Inside Public Procurement: Heroic Stories from the Frontlines

Sourcing with Heart: Connecting Purpose and Strategy in Nonprofit Procurement Aug 22, 2023

Every year, around 3.6 million kids get opportunities to pursue their dreams with the support of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. That incredible impact takes the work of hundreds of thousands of people in more than 5,000 club locations across the country.

Among them, hustling behind the scenes at the national office, is BGCA’s hard-working procurement team led by Director of Procurement, Chris Burton. From large federal grants to generous private donations, every dollar that passes through the BGCA national office is strategically allocated by his team to ensure each club has the resources it needs.

It’s a massive responsibility to bear. But it’s also a big part of what keeps Chris and his team improving processes, strengthening relationships, and striving to be their best every day.

In this episode of Inside Public Procurement, Bonfire host Maria Volakhava sits down with Chris and his colleague Jordan Rodges for a journey into the world of purpose-driven nonprofit procurement.

The pair share their firsthand experience managing procurement at one of America’s top youth organizations—diving into these hot topics, and more:

● What makes nonprofit procurement unique

● The biggest challenges that nonprofit procurement teams face

● How BGCA navigates challenges like vendor diversity, complex contracts, and financial planning

● Managing the ebbs and flows of nonprofit budgets

● Strategies for measuring procurement’s cost-saving successes

Enjoy the show! And don’t forget to connect with Chris and Jordan on LinkedIn.

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.

Procurement’s Important Role in Grants Funding Jul 05, 2023

Procurement departments know that federal grants play an important part in achieving their community goals. The good news is that there’s never been more funding to go around. The bad news? Making sure all that money gets to the right places-and stays there-requires a lot of work in the form of reporting and compliance, and the rules are always changing.

In this week’s episode, we invite you to listen in on a roundtable discussion at the 2023 NIGP Forum, where Stephen Cook from Bonfire, a Euna Solutions brand, sits down with Sherry Weir (partner at Kearney & Company) and Andrew Janos (Director of Procurement and Material Management for Fairfax County) to discuss how you can help your organization stay accountable.

Hear about:

The importance of understanding grant requirements
The journey of a federal grant, from “pre-award” to “post-award”
The difference between a subrecipient and a contractor
How to optimize your grant compliance

Plus much more!

Strategically Solving the Staffing & Capacity Puzzle Jun 20, 2023

A “one-size-fits-all" solution is not something that applies to the procurement capacity puzzle, as so many factors can influence how your team handles projects: staffing, process, demand, technology, etc. It’s a tough conundrum but it is solvable.

Our guest on this episode of Inside Public Procurement, Danny “Rockstar” Mays, Director of Procurement at Maryland Judiciary, chats with Euna’s Ian Roberts about how you can start creating solutions to these multi-faceted challenges.

They talk about:

Why the phrase “do more with less” should be retired
Procurement’s secret advantage for bringing in new talent
How becoming a strategic partner to your customers improves capacity, among other things
The marriage of the procurement and grants offices

And so much more!

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.

Compliance and Reporting: Grants and Beyond Jun 06, 2023

In the day-to-day of public procurement, things like sound recordkeeping or rigorous compliance checks can often get lost in the shuffle.

Now, with so much grant funding coming to fruition, a lot of heavy reporting requirements are coming with it. If the thought of adhering to these regulations makes you sweat, this episode can help!

This episode of Inside Public Procurement listens in on a webinar we held with the California Association of Public Procurement Officials (CAPPO). Jen Riddell from Bonfire, a Euna Solutions brand, and Cliff Chroust from Ventura County, CA took a deep dive into reporting and compliance for grant funding—and how to turn these practices into standard operating procedures in your organization.

Listen to the full episode to learn more about:

Education and standardization of policies and procedures
Why you should take the time to create ironclad digital document storage
The benefits of digital evaluations
Increasing stakeholder engagement and accountability
How to keep up with changing reporting, compliance, and best practices

And so much more.

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.

Sustainable Procurement: From Buzzword to Action May 23, 2023

Sustainability is not the buzz word it once was. Nowadays, it’s a tangible initiative. The private sector has been increasingly pushing sustainability in their procurement over the past few years, and it’s now starting to take hold in the public space.

The idea of sustainable procurement has been around for a while, but it’s important to point out that the definition has changed a little bit. It’s not just about environmental sustainability anymore; it brings in the social aspect as well. Supplier diversity and other diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are hugely important to impactful sustainable procurement.

This seems like a huge project to take on—and it is. However, it’s important to lean on your peers, start small, and really determine what sustainability means to you and your organization. Our guests on this episode say the key is mindfulness—being conscious of what you’re buying, why, and where it’s coming from.

We had the pleasure of chatting with two sustainable procurement champions from the Ontario College Procurement Managers Association (OCPMA). Carol Izzio, Director of Procurement at Sheridan College, and Christine McParland, Director of Residence & Ancillary Services at St. Lawrence College, have been in the trenches of creating sustainable procurement policies and procedures. There’s a lot of experience between them, and they have so much wisdom to give anyone interested in starting their own initiatives.

Tune in to hear more about:

The importance of planning and incremental progress
Busting old school misconceptions about sustainability
Being more mindful in your purchasing
Ways to get started on your sustainability policies
The importance of procurement visibility in these initiatives

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.

Identifying Procurement Tech Need and Readiness Apr 25, 2023

The crusade against paper-based processes is still very prevalent in some cases—and when you think about digital transformation, that’s most likely what comes to mind—but it’s a lot deeper than that. Digital transformation encompasses a lot of the moving parts needed to be efficient, effective, and scalable as a procurement department in a modern digital landscape.

On this episode of Inside Public Procurement, we sat down for a chat with Bonfire’s own Anthony Berry and Willow Stuart about their experiences working alongside public procurement teams all day, every day.

Listen in to hear more about:

What procurement tech is and the different functions it can support
The three tiers of procurement tech readiness and need
Solving the capacity conundrum and scalability
Your internal and external stakeholders’ role in choosing tools
A weird amount of food and lake-related metaphors

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.

Why Procurement Needs to be Less “Behind-the-Scenes" Apr 11, 2023

Procurement is the behind-the-scenes team keeping the show running for end users—whoever that may be in the public sector.

With so many little complexities allowing procurement to function as intended, engaging with your leadership, end users, and vendors makes the process so much smoother.

On this episode of Inside Public Procurement, we had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Dr. Avona McHoney, Contract Services Administrator for the Atlanta Public Schools’ Facility Services. We cover a lot in this discussion, but it all hinges on two themes: vendor relationships and procurement visibility.

We touch on:

How to strengthen your vendor relationships
Showing face in your organization and actively engaging with your end users
The importance of scheduling and time management for collaborative procurement
Effectively working as part of centralized procurement

And, perhaps most importantly, we answer the hotly debated question: is a hot dog a sandwich? Listen to the full conversation with Dr. Avona McHoney to hear her take on all of these topics and more.

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.

Secrets to Procurement Compliance and Internal Risk Management Mar 28, 2023

Compliance and internal risk management in procurement is tricky business. A lot can go wrong, landing your team—and sometimes your whole organization—in hot water.

We had the opportunity to host a panel discussion with four seasoned procurement pros during our OntarioTalk event, and they had a lot of great advice on the subject. While this discussion was intended for public procurement departments in Ontario, most of this advice applies to any and all public agencies.

In this episode, Bonfire’s Barb Lima moderates a conversation between:

Hend Salem, Manager of Strategic Sourcing - Non Clinical at The Ottawa Hospital
Carol Izzio, Director of Procurement at Sheridan College
Christine McParland, Director of Residence and Ancillary Services at St. Lawrence College
Luca Del Grosso, Manager of Procurement at Technical Standards and Safety Authority

Tune in as panelists give their take on creating clear and accessible policies and procedures, the importance of leadership support, how to approach internal client education, creating a system of checks and balances, and introducing sustainable procurement initiatives in the mix.

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.

How To Do More with Less in Procurement Mar 14, 2023

How many procurement pros cringe when they hear “do more with less”?

You’re far from alone. Tightening operations budgets, hiring challenges, tech struggles, lack of buy-in—these are all things stressing everyone in public procurement out.

We recently had the opportunity to get together with Bonfire clients at our Atlanta, Georgia User Meetup and talk about the concept of “do more with less”. Our panelists—Lynn Lewis, Procurement Team Lead for Henry County Public Schools and Arnita Watson, District Coordinating Supervisor - Purchasing at Clayton County Public Schools—had a lot to say about this.

From navigating the marriage of new tech and legacy systems, to implementing and enforcing best practices, to being strategic about workload distribution, we cover a lot in this chat.

Listen in to hear these seasoned public procurement veterans give their take on tackling these challenges for smoother outcomes.

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.

Teamwork Makes the (Procurement) Dream Work Feb 28, 2023

Public procurement is a team sport, and you know what a winning team prioritizes? Communication!

Even a small misunderstanding can mean costly errors and lost trust from everyone involved in a solicitation, so an emphasis on communication is key.

No matter who you’re speaking with—your internal requestor, evaluators, or vendors—making sure you’re communicating all expectations early on and quickly responding to questions can open up new opportunities and overcome a lot of common hurdles procurement pros face.

It adds an element of professional courtesy to help bolster relationships with the people you’re working with. Outlining expectations and doing a little research on the goods or services you’re purchasing shows you respect their time and are willing to work more collaboratively. All this goes a long way to ensuring everything is getting completed accurately and on schedule.

On this episode of Inside Public Procurement, we had the pleasure of chatting with Edward McAdoo, Senior Buyer for Sandy Springs, Georgia at Bonfire’s Atlanta User Meetup. Edward brings a unique perspective into how professionalism and communication have changed the game in his role—and why others should adopt a similar approach.

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.

Lowering the Barriers to Vendor Diversity in Bid Competition Feb 14, 2023

Over the past few years, we've seen more and more government agencies making vendor diversity a priority in their organizations. While the data we have reflects the steady climb in those initiatives, there are still barriers to driving bid competition with vendor diversity.

Tune in to hear Bonfire’s Mitchell Shim, in partnership with NIGP, take a deep dive into the finer details of how to create a thriving vendor diversity program. Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll hear:

Break down what vendor diversity really means in practical terms
Learn why vendor diversity is important to fostering healthy competition and vendor transparency
Discover the critical steps for launching a successful vendor diversity initiative
See how to bust down the barriers that prevent diverse suppliers from bidding on government contracts
Plus, listen in on a Q&A with procurement professionals just like you!

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.

Education: The Key to Collaboration Nov 22, 2022

Getting everyone on board with procurement is easier said than done.

All procurement pros face the stigma of “red tape” at one point or another even though we all know how vital the purchasing process is.

What’s the key here? This panel says: education, breaking silos, and good customer service.

Collaboration and education were hot topics at Bonfire’s User Meetup in Austin, TX. On this episode of Inside Public Procurement, listen in on a conversation between:

Melissa McCord, Senior Contract Administrator and Supervisor, Harris County
Edward Romero, Executive Director of Operations and Business Services, San Antonio Independent School District
Annie Collier, Executive Director of Contract and Procurement Services, Austin Independent School District.

Hear their take on improving relationships and educating internal clients, collaborating with other departments to create efficiencies, leveraging the knowledge and experience of other agencies, getting the best outcomes from cooperative purchasing, and so much more.

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.

Why Collaboration is a Procurement Superpower Nov 08, 2022

After a two-year hiatus we were finally able to get together in person with our amazing users at an Ontario Meetup. After the last few years of isolation, they had much to say about the importance of coming together to share ideas, celebrate successes and challenges, and problem solve together. And on this special mini episode of Inside Public Procurement, we’re bringing the highlights straight to you!

Tune in to hear from four procurement professionals on the power of collaborating with peers: Michael Alguire, Purchasing Manager, County of Gray; Bhavna Sharma, Procurement Specialist, Laurier University; Jan Oliver, Assistant Director, Strategic Sourcing, Procurement Services, York University; and Tony De Sciscio, Manager, Procurement and Contracts, Toronto Public Library.

Here are some highlights from the session:

· Why it’s so important to make space for procurement professionals to share their experiences

· How insight sharing breaks down silos

· Why a culture of collaboration benefits both procurement teams and the clients they serve

· Bonus: Each panelist shares their favourite sticky takeaway from the event!

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.

Innovating for Impact in Public Procurement Oct 25, 2022

The transformative powers of technology on procurement is something we’ll talk about until we’re blue in the face—but hearing from the people who are reaping the benefits really puts it into perspective.

On this episode of Inside Public Procurement, enjoy the recording from the case study session we hosted at the NIGP Annual Forum back in August titled “Innovation for Impact”.

We sat down with Cheri Estrada, Director of Purchasing at Tacoma School District; Brenda Byers-Banks, Procurement and Contract Specialist at North Carolina State University; Adam Stearns, Director of Purchasing at Magnolia ISD; and Glenn O’Steen, Manager, Procurement at Columbia County, Georgia.

Listen in as panelists discuss how tech impacts:

Vendor service, diversity, and engagement
RFP creation and collaboration
Evaluations
Client service
Cost savings

And much more. Sit back, enjoy, and learn how you can use tech to see similar benefits.

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.

Paving the Way for Cooperative Purchasing Oct 11, 2022

Public procurement pros are the champions of creating positive, impactful change.

Every now and again, take a step back and appreciate the ways procurement has real power to make a difference not just for your team and organization, but your community and peers, too.

For Ada County, Idaho, that meant creating a procurement environment that empowered agility, mobility, and a better vendor experience. But, as if creating big internal changes wasn’t enough, Bob Perkins, Ada County’s Procurement Director, led the charge to tackle outdated legislation and introduce a new state bill that benefits all Idaho public agencies through cooperative purchasing.

Cooperative purchasing in public procurement can make a world of difference—especially for smaller agencies. The little guys gain more purchasing power and all participating agencies can breeze through procurement since all the heavy lifting is already done. For everyone, it means negotiating lower prices and gaining the ability to be more frugal with taxpayer funds.

On this episode of Inside Public Procurement, we sit down with Bob to talk about being the driving force behind switching to paperless procurement and creating a bill that would allow Idaho public agencies to leverage cooperative contracts. We also discuss how both he and his team at Ada County are always working to improve their processes, create a better experience for vendors, and advocate for cooperative purchasing.

Have questions? Reach out to Bob at bperkins@adacounty.id.gov

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.

Becoming Your Agency's Trusted Advisor Sep 27, 2022

How often have you heard procurement described as the “department of no”?

To your internal clients—who want their goods and services purchased yesterday—the systems and processes you’ve put in place to ensure a fair and transparent process sometimes just look like red tape.

But forward-thinking purchasing teams, like the one at San Bernardino County, are changing the narrative.

In this episode, we sat down with Michelle Churchill and Bruce Cole, Supervising Buyers at San Bernardino County.

At over 20,000 employees, Michelle and Bruce serve a huge internal client base. And they’ve made it their mission to shift their agency’s perspective of procurement, once seen as a roadblock, now established as a trusted and strategic advisor to their organization.

In our conversion, hosted in-person at this year’s NIGP Forum in Boston, Bruce and Michelle tackle topics such as:

How manual errors and RFP addenda eroded trust with internal clients and vendors
How procurement technology has freed up the purchasing team’s time to get out of the weeds and think more strategically
The importance of user-friendly software to ensure buy-in from evaluators and vendors

Connect with Bruce at bcole@pur.sbcounty.gov and Michelle at Michelle.Churchill@pur.sbcounty.gov.

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.

The Power of Community in Procurement Sep 13, 2022

Have you ever met someone who grew up wanting to go into public procurement? When all of their friends were dressing up as doctors and firefighters for Halloween, they came as a purchasing agent? Us neither.

Hardly anyone actively seeks a job in public procurement; you just kinda fall into it.

So whether someone is coming to the procurement department from finance, public works, planning, or even fresh from school, the field of public purchasing can be a bit overwhelming to say the least. Procurement is a whole new, scary world complete with a new language, processes, rules, and tools. What’s a newbie to do?

One thing that public procurement doesn’t get enough credit for is how friendly and helpful the community is. Procurement pros are always ready to share their knowledge, experience, and advice to help others.

For Keith Allen, Senior Buyer at Jackson County, Missouri, leaning on a mentor and his peers has been one of the most crucial parts to him finding his rhythm in public procurement.

Not only that, as a fresh mind in the department, Keith identified a lot of opportunities and helped the County ditch dozens of drawers of paper records, among other innovations.

Keith sat down with us at the NIGP Annual Forum in Boston to talk us through his transition into procurement from finance, advice for new procurement pros, the power of new perspectives, and the best way to make seafood pasta.

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.

Leading the Digital Transformation Charge Aug 30, 2022

New technology can be scary to a lot of people which is why digital transformation can be a huge deal in an organization—especially in public sector agencies where tech is notoriously lagging.

Leading a new software implementation doesn’t start with technical things, it starts with the very human elements. Getting people on board with change is one of the hardest parts of the implementation process and involving your team in the transition right from the beginning is a winning strategy.

On this episode of Inside Public Procurement, we sat down to chat with Kyle Jurgens, Category Specialist in procurement at the University of Saskatchewan. Kyle received the Leadership award—nominated by multiple colleagues—in this year’s Bonfire Procurement Awards after successfully leading the implementation of eProcurement at USask.

Kyle shares his wisdom on leading change in your organization, what engaging stakeholders and obtaining buy-in looks like, and why procurement digital transformation is a team sport.

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.

Unlocking Your Procurement Superpowers Aug 16, 2022

What do public procurement professionals and superheroes have in common? More than you’d think.

While we don’t know many procurement pros with super strength or laser vision, we do know a ton who are the driving force behind their agencies and their communities.

Every year, we at Bonfire dig through our databases and gather third-party information to create the State of Public Sourcing report. This report uncovers emerging priorities and trends as well as how outside factors are influencing the current reality of public procurement teams.

The 2022 report is here and we are blown away by the heroic efforts in the face of huge increases in project volumes and tighter human resources—among other challenges. Through analyzing data from nearly 500 public agencies, we identified five key areas that procurement pros like you are flexing your superpowers:

Vendor Diversity
Collaboration
Client Service
Digitization
Cost Savings

On this episode of Inside Public Procurement, we sit down with our very own Emily Lambert, Manager of Content Marketing at Bonfire and the force behind the State of Public Sourcing report.

Emily walks us through the findings of the report and what they mean for the future of public procurement, how to leverage these insights to unlock your own superpowers, and why you should embrace the community of your peers and their experiences.

Get your free digital copy of this report at gobonfire.com/super-sourcing.

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.

Getting Your Procurement Process Audit-Ready Jul 19, 2022

The mere mention of the word “audit” can cause the collective palms of public procurement to sweat. The reality is, audits are stressful and it’s not a question of if you’ll get audited, but when.

Since there’s so much money that flows through public procurement, it’s high on the auditor’s list of risky activities. With a lot of hands in the pot, external pressures, and an increased chance of mistakes and fraud, it’s no wonder public procurement is under such tight scrutiny.

So, when the auditor inevitably comes knocking, are you prepared?

Mark Funkhouser, President of Funkhouser and Associates and Former Mayor of Kansas City, works with public agencies to improve many aspects of their operations. With an auditing background, Mark has unique insight into what triggers a procurement audit and how to prepare for and prevent a lot of common mistakes or oversights that can land you in hot water.

In this episode of Inside Public Procurement, Mark talks to Bonfire’s Director of Client Experience Rachel Friesen about the importance of creating a system of checks and balances for your procurement processes, red flags auditors look for when conducting a procurement audit, why thorough staff training is a vital part of audit-proofing your procurement, and how to plan ahead and mitigate risks before they become a problem.

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.

Why Vendor Diversity is a Smart Business Strategy Jul 05, 2022

How can we build more relationships with small, diverse and historically underutilized organizations? It’s a question many procurement teams are acting on as they realize that supplier diversity isn’t just a social responsibility — it’s a smart business strategy.

Whether you’re launching a vendor diversity program, already have one, or don’t know where to start, this is one episode you don’t want to miss.

In a pre-recorded session with Robert Tatum of the Cayman Islands Government and Sheena Fain of the City of Akron, in conversation with Bonfire’s Director of Client Experience, Rachel Friesen, you’ll discover how both procurement pros launched their own small supplier programs and what they learned along the way, including how to:

Eliminate barriers to entry for small and diverse suppliers
Create a process that gives more time back to small business owners (and why that’s the most important currency of all)
Educate internal stakeholders about vendor diversity
Conduct outreach that builds trust and taps into the small supplier ecosystem
Get feedback that helps you move the needle on the things small suppliers care about
Use Bonfire to support your vendor diversity efforts

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.

Busting the Myth of the "Boring Procurement Job" Jun 21, 2022

Purpose and priorities. They’re two things employees got serious about during the pandemic. Millions walked away from jobs that didn’t reflect their core values and, as the Great Resignation grinds on, employers are still feeling the pinch — procurement included.

With a growing appetite for purpose-driven work — and so many myths about careers in procurement — how can under-resourced teams attract the best talent?

According to Chris Sheel, Manager of Procurement for the City of Vernon, public procurement has exactly what it takes to win the war. In this episode he sits down with Bonfire CEO Omar Salaymeh for some real talk on the state of recruitment in public sector procurement today.

Chris and Omar discuss:

The power of core values in public procurement
How organizations can attract purpose-driven talent
Why the public sector is uniquely positioned to compete for millennial and Gen Z hearts and minds
How procurement can meet the needs of internal clients and employees
The secret to engaged and empathetic leadership
How eProcurement supports your recruitment strategy

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn.

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.

Leveraging ARPA to Transform Your Community Jun 07, 2022

If you’re responsible for managing and allocating federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), you know it’s an incredible opportunity for communities — and also a massive burden for under-resourced procurement departments.

Between the funding structure, the timelines, and the stringent reporting requirements attached to the money, there’s a lot to juggle. And yet, our latest guests say there are plenty of worthwhile reasons to leverage ARPA funding.

Joel Neaveill and Ken Hillebrand of the Louisville Metro Government have each played a key role in managing Louisville’s $388 million in ARPA funding over the last year. In this previously recorded session, they sit down with Bonfire host Anthony Berry to share some firsthand advice and answer all your questions about ARPA, including:

Understanding the funding and how it works
Assembling the right team
Accessing and managing the money effectively
Using ARPA funds to support strategic goals
Preparing for the great project flood
Meeting compliance and reporting requirements

Connect with Joel and Ken on LinkedIn.

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.

Why You Need Strong Vendor Relationships—and How to Build Them May 24, 2022

“You can’t make a sandwich without going to the grocery store,” says Latanya Figueroa. And if you want it to be especially delicious, you need to know where to find the best ingredients.

That’s something procurement professionals do really well. And while sandwiches may be low on their priority list, collectively, public procurement teams source hundreds of thousands of goods and services for their communities. Finding solutions that deliver the best value for taxpayers takes a special set of skills — and chief among them is relationship building.

In this episode, Latanya, who is the Purchasing Manager at Clover Park School District, joins Bonfire host Tuong La to share her philosophy on vendor partnerships — why they matter and how to build stronger relationships with the businesses that help keep your organization running.

Drawing on 25 years of experience in procurement, Latanya dives into these topics and more:

Why strong partnerships matter
How getting aligned on mission helps both sides be successful
Strategies for staying open and improving communication
The impact of vendor relationships on risk management, pricing, quality, support and transparency

Connect with Latanya on LinkedIn.

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.

The Value of Procurement That Thinks Outside the Box May 10, 2022

Every day at University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto, some of the most innovative patient care and health research in the world happens. While researchers and clinicians make history, procurement professionals work tirelessly behind the scenes to make it all possible.

Juli Smyth, Senior Strategic Sourcing Specialist at UHN, is one of those people. Her innovative approach to procurement supports cutting-edge healthcare and research — and that’s no easy feat in a space that tends to play it safe.

In this episode of Inside Public Procurement, she joins Bonfire host Tuong La for a deep dive into some of the initiatives she’s spearheaded at UHN, from the use of integrated project delivery (IPD) contract formats to competitive dialogue (CD) with vendors in the procurement process.

Given the challenges of the last two years, Juli also shares the highs and lows of healthcare procurement during the pandemic – including the surprising power of the cold call and the generosity that keeps her going.

Connect with Juli on LinkedIn.

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.

Fostering Internal Collaboration and Public Trust in Procurement Apr 26, 2022

A tale as old as time in public agencies: stunted communication between departments, barriers to collaboration, and a lack of transparency.

When it comes to being a part of decisions, the procurement department doesn’t always get a seat at the table. Being left out of those conversations can have a chain reaction of consequences both internally and externally. This coupled with lagging technology can really throw a wrench in dreams of a collaborative, efficient, and transparent public purchasing process.

For Boyd Donavon, Assistant Purchasing Agent for the County of Ventura, being involved in purchasing decisions and planning means more job satisfaction for his peers, open lines of communication with other departments, and building public trust through open and transparent processes.

As a centerpiece to all of these topics, Boyd champions digital transformation in government agencies and sheds light on the County’s efforts to move to eProcurement in 2019, how that affected them during the pandemic, and why others should make the switch.

In this episode of Inside Public Procurement, listen in on this conversation between Boyd and Bonfire CEO Omar Salaymeh and hear about all of these topics—plus how the County of Ventura’s procurement department became heroes during the pandemic.

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.

Advancing Health Research with eProcurement Apr 12, 2022

We’ve learned a lot over the last two years: for one, that responding to a global public health crisis depends on strong strategic sourcing partners; and on the flipside, that supporting urgent, high-impact projects is next to impossible with a procurement process that lives in filing cabinets and email inboxes.

Procurement teams have had to ask some tough questions and strategize about how to respond faster and stronger to the next big challenge.

In this episode of Inside Public Procurement, we’re bringing you a recorded webinar featuring the story of UT Health San Antonio, a leading research university in South Texas.

Even before the pandemic, UT Health San Antonio knew their ability to deliver valuable real-world solutions would be hampered by old approaches to sourcing and purchasing. Training future generations of healthcare professionals and driving breakthroughs in healthcare would require a strong procurement strategy.

Strategic Sourcing Specialist Christopher C. Januszewski describes the journey to implement a digital procurement system and build a strategic sourcing department from the ground up. You’ll learn how eProcurement helped centralize and streamline sourcing for the busy research university—and how it can help your organization do the same.

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.

Why Being Resourceful is Procurement’s Hidden Superpower Mar 29, 2022

Every profession has its superpowers and public procurement has more than a few. But there’s one hidden talent that’s especially handy: being resourceful.

It’s part of the reason Gary O. Chavez, Bureau Chief, Chief Procurement Officer in the Human Services Department at the State of New Mexico, has found so much success in his career. 17 years ago, he transitioned from a career in education to what he calls a “second life” in public procurement. In just a few years, he climbed a steep learning curve to head up procurement for the second-largest agency in the State of New Mexico.

In this conversation with Bonfire host Rachel Friesen, Gary shares his advice for early career professionals on how to use curiosity, learning, and resourcefulness to succeed in public procurement. And he lets us in on a little secret: true success in procurement isn’t about knowing everything, but knowing where to find it.

Get in touch with Gary at garyo.chavez@state.nm.us

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.

The Secret to Fast, Efficient RFP Creation Mar 15, 2022

You’ve seen it happen time and again. Procurement is brought into a project too late. And the timeline is all but impossible. You drop everything to address urgent needs, compromising other project timelines in the process. But more one-off requests keep coming up. Now multiple internal clients, projects, and constituents are negatively impacted, and your team is overburdened by the impossible task of keeping everyone happy. It’s unsustainable and ineffective. So how do you break the cycle?

In this episode, we invite Tony De Sciscio, Manager of Procurement and Contracts for the Toronto Public Library, onto the podcast to find out.

Tony shares how North America’s largest library system nails the art of fast, efficient project planning and RFP creation that delivers value to the community. At TPL, a mix of strategic and collaborative tools and processes help the procurement team work with hundreds of internal clients to meet the needs of constituents across the city.

Our conversation connects to some of the big themes we’re exploring in our brand-new eBook, The Procurement Manager’s Guide to Rapid RFP Creation, including:

The trickle-down effect of poor project planning
Mitigating stops and starts that compromise project timelines
How to improve intake processes
Finding efficiencies during RFP creation
Using procurement data to make better business decisions

Connect with Tony at tdesciscio@tpl.ca

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.

How Collaboration Fuels Small-But-Mighty Procurement Teams Mar 01, 2022

Strategic procurement has the power to radically transform an organization — especially, says Sandra Nelson, when it involves rubbing elbows with the competition.

As Director of Strategic Procurement at Carleton University and Chair of the Ontario University Professional Procurement Management Association (OUPPMA), Sandra has led impressive strategic transformation initiatives in her organizations.

Through it all, working hand-in-hand with other Ontario universities has been a major strategic advantage, helping her team drive value, purpose, and impact — even with limited resources.

On the podcast, Sandra joins Bonfire host Tuong La to talk strategic transformation and collaboration. Why is it important in procurement? What does it mean to be a good strategist? And how can collaboration supercharge your strategic power?

We dive into these topics and more:

Making the strategic shift from purchasing to procurement
How to plan for an uncertain future
The strategic advantage of co-opetition
OUPPMA’s model for working together and raising the profile of 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 and can’t see the links? Just search for Inside Public Procurement in your favorite podcast player.

Embracing Continuous Improvement in Public Procurement Feb 15, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

Making the transition from school districts to municipalities
Why compliance is so important
Navigating stakeholders and getting buy-in
How eProcurement has been game-changing in their purchasing decisions

Reach out to Peggy at pferrin@paradisevalleyaz.gov.

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.

Balancing Creativity and Compliance in Procurement Sep 14, 2021

Creativity in procurement — to some, it might not sound attainable.

After all, there are strict sets of rules and regulations that guide public procurement practices, and as a buyer, you don’t want to be responsible for your agency becoming the subject of a news headline.

But Darren Tompkins, Manager of Purchasing at City of Kelowna, believes that creativity is integral to maximizing the effectiveness of procurement. Creative thinking in procurement doesn’t need to come at the expense of compliance; in fact, it’s crucial to attaining the outcomes you’re trying to achieve.

We discuss:

How to get the most out of procurement
Bringing more creativity to the industry
Leveraging feedback loops with bidders
Social procurement

Want to connect with Darren on the topics covered on this episode of Inside Public Procurement? Email him at dtompkins@kelowna.ca.

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.

Optimizing Public Procurement Through Collaboration Aug 31, 2021

The public procurement landscape can be very fragmented. Different departments and divisions use different processes and different systems. In short, everyone has their own way of doing things.

In this episode, Carol Izzio, Director of Procurement at Sheridan College, explains why sharing best practices and collaborating is the best way to improve public procurement for the future.

We discuss:

- Why optimization matters

- How technology can support public procurement

- Why sustainable procurement needs to evolve

Reach out to Carol at carol.izzio1@sheridancollege.ca.

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 Welcoming Innovation is Key to Procurement Success Aug 17, 2021

Business as usual just doesn’t cut it anymore. With so much change happening around us, new ideas, tools, and processes are needed to improve the procurement industry.

Amanda Burton, Contract Buyer at Utah Transit Authority, joins the show to share her thoughts on how innovation can move the industry forward.

Topics covered in this episode:

- The impacts of COVID on supply availability

- How innovation powers procurement

- Bridging the generational gap between procurement professionals

- The double-edged sword of transparency

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.

Driving Efficiency (And Impact) with Cooperative Bids Aug 03, 2021

In public procurement, spending taxpayer money responsibly is incredibly important. Cooperative bids, or coops, are a great way to accomplish that. But how do you show the value of the procurement strategy you have in place? That’s where transparent reporting comes in.

In this episode, we’re joined by Jennifer Frates who is the Chief Procurement Officer for Barnstable County and the President of Cape Cod Association of Public Procurement Officials (CCAPPO). She talks about the benefits of transparency and cooperative purchasing.

We discuss:

- The importance of transparency

- The benefits of cooperative bids

- Why the public sector should take better advantage of technology

Reach out to Jennifer at purchasing@barnstablecounty.org

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 Internal Customer Service Matters in Procurement Jul 19, 2021

Compliance or customer service?

That’s the age-old question in public procurement, right? Well, it shouldn’t be. Compliance is a given...

Customer service is how you win, long-term, in procurement.

Just ask Aaron Howell, Vice President for Finance / Chief Financial Officer at Kennesaw State University. Our inaugural guest joins the show to discuss the importance of internal customer service for procurement departments.

In this episode, we discuss:

- Why you need both compliance and customer service

- The downfalls of an absent customer service

- How to build important relationships within your organization

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

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

Introducing Inside Public Procurement Jul 19, 2021

In this introductory episode, Jordan Alford, Producer at Sweetfish Media, chats with Rachel Friesen, host of the show and a leader on the Client Experience team at Bonfire Interactive, about creating a space for procurement professionals to learn and share knowledge.

What we talked about:

- How Bonfire Interactive supports government agencies through their purchasing goals

- Equipping all procurement professionals with best practices to support their agency and community

- Topics that will be discussed in the show

We’re looking for guests to feature on the podcast! If you’re interested — and you work in public procurement — reach out to us at gobonfire.com/contact and indicate your interest.

Hear more insights from the public procurement community by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find podcasts.

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

Procurement: Creating a Culture of Cross-generational Collaboration Jul 19, 2021

Joanna Hunt says it best: procurement is sexy. Especially when your procurement priorities are in order.

Joanna is a Retail Buyer & Customer Experience Professional at Central Washington University. In the latest episode of Inside Public Procurement, she breaks down the fun side of procurement and shares her wisdom with the next generation of procurement specialists.

What we talked about:

- The generational gap in supply chain management

- The difficulty and importance of asking questions

- The gritty fundamentals of procurement

- Collaboration, competition, and socially conscious sourcing

- Using historical data to inform innovation

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- Joanna’s LinkedIn profile

- CWU’s website

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

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