Now more than ever, public agencies are recognizing the value and need for a strong procurement team as purchasing has proven to be nimble and creative through challenges over the last two years. As you’re working with a lean procurement department, maybe just a team of one, having a cooperative purchasing organization in your strategy is a best practice saving you time, money and resources.
During the workday, how often do you get caught up on the price of a product you’re working to procure? There’s no fault in your attention to detail and tendency to spend too much time on transactions. Your dedication is valued as your school or organization relies on you to manage purchase orders, RFPs, invoices, delivery schedules, and all involved documentation, even when you might not have enough time or resources.
Alton Campbell, co-author, serves as vice president, higher education for OMNIA Partners, Public Sector. He leads a national team of regional managers who bring strategic contract solutions to colleges and universities.
Utilizing cooperative purchasing empowers participants to access and leverage immense buying power to achieve more value, time, and cost-savings. It’s no wonder why the higher education space partners with cooperative purchasing organizations such as OMNIA Partners, the most experienced cooperative and free connector to drive excellence and meet strategic goals, particularly in a time when the pandemic has squeezed budgets.
We have witnessed a growth in higher education spending, largely accelerated by the pandemic, in information technology, air filtration, and furniture. When it comes to investments in these major categories, OMNIA Partners has an extensive portfolio of suppliers who offer solutions.
The floor is one of the first things customers and visitors notice when entering a building, and a dirty or damaged floor will most certainly catch their unwanted attention. With more and more public sector buildings reopening across the country, it’s imperative to ensure a positive first impression. Now, more than ever, facility managers at schools and government agencies need to develop and implement a comprehensive floor care strategy that enhances a building’s appearance while also providing health and safety benefits to safeguard against the spread of COVID-19.
Colleges and universities have certainly seen a lot of changes since March of 2020. As doors closed and classrooms emptied, many found themselves in the unfamiliar situation of having to turn to a digital-only education model. As part of that, testing also had to move online, creating confusion among test-takers.
Proper hygiene and disinfection have never been more crucial to maintaining a clean and safe athletics facility than they have been during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Athletic training facilities, with close quarters, closed spaces, shared equipment, varying personal hygiene practices, and high levels of contamination, face many challenges related to environmental hygiene and infection control. These conditions make athletes highly vulnerable to readily transmissible diseases, not only to COVID-19 but also to skin infections and disease.
The pandemic has changed the way we talk about the “digital workplace”. As organizations look to a more modernized environment, it is often difficult to navigate the complexities of a hybrid physical and digital world. Gain insight to what our supplier partner, Iron Mountain, has learn about the digital transformation process along the way.
Loud spaces can negatively impact concentration, memory, productivity, comprehension, and lower morale. Long-term exposure to noise can even increase heart rates and quicken breathing, leading to higher levels of stress hormones. In educational environments, common ambient noise levels decrease intelligibility significantly — in some cases by as much as half. Continue reading to discover the positive impact a quiet environment can have on your organization and a few steps to help optimize the acoustics in your space.
The words “digital workplace” mean something different today than they did a year or two ago.
We’ve all learned a lot this past year about what’s really essential when it comes to getting work done, whether that’s meeting the needs of customers or virtually connecting with co-workers. So, it’s safe to say our digital workplace initiatives are much more reality-driven.
Long after the pandemic, we’ll still be processing what we’ve learned. We’re not simply picking up the pieces and going back to “business as usual.” We’re going back to a different workplace. Learn how your organization can ensure digitization done right (now available through OMNIA Partners' cooperative contract with Iron Mountain).
Cyberattacks targeting public agencies and school communities are an increasing threat each year. In 2020 alone there were nearly 1,700 reported cyber threat events spanning all 50 states in the Education field. Although a wide range of attack methods are used, the most common are breaches, hacks and phishing attacks resulting in personal data disclosure, ransomware attacks, and denial-of-service attacks. Below are three key defensive checkpoints to help protect your organization against malicious ransomware.
