Embracing Technology: How Epping, NH Revolutionized Its Purchasing Process

The Town of Epping, nestled in the scenic heart of New Hampshire, is home to a vibrant community of 7,100 residents. Known for its quaint charm and strong sense of community, the town is managed under the dedicated leadership of Town Administrator Jake Rogers. Since taking on the role in June 2023, Rogers has been committed to overseeing the efficient operation of the town’s government. However, he quickly identified a major hurdle: the town’s procurement process was hampering his team’s productivity and efficiency.

The Challenge: Limited Resources, Lengthy Research, and Cumbersome RFP Process

The Town of Epping faced a significant challenge in streamlining its procurement operations due to the intricate and heavily regulated nature of government purchasing. The small team is tasked with managing a wide range of responsibilities, including overseeing the purchasing budget, soliciting and evaluating bids, addressing supplier queries, finalizing purchases, and handling payments. With such a broad scope of duties and limited resources, the team struggled to keep up with the demands of the procurement process.

“Securing three quotes for our purchases poses a significant challenge. The limited availability of distinct options often forces us to consider similar products, undermining the fairness of comparing quotes effectively.”

This cumbersome process not only consumed valuable time and resources but also impacted the team’s ability to make timely and well-informed purchasing decisions. Rogers and his team knew they needed a more efficient approach to meet the town’s procurement needs without compromising compliance or quality. This is a widespread issue across government procurement teams. In a recent RFP tracking study, the National Cooperative Procurement Partners (NCPP) determined that it takes an average of 87.1 personnel hours to complete a solicitation project. If the project is more complex, it can take up to 138.7 hours. These hours are costly and may not even result in the entity procuring solutions that best suit their needs.

The Solution: OMNIA Partners OPUS

To overcome the challenges posed by their traditional procurement process, Rogers and his team turned to OMNIA Partners’ new eCommerce platform, OPUS. By leveraging this innovative tool, the Town of Epping has transformed the way it manages purchasing, saving valuable hours previously spent on research and supplier negotiations. OPUS offers a streamlined, digital approach that aligns perfectly with the team’s needs, allowing them to procure everything from office supplies to safety equipment with ease.

With OPUS, the team can quickly obtain multiple quotes for the same product, ensuring a fair and competitive comparison without the arduous task of independently sourcing vendors. This capability is further enhanced by the fact that every search result is on a cooperative contract already deemed compliant by thousands of agencies nationwide, eliminating the need for lengthy RFPs.

Additionally, adopting OPUS has enabled the town of Epping to digitize its procurement workflow, a priority for Rogers as the town seeks to embrace more modern and efficient business practices. The platform’s user-friendly interface not only simplifies the purchasing process but also resonates with the new generation entering the workforce, accustomed to seamless digital experiences.

“It’s definitely user-friendly and it’s how the younger generation entering the workforce is used to shopping,” Rogers noted.

By integrating OPUS into their procurement operations, the Town of Epping has not only alleviated the burden on its small team but has also positioned itself as a forward-thinking community, ready to leverage technology to enhance its efficiency and better serve its residents.

Brought to you by: