Improving a Large City’s Supplier Procurement Processes
Our Client is one of the largest cities in the US. With highly engaged leadership at the helm of this city’s procurement organization, there is a desire to make this city the best with which to do business in the country. Our client knows that attracting best in class suppliers means better results for the city and its citizens. APGET was engaged to identify ways to modernize the city’s supplier portal, onboarding experience, and more.
Opportunity
Our client is one of the largest cities in the US and sits prominently on the world stage. As with any major city, they must procure suppliers to conduct a myriad of services ranging from construction to paper goods, catering to machinery. With billions in annual spend on the line, our client knew it was time to streamline its procurement processes in order to enable the city to scale at the pace of its rapid growth, improve supplier registration and onboarding, and promote procedural consistency in sourcing across the organization.
Our client is savvy and realizes that an investment in onboarding excellent suppliers means a better return on investment when the city procures goods and services on behalf of its citizens. This is good for all residents and businesses that call the city home.
Approach
Our consultants engaged with our client’s procurement team at all levels - from senior leadership to frontline sourcing and supplier engagement personnel. We needed to quickly understand the current state of what was working well, not working well, and what was prime for optimization.
We executed a thorough process analysis and definition for this organization, and provided informed recommendations for technologies that would enhance the supplier onboarding process.
APGET recommended a multifaceted approach to improving this space, including:
A redesign of the city’s core supplier portal following best practices in information architecture and knowledge management
The implementation of an AI-powered chatbot “educated” in the procurement departments processes and procedures
An infusion of both human and AI generated onboarding materials
Workflow to automate sequential and routine tasks for external and internal users
As a small supplier ourselves, we empathize with the processes our fellow suppliers must follow in order to gain clearance to work with any city or county government. It can be a daunting process! Our empathy and experiences directly influenced the design and recommendations for what is a winning strategy and approach.
Outcomes
We are pleased to report that the work for this city has thoroughly delighted both internal and external stakeholders. In a short amount of time, APGET has made a lasting impact on the city and every supplier who engages with the city going forward.