Multiple Department Collaboration Results in Savings for Texas City

As procurement leaders, you know the ins and outs of purchasing, but you may struggle to keep up with the ever-changing needs of your end-users and stakeholders. Because of this, the key to successful purchasing lies within alignment and collaboration with other departments in your organization that directly connect with these groups.  

Wondering how to take the first step towards alignment? Take it from the purchasing team with Grand Prairie, TX. By joining forces with the facilities department, the purchasing team was able to drive efficiency, agility, and innovation towards the products and solutions they sourced and implemented throughout the city. 

Keep reading to gain a better understanding of the importance of collaboration and the role cooperative purchasing plays in success. 

The Challenge

The City's Facility Service Manager, Ray Riedinger, and Purchasing Manager, Angie Mize, were recently tasked with modifying a large office space by relocating its doorway.  This type of project requires a new doorframe, door, hardware, relocating utilities and all that goes into closing off the existing doorway. Riedinger and Mize put their heads together to complete this project in the most efficient way possible. This key collaboration between the teams is what made this project less of a hassle. 

“I enjoy helping people and solving their problems so they are able to do their jobs more efficiently,” says City of Grand Prairie Facility Service Manager Ray Riedinger.    

“It’s a pleasure to work with other city departments to help them get their jobs completed,” says City of Grand Prairie Purchasing Manager Angi Mize.   

Strategy & Solution

With a short amount of time to complete the work, Mize and Riedinger decided to leverage their cooperative purchasing organization to achieve optimal pricing and service levels.  

“We knew the estimate was a competitive price and since we have a service agreement in place, we could move faster, get the work started and completed ASAP,” says Ray Riedinger, City of Grand Prairie Facility Service Manager. “Especially with the current supply chain issues and the condition of the service industry, we know it takes longer to complete a project. Since the service agreement is already in place, it allowed us to get this job started rapidly and get the job completed rapidly.”   

Leveraging cooperative purchasing helped the city save time and money while also getting the job done efficiently and up to their standards. They were able to streamline their process and get started on their project instantly. 

What Does This Mean for Your Agency or School?

The main takeaway here is that the value of cooperative purchasing is in the numbers. When other agencies leverage a cooperative, the buying power and our portfolio grows, creating even more solutions and opportunities for participants.  

By leveraging a cooperative, you can experience crucial time and cost savings for your organization while immediately unlocking access to industry-leading solutions. Interested in learning more? Click the button below! 

Read the full case study HERE.