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Local Vendor Outreach
Updated Nov. 2004
Volunteers needed to serve
on the New Local Vendor Outreach
Advisory Board
Cutbacks
in defense spending. Downsizing in the corporate world. Grumblings
about government not being business-friendly enough. The malaise
in the state's economy during the early 1990s caused us to ask:
What could be done to improve government/business relations without
failing to govern?
to use tax dollars to stimulate local economic
vitality without handing out a dole?
to elicit inter-agency
cooperation without creating another bureaucracy?
The Program
Purchasing,
in concert with Supervisor Schwartz, developed a comprehensive Local
Vendor Outreach program, which was then adopted by the full Board,
in order to encourage our local business people to do business with
the County.
We
established a program in which:
- we
educated the business community on how to effectively compete
for the money we spend;
- we
listened to vendors' needs and concerns;
- we
embraced possibilities we hadn't seen before; and
- we
cooperated with 18 other local agencies to address our common
concerns.
Here are the specifics:
- Education:
Several introductory seminars were held around the county. Over
300 people representing all manner of businesses attended these
sessions each receiving a complete set of instructional materials.
The seminars were exceptionally well received. Feedback from attendees
on the evaluation forms averaged 4.5 on a scale of 1 to 5. In
addition, the meetings engendered much positive publicity for
the County and for the program itself. The last of these seminars
was held three years ago, and since then a large number of new
businesses have set up in the County. Consequently, a new series
of seminars is being planned for later in the year in order to
give new suppliers the opportunity to compete for the Countys
business.
We maintain that program by attending business group meetings
and adding as many local vendors to our database as we can.
- Interaction:
A series of meetings with local vendors provided a forum for input
and feedback related to Vendor Selection, Bid Procedures, and
Payment Processing. Ideas generated at these "Vendor Advisory
Panels" became part of the way the County is improving its business
processes. In addition, the simple opportunity for dialog with
the vendor community has been refreshing and beneficial for all
involved. The County Purchasing Division has joined many local
Chambers of Commerce in order to increase the interaction between
the business community and the County.
- Opportunities:
Notable successes attributable to the County's efforts to "buy
local" includes Santa Maria Ford, which was able to compete effectively
with the "Big Boys" for $725,000 in orders for sedans and patrol
cars; LeBard's Computer Center, $423,000 for computer maintenance
services; Tri County Office Furniture and Design, $653,000; and
U S Office Products (formerly Office Mart), $445,000 in office
supplies. Because these businesses saw our commitment to keeping
tax dollars local, they decided they were ready and willing to
aggressively bid for the new contract. They were able to demonstrate
that in fact a local firm can offer prices and service that will
make their award the best deal for the County.
- Collaboration:
The educational seminars afforded an excellent occasion for increased
cooperation among local agencies. County Purchasing led the coalition
of purchasing officers in all of the cities, the public higher
education institutions, and the largest of the school districts
to form the Santa Barbara Government Buyers CO-OPP (short for
"Cooperative Organization to Optimize Public Purchasing"). This
group has met together to organize the events simultaneously
building rapport and relationships to help develop both their
professional procurement skills and their recognition of the value
of keeping tax dollars circulating within the local economy. Although
these agencies have different missions, we are able to pool our
resources for items in common use. Most recently, 6 different
agencies cooperated on a common bid for fire fighting gear. The
County also works closely with County Schools in bidding school
supplies.
The
entire Local Vendor Outreach Program was undertaken without any
increase in government spending. The educational seminars were and
will be produced within existing budgets, by creatively managing
existing resources. Moreover, the cycling of local tax dollars back
into the local economy has been done without establishing a costly
"preference" program. Local vendors have proven that they can effectively
compete for our business providing value equal to or better than
that offered by metropolitan "big hitters".
This program, which brought home the CSAC Challenge Award Trophy
for 1994, has been a success by every measure. In Fiscal Year 01/02,
the County spent 89 million dollars on goods and services from business
with local zip codes. That was 60% of the total spending for these
items. The goal for Fiscal Year 02/03 remains at 60% of total spending.
Inquiries about the Local Vendor Outreach Program may be directed
to John McMillin, Purchasing Manager, at 568-2693 or email.
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