Category: Education supplies
Today eBridge ran an event for a university hospital to purchase LCD TV’s. The televisions will outfit patient rooms in the new medical facility at the university. Prior to the bidding event, the buyer received a sample of the televisions each vendor was bidding on to make sure the electrical adaptors fit the wiring of the rooms.
The buyer approved 11 suppliers to participate in the event. During the bidding event the suppliers placed 196 bids total. First place changed hands 55 times, with first and second place being separated by a mere 0.15%, indicating true market value was found. At the conclusion of the one-hour fifteen-minute bid, the final low bid was 30% lower than the university’s estimated budget.
Yesterday eBridge ran a bid for a school district in Illinois and saved them 27% on their budgeted price. Our faithful operations team sourced five copy paper suppliers and four of them bid in the auction. The suppliers bid a total of 99 times and first place changed 27 times.
A neighboring school system put out a bid for copy paper through the traditional paper bid process where suppliers may only submit one bid in order to win the business.
The school system that purchased the copy paper through the paper bid process paid $29.50 per case and our client paid $27.43, which is a savings of 7%. See, the paper bid does have a purpose. Its purpose here was to serve as a reference point.
The real savings is through eBridge and our reverse auctions. Have a great weekend!
eBridge just did an auction for some elementary school furnishings. A west coast school district needed 300+ game rugs along with game kits to play on the rugs. We reviewed the specs for the rugs and decided our process would be of great benefit to the school district.
Six rug suppliers bid over 100 times in the action and first place changed twenty-two times. Successful once again! We saved the school district a little more than 11% off their budgeted price. We’d like to save you the same amount if not more…so run an auction with us!
Have you bought any computers lately? Last Thursday a Michigan school system saved approximately 13.5% on their purchase. Combined there were a total of 52 personal computers to be purchased, both laptops and desktops.
eBridge brought 4 suppliers to the table. First place turned over nine times and the clock extended 22 times. This Michigan school system used our platform to save substantial funds that can now be used in other avenues.
You may not be in the market to purchase computers but our platform is far from limited. We’ve done anything from chickens to heavy equipment. So keep us bookmarked for any of your future purchases where savings is paramount.
BidBridge recently partnered with a community college system to purchase 150 of two different models of elliptical machines to outfit their college system’s fitness centers.
The reverse auction event lasted just 36 minutes with first place changing hands nine times. The four participating suppliers placed 43 bids total on the two types of machines.
The bid ended with the final low bid 24.9% lower than the school system’s budgeted amount! The savings will go directly back in to the school’s budget in order to provide additional programming in their fitness centers.
It's no secret that school districts across the country are facing teacher layoffs, school closings and a decrease in extra-curricular programs due to severe budget cuts.
According to a recent article on AOL News California's education budget was cut by $17 billion over the past two years and will be cut another $2.4 billion this year... and more than 23,500 pink slips have been handed out to school employees'
But despite the gloomy headlines, one large school district is taking action. They have teamed with BidBridge to purchase several items including janitorial paper, craft supplies, game rugs and most recently an internet content filtering solution. With an average net savings of 14% on everything run through the process, examining your budget for items appropriate for the reverse auction process should be a no-brainer.
Event Summary: Internet Content Filtering Solution
During a recent event the seven suppliers placed bids on 5 line items comprising the content filtering solution. The contract is for three years.
First place changed hands 46 times and 546 bids were placed during the one hour 38 minute event.
Final price yielded 49% savings versus budget.
So next time you head read a headline about a school closing, see if they're using reverse auctions. Who knows, it could mean a better education for your children and saved jobs.
Professional Services- Information Technology Management Office, SC – Trident Technical College Continuing Education Course Print Contract-
Trident Technical College engaged BidBridge for a print contract for the college’s education course materials. The bid consisted of only a single line item for this individual contract.
Seven suppliers competed for the contract. Twenty-seven bids were placed among the seven suppliers yielding 13 first place turnovers.
Through engaging BidBridge, Trident Technical College achieved true market value for the print contract and saved 10% versus its initial budget.
A large county in Georgia engaged BidBridge for the purchase of 2010 Microsoft Licenses for its software.
15 suppliers competed in the 49 minute event, yielding 164 total bids, 13 first place turnovers and 35 time extensions.
The final pricing yielded a 17% savings versus budget and against state contract price.
Save 12 Percent Against State Contract
ST. CHARLES, Ill., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ – Prior to the start of the school year, the St. Charles Community Unit School District (CUSD 303) took time to reevaluate its existing state contract price for copy paper. Cathy Koch, Director of Business Services for CUSD 303, recognized the potential for savings and sought out Louisville-based BidBridge, a proven eProcurement services provider for the public and private sectors.
In order to provide an alternative to the public sector’s traditional process of a one price per supplier response, BidBridge facilitates a secure, real-time electronic sealed bid platform that allows suppliers to place multiple bids. In CUSD 303’s copy paper bid, five suppliers competed for a copy paper contract to supply 7,132 cases of paper consisting of six total line items, varying products based on coloring, size, and recycled/non-recycled factors.
“With help from BidBridge’s expert support team, we were able to complete the bid in an efficient, professional manner,” said Ms. Koch. “The electronic reverse auction process that BidBridge provides is truly a step forward in public procurement across the country, especially for schools and school districts.”
Over the course of the 52-minute bid event, the 8.5×11 white copy paper line item logged 50 total bids, resulting in 20 first place turnovers and 21 time extensions. CUSD 303 saw a 20 percent overall savings against budget for non-recycled product and a four percent savings for recycled paper. Accounting for all line items, CUSD 303 saw a final low bid price that was 12 percent lower than its existing contract.
“The St. Charles bid serves as further proof that public entities can beat state contracts if they give suppliers the opportunity to compete in a dynamic purchasing environment,” said BidBridge CEO Jim Headlee. “Education is the backbone of this country, and the more money we can save for our schools, the more money they have to allocate towards areas of greater need.”
Records 1.62 Percent Margin between First and Second Place Suppliers, Indicating Market Value Was Achieved; Saves $123,000 against Budget
HIGH POINT, N.C., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ — Increased focus on the environment from national and local perspectives prompted the City of High Point, NC to replace its smaller recycling bins with larger 95-gallon containers. The recycling receptacles would then be distributed to local private residences for weekly recycling collections.
While necessary, the 36,000 bins required to satisfy the city’s needs would be costly to procure. The city set aside $1.5 million for the project and sought the aid of an experienced procurement company, eventually choosing Louisville-based BidBridge, an e-procurement services provider for the public and private sectors.
BidBridge facilitates a secure, real-time electronic sealed bid platform that allows suppliers to place multiple bids, providing an alternative to the public sector’s traditional process of a one price per supplier response. By utilizing the BidBridge platform, the City of High Point was able to save more than $123,000 against budget.
By the end of the 52-minute bid (taking place June 23), five competing suppliers had logged 45 bids, resulting in 31 time extensions and a 1.62 percent margin between first and second place – a key indicator that the city purchased the recycling receptacles at market value.
“With the final award amount totaling $1,337,000, there is no doubt that the reverse auction had a hand in saving valuable taxpayer money for the City of High Point,” remarked Cindy Sisloff, director of marketing and business development for BidBridge. “With a national focus on government spending, BidBridge offers a way for cities like High Point to be more strategic in their purchasing.”