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Periscope Holdings is experiencing a busy summer, filled with new client implementations and financial system integrations.  In June, AHRC Nassau went live with BuySpeed eProcurement.  This non-profit group, based in Nassau, New York, supports children and adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities to make life choices, exercise independence, and develop responsibility. 

The implementation includes an integration of vendors, accounts, budgets, and invoices to their Blackbaud financial system Financial Edge.  Multi-organization features within BuySpeed allow integration to 5 different databases, one for each company within the AHRC Nassau organization.  This integration provides AHRC with real-time budget updates and offers better control over purchasing decisions. 

AHRC expects a significant return on investment over the next five-years due to better spend management, optimized contract pricing, and process efficiencies afforded by BuySpeed product features and business intelligence.  In an effort to go green, AHRC chose not to implement print features for internal users.  This step will limit the amount of paper wasted in the procurement process.  With BuySpeed eProcurement, paper trails become extinct and filing cabinets become vacant.

Hampton Roads Sanitation District and the Washington Convention and Sports Authority went live with real-time integrations to the Mitchell Humphrey financial system FMS.  Both agencies implemented vendor synchronization, budget checking, encumbrances, receiving, and invoicing. These features allow them to easily track budgets during the procurement process, reduce data entry, and provide greater visibility into the payment process for end users and vendors.

As we endure tight economic times, public sector leaders across the board face tough budget decisions.  Government agencies are becoming more creative as they build solutions that help avoid cutting jobs, evade raising taxes, sustain citizen services and save money.  One solution gaining popularity is reverse auction solicitation.

Reverse auctions are a form of strategic sourcing in which the roles of buyers and sellers are reversed; therefore, prices decrease as auctions progress.  With Periscope’s eProcurement solution BuySpeed reverse auctions are conducted online in real-time enabling suppliers to track and bid down against competitors.  This process ensures the best possible price and lowest cost to government agencies.  Reverse auctions are a growing procurement trend because lower costs on goods and commodities free up funds to be used elsewhere, helping burdened budgets.

Many of our clients including Knox County, Tennessee and multiple Arizona State Departments recently conducted reverse auctions, and in each case savings resulted from using this technique. For more details on their success see “BuySpeed eProcurement Solution – Reverse Auctions Prove Measurable Savings”.

Whether purchasing vehicles or chainsaws reverse auctions can help create savings for your entity. To learn more about how to make reverse auctions work for your agency contact Periscope Holding Inc. at info@periscopeholdings.com or (877) 472-9062.

Each year, the Center for Digital Government and Government Technology surveys cities to measure the use of information technology.  The 2010 results have been published, and it is no surprise Periscope customers have been awarded.  Alexandria, VA; Fort Worth, TX; and Tucson, AZ, all BuySpeed clients, achieved top ten rankings.  The survey recognized municipalities that successfully incorporated information technology into operations in order to better serve constituents and business. 

According to Government Technology’s article, “2010 Digital Cities Survey Winners Announced,” this year’s survey focused more on measurable achievements.  Many of the jurisdictions that scored well could quantify their improvements, and some took advantage of data analytics for those calculations.  “I think we’ll see more of that going forward, because the economy is going to remain tight,” said Todd Sander, the director of the Digital Communities program.

BuySpeed’s e-procurement helped secure these top rankings by providing tools to accomplish operational objectives despite financial challenges.  BuySpeed allows cities to maximize dollars and strategically spend.  Showing hard-dollar returns is no longer an option, it is an expectation.

The State of Arizona’s Government Information Technology Agency(GITA) cited the State’s online eProcurement system, Periscope’s BuySpeed solution, as key to “Citizen-Centric Commerce” initiatives in its FY 2011 Statewide Strategic IT Plan.  In September 2009, Arizona implemented BuySpeed (referred to as ProcureAZ by the State) to provide a single portal for vendor registration, solicitation management, contract management and ordering off state contracts and catalogs.  In October 2010, agencies will begin to use the system for all purchasing transactions, including a real-time interface to the State’s legacy financial system, AFIS, developed by KPMG.  Click here for a summary of the IT Plan by CivSource, the online news source for state and local politics, management and business.

The state of Arizona’s new BuySpeed e-procurement system – dubbed ProcureAZ by the state – went live less than 100 days after the project was initiated with Austin-based Periscope Holdings, Inc.  Phase One of the project provides the state with a single portal for vendor registration, solicitation management and contract ordering.  It was successfully launched September 1, on time and within budget. 

Periscope’s BuySpeed staff pre-loaded 1,500 vendor registrations into ProcureAZ prior to August 10.  Since then, an additional 5,000 vendors registered using the system.  On September 1, Arizona agencies began creating orders from 2,500 pre-existing state contracts that were imported into the system by Periscope.  This phase is expected to dramatically improve operational efficiencies by reducing cycle times and curtailing “maverick”, or off-contract, spending allowing Arizona to better target savings through strategic supplier relationships.

“We want to thank the state of Arizona and our implementation partner, CGI, for a successful launch of the first phase of Arizona’s ProcureAZ solution,” says Brian Utley, CEO of Periscope Holdings. 

“The state of Arizona recognizes the major accomplishments of Periscope and CGI with the project being on time and within budget, while delivering a quality e-procurement solution that clearly will advance procurement in the state of Arizona for years to come”, says Jean Clark, State Procurement Administrator.

The second phase, schedule to be completed in the spring of 2011, will integrate ProcureAZ with Arizona’s state financial system.  Arizona end-users will be able to look up account codes and check budgets online as well as create encumbrances within the state financial system.  Phase Two of ProcureAZ also includes rolling out additional BuySpeed functions already installed through Phase One..  When completed, Phase Two will further streamline Arizona’s procurement activities and reduce costs.

In May 2009, Periscope Holdings, Inc. won a competitive bid to implement the BuySpeed eProcurement system for a cost of $8.6M over 5 years.  The resulting efficiencies from the implementation of BuySpeed are projected to generate significant savings to the state of up to 20% due to improved ability for strategic spend management through the system.  

 “In these economic times, state and local governments are under increased scrutiny as they spend taxpayer dollars,” says Periscope’s President and CEO, Brian Utley.  “BuySpeed offers a solution that increases transparency, improves processes and saves money. I want to commend the state for taking on this endeavor. In these times we really need our governments to step up and implement solutions that will save taxpayers money. Jean and her staff at Arizona’s Department of Administration have always been forerunners in improving the way the state’s business is done.”