A busy year for the NIGP Code

We at Periscope Holdings feel privileged to serve the public procurement community as custodians of the NIGP Code. As part of our efforts to provide the best product possible, we continue to invest in the NIGP Code. This 2009 Annual Report article provides a snapshot of our activities last year, including ongoing efforts and successes.

Among Periscope’s accomplishments in 2009 was to continue to provide customer support and coding services to NIGP Code subscribing customers, with 33 agencies added. New codes included 11 three-digit codes, 399 five-digit codes, 1,876 seven-digit codes and 5,148 eleven-digit codes.

We also launched “green” codes following a research effort that included a nationwide user work group.

Here is a sampling of our coding services and code consulting activities:

• Completed project for Metro Washington Airport Authority (Reagan and Dulles airports) inventory
• Completed project for Calcasieu Parish (La.) inventory
• Continued projects for city of Houston Comptroller and Texas Department of Transportation
• Completed NIGP Code and vendor management strategy consulting project for the state of Alabama

Marketing efforts in 2009 for the NIGP Code included the following:

• Launched www.nigp.com Web site, representing a significant investment in the brand. The new Web site includes new content, case studies and links for blog and Twitter feeds.
• Re-branded the NIGP Code via a new tradeshow booth and marketing one-pagers
• Launched the NIGP Code Twitter feed to allow rapid posting of news and information to the procurement community
• Launched an NIGP Code Wikipedia page

We attended the following five trade shows during 2009: NIGP Annual Forum, NPI, Arizona Regional NIGP Conference, State of Washington NIGP trade show and the state of Virginia NIGP conference. The NIGP Code essay contest awarded one scholarship to attend the 2009 NIGP Forum in St. Louis. The 2009 winner, Norma Hall, will receive a scholarship to attend the 2010 Annual Forum in San Antonio, Texas.

2009 educational efforts for the NIGP Code included the following:

• Webinars for potential and new customers of the NIGP Code
• NIGP Code Boot Camps to develop implementation approaches and train end-users regarding the NIGP Code

We look forward to continued success throughout 2010. For more information on the NIGP Code, please visit www.nigp.com.

About the author

John Walters is the president of NIGP Code Services at Periscope Holdings, the custodian of the NIGP Code on behalf of NIGP. He has been involved in public procurement since 1997 and has served as a consultant, trainer and speaker. Contact him at [email protected].