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Cooperative purchasing is becoming increasingly popular among cities and counties, with total sales from national co-ops growing from $29.3 billion in 2015 to $59.7 billion in 2023. Technology is a significant category for local governments in cooperative buying, with a strong preference for using co-ops to make technology purchases. Cooperative contracts can help alleviate challenges faced by government procurement teams, such as staffing limitations, demanding internal clients, and budget shortfalls. These contracts can save time, money, and potentially reduce risk. Local governments are also exploring other tools to boost efficiency, including statewide contracts, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts, longer-term supply contracts, and e-Procurement systems. Consulting with the vendor community and developing partnerships can help local governments stay ahead of the curve and ensure their technology purchases align with their needs and goals. Procurement teams should stay educated on the latest technology trends and investigate emerging trends like generative-AI to gain efficiency in their job. OMNIA Partners offers a range of cooperative contracts in the public procurement space, including in the technology sector. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses factors affecting U.S. government contracting. Topics covered include the emergence of instructional technology citing Webinars and online courses in training employees, introduction of courses on public procurement in educational institutions to inspire young people, and the practice of cooperative purchasing in acquiring goods and services. Also mentioned is the 15% increment in the application of electronic procurement of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.

The article reports that the city of Berkley in Michigan has joined the MITN Purchasing Group, an electronic procurement system that helps vendors access and compete for local government bids, as of May 2015.