For school bus transportation leaders, purchasing new fleet equipment involves much more than finding the right product. You also must address procurement requirements, manage paperwork and coordinate with purchasing departments. At the same time, you’re expected to keep projects moving forward while balancing the day-to-day demands of a transportation operation. Purchasing co-ops can help streamline the process.
That’s why Veronica, a transportation director in western Washington, chose this approach when her district needed new fleet surveillance cameras. Rather than preparing and distributing a Request for Proposal (RFP), her district purchased the cameras through a purchasing co-op. The process was much simpler.
“I reached out to my REI salesperson, and she sent me a quote. I then sent it to my supervisor, Tom. He, along with our school board, approved it and we bought the cameras. That’s how simple it was. Working through co-ops, it’s so easy to make purchases,” states Veronica.
Why Purchasing Co-Ops Are Worth a Closer Look
For transportation departments looking to reduce administrative work and put the right equipment into service sooner, co-op purchasing can offer several advantages.
1. Purchasing Co-Ops Help Reduce the Burden of Lengthy RFPs
Preparing and managing an RFP can be time-consuming. Depending on your district’s procurement rules, the process may involve drafting specifications, soliciting and reviewing bids, conducting bid openings and completing extensive documentation.
With a purchasing co-op contract, much of this work may have already been completed at the cooperative level. If the contract meets your district’s procurement requirements, you may be able to purchase from an awarded vendor without issuing a separate RFP.
For Veronica, avoiding the traditional bidding process made a noticeable difference.
“The bidding process is long, tedious and involves a lot of paperwork,” she adds. “When I worked at another district, we had to publish bids in the newspaper for 30 days. Vendors would submit bids, and we had to conduct a formal bid opening. It was a big undertaking.”
Using an approved cooperative purchasing contract could mean less administrative work for your team and more time to focus on operations.
2. Access Established, Competitive Pricing
Purchasing co-ops typically solicit contracts from vendors and establish pricing and terms on behalf of their members. Instead of starting negotiations from scratch for every purchase, districts can use an existing contract when it fits their needs and procurement requirements. That can help transportation departments make better use of limited budgets and reduce the time required to research pricing and negotiate.
For larger purchases, an established contract can also make it easier to move a project through the approval process with purchasing officials and administrators.
Purchasing co-op contracts can help school transportation teams reduce the time required to research pricing.
3. Purchasing Co-Ops Can Help You Put Equipment into Service Sooner
If you need cameras or other fleet technology to replace aging equipment, support fleet expansion or address a safety need, delays can affect your operation. Waiting through an entire purchasing cycle can postpone implementation when the equipment is needed.
A purchasing co-op contract can shorten the process because the solicitation and contract are already in place. Your district still needs to follow its approval and purchasing procedures, but you may be able to move from quote to purchase more quickly.
Veronica experienced that firsthand.
“I got thousands of dollars’ worth of cameras, and I don’t think I would have received them as quickly through a traditional bidding process. It probably would have taken 60 to 100 days. In this case, it took about a month from quote to shipping, and I had them within 30 days,” she recalls.
For a transportation executive, that difference matters when equipment is needed to support drivers, protect students or keep fleet projects on schedule.
Purchasing co-ops can help districts get fleet technology into service faster by shortening the path from quote to purchase.
4. Keep Procurement Records Organized
Procurement doesn’t end when equipment arrives. Districts also need documentation to support purchasing decisions, demonstrate compliance and respond to questions during an audit. Many cooperative purchasing organizations maintain records related to their contracts and solicitations. When questions arise, that documentation provides useful support for the district’s purchasing records. Veronica says the support is another reason she values co-op purchasing.
“If anything were to come back, [the purchasing co-op] will step in and give you everything that you need and help you. It makes purchasing easier and helps make the audit process quicker,” she explains.
Transportation leaders should still confirm that a particular purchasing cooperative contract satisfies their district’s procurement rules before making a purchase.
5. Evaluate the Right Equipment, Not Just the Lowest Bid
Price matters, but the lowest price doesn’t always represent the best value for an operation. Fleet equipment needs to be reliable, meet your operational requirements and provide the features your team needs. It should also be backed by dependable service and support.
Depending on the cooperative contract and your district’s requirements, cooperative purchasing provides access to vendors and products that have already gone through competitive solicitation. This gives transportation officials more flexibility to evaluate overall fit, rather than making price the sole consideration.
“Sometimes vendors undercut each other just to win the bid, and you don’t always get what you really need,” notes Veronica. “Cooperative contracts help ensure the vendor and solution are the right fit.”
Is a Purchasing Co-Op Right for Your Operation?
Start by collaborating with your purchasing team to understand which purchasing co-ops your district may use and what procurement requirements apply. Next, look at the contracts available through the programs. Do they include the fleet technology, equipment and services your operation needs? Are the contract terms appropriate for your district? Does the purchasing process meet your procurement goals? For Veronica, getting started with cooperative purchasing was relatively simple.
“Most co-ops are pretty easy to join. Typically, you just need to fill out an application. You don’t want to pay an application fee or anything like that. Fill out an application to become a member of their co-op purchasing and get approved that way,” she advises.
She also recommends working closely with your supplier to help reduce your team’s workload.
“In the long run, [REI] is doing the work for us, which is always good because we already have enough work to do.”
Let Your Supplier Help Simplify the Process Further
REI is listed as a contracted vendor with four nationally recognized cooperative purchasing programs, including TIPS-USA and PEPPM. See which programs may be available to your district and learn how co-op purchasing could simplify your next equipment purchase. Call 800.228.9275, send us a message or contact your REI sales representative.