Procurement leaders believe that we have entered one of the toughest market environments of the past thirty years. This is especially true for public procurement pros, who may need to balance their receding budget against increasing operational costs.
Whether you’re a CPO or an industry newcomer, you should become familiar with permanent procurement solutions that outpace the rapidity of change. Failure to do so can create a detrimental ripple effect that cascades across teams, departments, and organizations, constricting your pipeline and reducing your marketplace resiliency.
Fortunately, navigating the landscape of procurement optimization doesn't have to be difficult.
Why public agencies face more obstacles in fleet procurement
There’s no single reason that government organizations struggle more than private businesses with fleet procurement. Several major factors contribute to its ongoing, uneven playing field:
- Slow talent recruitment
- Limited technology adoption
- Expensive vehicle replacement
- Sustainability initiatives
- Thinner budget margins
With so many elements impacting public agencies, you must find the right procurement solutions for you, your team, and all those you serve.
Top fleet procurement solutions for public agencies
If you want your procurement pipeline to be prompt, streamlined, and efficient, you must first nail down a set of solutions that will build resiliency over time. As you navigate the complexities of the ever-changing market, it pays to stay ahead of the curve and plan for future complications. Major outlets now report three major solutions of interest for procurement officers in the public sector.
Platform digitization
Maximizing your efficiency with a digital procurement platform is no longer a want but a need. More than two-thirds of procurement pros in the United States are increasing their investment in e-procurement platforms. Without them, many public-facing agencies would lack the visibility to track equipment, orders, vehicles, and more.
Many e-procurement platforms are available on the market, each with its own unique features and integrations. As you consider your options, be sure to account for:
- Functionality features: What type of data can you access and how?
- Third-party apps: How many systems are compatible with the software?
- Price: Will the value that you get from your platform match the amount that you're spending?
Don't be afraid to ask plenty of questions during your demo or trial period.
Hybrid approach
Today's procurement officials must be increasingly flexible to survive in an uncertain market. To that end, nearly three in five procurement pros have shifted toward reactive and proactive models that more easily respond to disruption. Well-defined hybrid models can keep your procurement priorities aligned and focus on adoption and continuous improvement to protect the organization(s) that you serve.
You can start to build a hybrid approach to public procurement by:
- Creating a clear roadmap for continuous improvement
- Incorporating data-driven decision-making
- Staying abreast of new technologies and trends
Above all, be bold and try new things, especially high-impact and low-cost programs.
Cooperative contracts
Cooperative contracts are competitively solicited, publicly awarded contracts that are available to public-facing organizations. Nonprofits of any size can utilize the same contracts as large agencies, eliminating traditional solicitation cycles and empowering professionals to do more with less. It's no surprise that cooperative contracts are among the most popular procurement solutions for public agencies; more than 95.2% of procurement pros already use cooperative purchasing to accomplish daily tasks.
Apart from cooperative contracts’ convenience and ease of access, thousands of procurement professionals report benefits in:
- Time savings (89.4%)
- Cost savings (79.5%)
- Rebate savings (35.4%)
Finding the right cooperative contract for your public agency starts by finding the right service cooperative. For thousands of businesses all over the US, that’s Sourcewell.
Sourcewell’s cooperative contracts are the best fleet procurement solutions
Cooperative contracts were designed to help public purchasers procure vehicles faster, helping them drive more efficiency to serve teams, admins, and audiences within a general locality. Now, they've never been easier to obtain. With Sourcewell, you can browse, compare, and secure cooperative contracts that serve hundreds of organizations all over the country.
Here’s how you can sign up:
- First, register to participate as a non-profit organization. If you are a school, government, or 501(c) group, the Sourcewell team welcomes you and is happy to help you thrive.
- Next, browse awarded contracts by name, number, or ID. The cooperative contract database was designed to be simple, straightforward, and extremely easy to use.
- Finally, explore open solicitations that may better serve your use case. Sourcewell is constantly looking to improve its services and make public procurement easier for everyone. Don't hesitate to let the team know what you need.
Sourcewell is the procurement solution of choice for thousands of organizations across the United States. Browse its contract purchasing, technology solutions, and regional programs at any time.
Here at Sourcewell, we help public agency buyers procure fleet vehicles faster by fulfilling the time-consuming bid process for them. Through cooperative contracts, we expedite the fleet vehicle procurement process so you can better serve your teams.
Want a faster procurement process? Contact one of our specialists today to buy the fleet solutions you need!
