcontractor registrations, resulting in greater outreach to MBE/WBE/SBE businesses. Agencies can find vendors for those projects where the pool is limited in a simple click, versus hours of tracking down vendors with outdated manual processes.
It's easier to keep those vendors engaged in your projects with easy access to bid documents, instant notification of addenda, and networking capabilities. Suppliers enjoy the convenience of not driving to the post office or government building to deliver their proposals. Bid openings can move to the virtual environment, where rooms don’t have to be reserved and filled with contractors sitting around waiting for bid results. Online notifications are becoming the preferred method of communication for the supplier community.
3. Eliminate Paper-Heavy Manual ProcessesAt the most basic level, an eProcurement system saves on the cost of paper. It conserves employee time as there is no need to print, mail, store, and eventually shred bid-related documents. Automating prequalification, bid, and insurance processes gives procurement staff members the time to strategize and increases productivity, while helping your agency maintain compliance.
4. Assist with Onboarding ProcesseProcurement systems store information for quick access when staff turnover occurs. The bid specification library can help new employees review how bids were handled in the past or view the latest scope used by other agencies, providing a learning resource with contact information to reach out and make connections. Procurement can also grant other agency departments access to the system to help them quickly see available contracts and their status.
5. Enhance Your ReputationProcurement teams have other duties besides issuing solicitations. Whether they are in the field, attending meetings with customers, or traveling to a procurement conference, when issues arise, staff can quickly react remotely.
For example, users at the 2023 CAPPO Annual Conference were able to handle bid questions and RFP evaluations while onsite, without having to provide additional instructions to other team members or travel with mountains of paperwork to read and score.
6. Boost Employee Morale
Finding purpose in work is becoming a higher priority for the evolving workforce. Moving the mundane, but important, parts of the procurement process toward automation allows procurement teams to spend their efforts and resources in activities that have greater value or impact. No one ever wants to be known for “pushing paper.” Bringing an eProcurement system into the workplace helps streamline that aspect of the job.
Want to learn more about how the PB System™ from PlanetBids can help automate your procurement process and save you time, money, and resources? Chat with our procurement experts today!
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