Inside Public Procurement: Heroic Stories from the Frontlines

Latest Episodes:

Embracing Continuous Improvement in Public Procurement Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

If there’s one piece of advice Marla Bossons has for public procurement professionals it’s never get too comfortable.

The philosophy has served her well over two decades working in the public sector for the District of North Cowichan. In fact, it’s what kickstarted her career in procurement in the first place.

In this episode, Marla sits down with Bonfire host Tuong La to chat about how her commitment to improving processes and delivering value to her community led her deeper into the world of public procurement — and how that same growth mindset fuels her work today.

We discuss:

Disrupting the stereotype of procurement as an “administrative cog”
Driving efficiency gains with eProcurement
Evolving from tactical to strategic partners
The fine balance between accountability and efficiency
Why “doing things the way they've always been done” will never do

You can find this interview, and many more, by subscribing to Inside Public Procurement on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or gobonfire.com/podcast.

Listening on a desktop and can’t see the links? Just search for Inside Public Procurement in your favorite podcast player.

Meeting the Needs of Your End Users Starts with Customer Service Feb 01, 2022

Show notes

When you’re sitting in the office running bids and updating your playbook, it’s easy to forget about the end user.

Today’s guest, Adam Stearns, Director of Purchasing at Magnolia ISD, always has his end users in mind: the students in his district. Adam talks with us about how his award-winning department — which grew from one to seven team members in the 20 months since it was founded — keeps customer service at the forefront.

Join us as we discuss:

What it was like for Adam to switch to procurement from the public sector
The importance of focusing on your customers and end users
How to thrive off of stakeholder feedback
The search for new ways to utilize technology

You can find this interview, and many more, by subscribing to Inside Public Procurement on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or gobonfire.com/podcast.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Inside Public Procurement in your favorite podcast player.

The Past, Present, and Future of Public Procurement Jan 18, 2022

Show notes

What does 25 years in procurement teach you? Maybe the better question is, what doesn’t it?

Just ask Carrie Roberts, Director of Procurement at Atlanta Public Schools. With more than two decades in purchasing-related roles, she’s guided agencies through major transformation, earned multiple procurement certifications, and achieved national recognition from her peers. While it may be true, as Carrie says, that “little children don't dress up as purchasing agents for Halloween,” it’s safe to say she’s carved out an impressive career.

Through it all, she’s seen the profession evolve, processes change, and public purchasing come into its own. In this episode, she sits down with Bonfire CEO Omar Salaymeh to discuss the past, present and future of procurement, including:

Learning the ropes with some of the country’s strictest procurement laws
The trouble with being “the department of no” and how to get a seat at the table
Generational shifts and the evolution of procurement as a profession
Navigating the eProcurement learning curve and why she’ll never go back

You can find this interview, and many more, by subscribing to Inside Public Procurement on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or gobonfire.com/podcast.

Listening on a desktop and can’t see the links? Just search for Inside Public Procurement in your favorite podcast player.

A Deep Dive into Supplier Diversity Jan 04, 2022

Show notes

Supplier diversity is a hot topic right now, seemingly born of the current cultural moment, which is why it may surprise you to learn that it was actually established in 1969 by Richard Nixon as a result of the civil rights movement.

In today’s episode, Sheena Fain, Contract Compliance and Supplier Diversity Officer at City of Akron, explains the roots of supplier diversity and how procurement professionals can invest in it today.

We discuss:

The history of the supplier diversity role
Who should be considered a diverse supplier
How you can support diverse suppliers
How DEI leads to supplier diversity
The steps for starting a supplier diversity program

You can find this interview, and many more, by subscribing to Inside Public Procurement on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or gobonfire.com/podcast.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Inside Public Procurement in your favorite podcast player.

What's Next for Procurement Teams in 2022? Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

As we round the corner into 2022, procurement professionals are facing all the uncertainty of a post-pandemic world. How can you prepare to navigate the new priorities and challenges coming your way?

In this recording of our live session at the recent NIGP annual forum, we dive into Bonfire’s 2021 State of Public Sourcing Report to discuss how your peers are tackling shifting procurement priorities and challenges right now.

Hear lively conversation and thought-provoking ideas from our three expert panelists:

Michael Brinton, Assistant Director, Contract Compliance Manager, Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Jennifer Frates, Chief Procurement Officer, Barnstable County
Omar Salaymeh, CEO, Bonfire

Together, we break down the major findings from the report and explore how public procurement opportunities and challenges evolved alongside the pandemic, impacting everything from project volumes to eProcurement adoption.

Michael, Jennifer, and Omar share real talk about what they see coming next for public procurement processes, strategies, challenges and priorities in 2022 — and how you can be ready.

You can find this interview, and many more, by subscribing to Inside Public Procurement on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or gobonfire.com/podcast.

Listening on a desktop and can’t see the links? Just search for Inside Public Procurement in your favorite podcast player.

Settling the Great Debate Over Vendor-Paid eProcurement Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

Who should cover the cost of eProcurement? The suppliers who benefit from an easy, convenient online service or the buyers seeking the best vendor for the job?

If you’re rethinking your procurement process, you know the best way forward isn’t exactly clear cut.

In this episode, Craig Milley, founder and Principal Consultant at Wayfinder Consulting, tackles the debate around vendor-paid eProcurement head-on.

We explore both sides of the issue and Craig shares insights from his time working with the City of Lethbridge, Cayman Islands government, and other organizations to improve procurement processes and results.

We discuss:

Making tough decisions about who should pay for eProcurement
Negotiating the risks of a vendor paywall
Strengthening (and repairing) vendor relationships through eProcurement
Improving processes to keep stakeholders engaged and satisfied
Choosing the right procurement technology with Craig’s “Amazon test”

Reach out to Craig at wayfinder@telus.net

You can find this interview, and many more, by subscribing to Inside Public Procurement on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or gobonfire.com/podcast.

Listening on a desktop and can’t see the links? Just search for Inside Public Procurement in your favorite podcast player.

What Public Procurement Can Learn From the Private Sector Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

You might think the world of private procurement differs greatly from the world of public procurement.

But you’d be surprised to learn that there are far more similarities than there are differences. In fact, there are tons of lessons that public procurement can learn from the private sector.

That’s according to Jeff Houtz, Founder and Principal at Constructing Supply Change LLC, who joins the show to explain how private and public procurement compare and what they can learn from each other.

Topics covered:

Strategies for evaluating proposals that go beyond price and lead time
How each approaches established project bidders lists
The universal value of ethics and fairness
Building a bridge between public and private procurement

You can find this interview, and many more, by subscribing to Inside Public Procurement on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or gobonfire.com/podcast.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Inside Public Procurement in your favorite podcast player.

Why You Should Care About Supply Chain Management Oct 26, 2021

Show notes

Unless you’ve been in a coma for the last 2 years, you’ve probably heard a lot more about the supply chain in that time than, well, ever.

The pandemic has woken up the world to the importance of supply chain management.

But for organizations eager to prevent their supply chain from ever succumbing to weak links again it can be a daunting proposition.

Have no fear, today’s guest, Kristina Farrell, Team Lead, Contracting & Procurement Services & Document Management at WCB Alberta, will help you get off on the right foot. A supply chain management guru, Kristina joins the show to share the secrets you need to know.

In this episode, we discuss:

How the pandemic woke people up to the importance of supply chain management
How to approach strategic transformation in your industry
How to approach procurement ethics

You can find this interview, and many more, by subscribing to Inside Public Procurement on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or gobonfire.com/podcast.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Inside Public Procurement in your favorite podcast player.

Making Your Job Easier with eProcurement and Contract Management Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

Going through daily procurement processes can be a slog. Time-consuming tasks bog you down and often prevent you from spending time on the more impactful items on your to do list.

With procurement technology, those challenges can be a thing of the past.

Tyler Liu, Strategic Sourcing Services Manager at ICBC (Insurance Corporation of British Columbia), explains how procurement software has streamlined processes in his department and allowed him to focus on the important pieces of the RFP process.

We discuss:

The benefits of eProcurement
Running an efficient RFP process
Managing multiple procurements
The two components of contract management
The importance of training

Reach out to Tyler at tyler.liu@icbc.com.

You can find this interview, and many more, by subscribing to Inside Public Procurement on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or gobonfire.com/podcast.

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Inside Public Procurement in your favorite podcast player.

Empathy: The Secret Sauce for Maintaining Compliance Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

One of the hardest jobs of a procurement professional is navigating a complex network of stakeholders and getting their buy-in. Particularly challenging is a stakeholder who views procurement simply as a roadblock to doing their job effectively.

How can you overcome this challenge?

Peggy Ferrin, Procurement Coordinator in the Town of Paradise Valley, joins the show to share how empathy can help you win over stakeholders and improve compliance across the board.

We discuss: