Are you considering implementing a risk and claims software system like ClearRisk but not sure where to begin in the procurement process?
It’s often assumed that an RFP is the route you will have to go, and the thought of creating, distributing, and evaluating a RFP can be overwhelming.
Did you know that you may not have to go the RFP route when purchasing ClearRisk?
Your Purchasing department has specific policies and guidelines for purchasing products and services. These will specify when an RFP is required. Typically, it will also provide specific examples that are not subject to an RFP, and suggest avenues to procure certain items. This is common for professional services like accountants, lawyers, insurance brokers, and engineers but also exists for other types of products and services such as software, where management realizes the need to allow staff to use different vetting processes. Discuss these options with your Purchasing Manager.
Procurement Groups
Procurement groups simplify and expedite the procurement process for your organization by researching and consolidating the top products and services available. These groups save you hours of manual research into what is available, if the product meets your needs, if it falls within your budget, and various other considerations.
Procurement groups also negotiate the best price with vendors, so it could end up being more cost efficient to purchase through a procurement group versus acquiring goods and services directly from the vendor through a formal procurement process, such as an RFP.
Besides providing time and cost savings, procurement groups may be used to eliminate the RFP process. Procurement groups enable municipalities to skip the RFP process as purchases are completed using a national, shared cooperative agreement that has undergone a formal RFP process.
Most of the time, your municipality has partnerships in place with these groups and it's simply an introduction needed between the vendor and the procurement group. Ask your Purchasing Manager about these options.
If you're interested in exploring procurement groups, check out SHI, a trusted global IT solutions provider with over 30 years of experience leveraging the procurement process to get the best products for their clients.
Shared "Piggyback" Contracts
Shared or “piggyback” contracts allow your organization to use an existing contract of another organization to acquire the same goods or services at a similar offering and pricing standpoint. This procurement method would allow your organization to enter into an agreement with a vendor who has previously been awarded a contract through a formal procurement process, such as an RFP.
For example, ClearRisk has public sector customers who went through the RFP process and awarded ClearRisk the contract. Those contracts are being offered to municipalities so they can “piggyback” the procurement process and award.
If a municipality's procurement policies and guidelines allow them to acquire software that has already been through the RFP process with another municipality, they are able to take the original contract back to their procurement team as a vetted and approved vendor.
Should the product or service meet your needs and the contract be recent enough, the share contract procurement process is the most efficient next step. Why undertake the unnecessary effort of the RFP process when the work has already been done.
Direct Purchase
It is also possible to purchase ClearRisk outright. This is very common, in fact the majority of ClearRisk’s customers have acquired ClearRisk through this route. Usually there is a price threshold that triggers the need for an RFP. Oftentimes for municipalities, ClearRisk falls under that threshold and there is a simplified version or no RFP required. Typically that threshold is around the $50,000 level. At this point, ClearRisk has seen municipalities require three vendor quotes and then they can make a decision and buy directly from the chosen vendor.
Conclusion
These are some suggestions for how you can acquire a Claims and Risk System besides the normal RFP process which so many of us are accustomed to. These are not the only means of procurement and are not always options for every public sector group. Make sure you know what alternative procurement options exist in your organization.
If you are not sure where to start, consider these:
- Meet with your procurement team to determine how to go about purchasing software in your municipality.
- Ask your colleagues and other public sector organizations about their process when it comes to procurement
- ClearRisk is more than happy to help navigate alternative procurement means. Put us in touch with your procurement group to discuss the options available. The ClearRisk team is dedicated to providing an accessible claims and risk solution - starting with procurement.
To learn more how ClearRisk can help in your procurement process, book a meeting here.
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