News for Government Buyers
- May 10, 2013
Score one for diversity and good business
by Nick Wakerman
Washington Technology highlights the noteworthy appointment of Vincette Goerl to FedBid’s board of advisors, an appointment which not only gives FedBid an advisor with stellar credentials, but also represents a milestone for Women in Technology, a professional group for women in the IT industry. Throughout, the article offers insight on Goerl’s impressive background; she spent one career in government, and served as the chief financial officer at the U.S. Customs Service and the U.S. Forest Service. She’s also worked in industry at the CGI Group, and now has her own consulting practice focused on federal financial management. The article also discusses key roles Goerl will play in helping FedBid move forward into new markets.
- April 2, 2013
FedBid SVP, Federal, Doug Stuck, on History and Trends in Federal Government and Sequestration
Aquala Bogan
This Washington Exec profile of FedBid Senior Vice President of Federal, Doug Stuck, offers insight on who inspired him to grow into the senior leader he is today, what brought him to FedBid over a decade ago and what continues to drive his passion for the company. Through his interview, he also offers specifics on some of FedBid’s current success stories and upcoming expansion into new markets.
- February 14, 2013
Reverse Auctions: Welcome Back, FAR 13.5
By Dr. Steve Kelman
The latest post on Dr. Kelman’s Lectern blog on FCW.com examines the return of 1990’s procurement reform efforts focused on streamlining procedures for smaller buys and contracts for commercial items. Specifically, in 1994 a test program was established to allow the use of the simplified procedures for smaller purchases up to a $5 million buy (later raised to $6.5 million) if the government was buying a commercial item. The test program was regularly renewed by Congress, but never made permanent. Then, in 2011 it was not renewed (stories differ about whether this was an oversight or a conscious decision). However, in this year’s DOD authorization bill, the test program has been reborn (though again extended for two years, not made permanent). So now agencies once again are able to use these simplified procedures—allowing them to move faster in making off-the-shelf product and service purchases.
- January 25, 2013
Executive Profile: Ali Saadat
By Emily Mekinc
“I’m a number guy…I see numbers the way that is not common for others to see. If you give me a set of numbers, I have a story on it,” said FedBid founder and CEO in this January 2013 Washington Business Journal Executive Profile spotlight interview. Saadat started his first computer services business in the early 1970s in Tehran, Iran and has since, led and built numerous information technology and Internet companies, including FedBid. Reporter Emily Mekinc’s interview offers insight on Saadat’s personal and professional background while delivering details on FedBid’s corporate history and his vision for the company’s future.
- January 7, 2013
Reverse Auctions: Creating Winners through Acquisition Innovation
By Dr. David Wyld
This NCMA Contract Management article examines how reverse auctions produce savings for innovative organizations that utilize them—including dozens of federal agencies—as well as opportunity for suppliers to build their businesses by successfully competing—and winning—in the competitive bidding environment. The case for reverse auctions is proven through a series of success stories featuring federal government agencies leading the way in effectively adopting reverse auction-driven business-to-business, e-commerce technologies as a spend management solution, and the perspectives of the trailblazing leaders behind those success stories. The article also dispels myths that persist about reverse auctions while demonstrating that encouraging reverse auctions is vital to making government acquisition better, faster, and cheaper.
- November 29, 2012
Ted Leonsis: FedBid saves governments & companies 10-12% on their procurement
By John Koetsier
This insightful VentureBeat interview with renowned entrepreneur and technology innovator; Monumental Sports Founder and Owner, Revolution Growth Partner and FedBid Board Vice Chair, Ted Leonsis, spotlights the story behind Revolution Growth’s investment in FedBid—focusing on where the company’s been, where it’s going and how it’s built a healthy, successful online B2B marketplace through its double bottom-line business model. Throughout, Ted highlights specific federal government and private sector savings and efficiency successes, including Detroit Public Schools’ recent adoption of FedBid as an indirect spend management solution, which has already saved the district nearly $200K and is projected to save as much as $3M from its procurement budget.
- November 25, 2012
Brookings Governance Report: Building an Innovation-Based Economy
By Darrell West, Allan Friedman and Walter Valdivia
This critical report from the Brookings Institution examines and offers recommendations on ways to reform the U.S. economy, improve public sector performance, and train people for 21st century jobs. Findings were gained through live workshops and crowd-sourced input from several hundred experts around the country in the areas of innovation, technology and economic development. Amongst its important recommendations, the report stresses that:
“We need policy shifts that encourage the purchase and adoption of technology innovation in the public sector. We should ensure that local, state, and federal government procurement processes are fair, open, and transparent so that public agencies get the best products at the lowest possible prices. Agencies should be empowered to make the best acquisition choices possible, and build on successes across agencies. We should reform government procurement to include reverse auctions for goods and services. Reverse auctions and the RFP-EZ program help small businesses get government contracts and diversify the supply chain.”
- September 26, 2012
Detroit Schools Find New Way to Buy School Supplies
By Sarah Cwiek
Detroit Public Schools Officials are crediting purchasing supplies through the FedBid online marketplace with helping the district save hundreds of thousands of dollars in just a few months. District spokesman Steve Wasko said it has helped fix some problems with getting supplies to classrooms and estimates that using FedBid could save up to three million.
- September 24, 2012
Detroit Public Schools Adopts FedBid to Reduce Costs Up to 53%
Detroit Public Schools
Detroit, Michigan, September 24, 2012 – Detroit Public Schools in June became the first U.S. school district to use a national online marketplace tool for public sector commodity buys and has since generated over $800,000 in savings during the mission-critical back-to-school period during which essential supplies are procured and delivered to 100 schools in time for the first day of teaching and learning.
- September 24, 2012
DPS Saves With Online Auction
By Chad Halcom
Detroit Public Schools estimates it has saved nearly $1 million on purchasing costs in the four months since its new procurement chief, Dr. Tracy Joshua, adopted the fully-managed online marketplace, FedBid, to buy supplies. The district expects to shave about $5 million from its total procurement costs this fiscal year, and Joshua said about $3 million of that savings could come through FedBid.
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