How to improve efficiency and effectiveness in public procurement

how to improve efficiency and effectiveness in public procurement

Millions of people rely on timely procurement every year and expect nothing but the best for their communities, schools, and organizations. Public buyers streamline the procurement process to preserve time, save money, and reduce excess waste. A proper strategy could make the difference between a successful outcome and a severe disruption, and with so much on the line, choosing the right procurement partner could even make or break your public good.

Let’s explore simple ways to improve efficiency and ensure procurement effectiveness.

Obstacles involved in effective public procurement processes

Leaders of smaller local governments must navigate the challenges of public procurement without the luxury of large budgets or economies of scale.

Today, there are three major roadblocks to effective public procurement:

  • Supply chain: Navigating modern supply chain concerns will likely get worse before they get better. More and more professionals cite limited visibility, while only 63% say that they have an accurate picture of their current inventory pipeline.
  • Limited buying power: Some smaller organizations may have limited buying power compared to others in the area. This may prevent them from accessing state-of-the-art supplies or reduce their competitive abilities with contractors and other resources.
  • Reduced access to resources: Many public buyers are required to perform public procurement within their local area, so they may not be able to access outside resources or take advantage of contracts outside their state.

Expect each of these challenges to impact organizations long into the future. However, you can seamlessly circumnavigate them using the right approach, particularly with a three-step model.

How to improve efficiency and effectiveness in public procurement

You know speed and productivity are everything when it comes to ensuring the public good. Here’s how to improve your efficiency and effectiveness in public procurement in three simple steps.

Conduct performance reviews

Searching for success without measurement is meaningless, especially when it comes to public procurement. For the lasting success of your mission, procurement officers must ensure the careful measurement of performance KPIs and other critical metrics.

You can easily identify possible pitfalls by relying on a SWOT analysis, which may help develop ideas for improvement or even offer data-driven solutions for obstacles that could otherwise stall progress.

Move to a digital system, if possible

Even in this day and age, many public procurement teams have not yet moved to digital tracking systems. Around 94% of organizations have not modernized their digital systems, leaving them in the dark about their organization's procurement progress, position, and growth.

You’ll discover that it’s crucial to integrate with enterprise resource planning software tools that work alongside your native tracking models. This will save you time and potential labor hours  and reduce human errors and create more accurate outcomes.

Use cooperative contracts

Cooperative contracts are perhaps the best and most efficient way to procure vehicles faster, helping you drive efficiency and serve teams within your public agency.

The benefits are numerous:

  • Streamline your access to competitive solicitations by piggybacking on solicited contracts, thus speeding up the process and avoiding common bottlenecks.
  • Access economies of scale with contracts that meet competitive requirements, and never be excluded from the market again.
  • Leverage large economies of scale to access equipment reserved for larger organizations, which can open new opportunities for you and its audience.

Tap into the future of public procurement and the overwhelming power of cooperative contracts. Your school or government could ensure an efficient procurement pipeline with a highly refined strategy.

With the team at Sourcewell, you’ll find that all of this and more are possible.

The role of Sourcewell in efficient and effective procurement

You want competitive cooperative contracts that provide national buying power with a local flair. Sourcewell makes it possible for public procurement experts to start browsing contracts quickly.

Its legacy speaks for itself:

  • Sourcewell serves government agencies and educational institutions all over the U.S.
  • Join 50,000 other public agencies with access to hundreds of cooperative contracts for you and your team.
  • Registering to use Sourcewell contracts is 100% free and has zero obligation.

Improving the efficiency of your public procurement process has never been simpler. With over forty years of dedicated service and thousands of organizations served, Sourcewell is a visionary force multiplier for the future of public procurement.

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!