GCS Purchasing Department – Purchasing Power

Front row left to right - Velicia Gaddy, Claire Smith and Marla Stevens-Hilliard. Back row left to right - Paschelle Mitchell-Palmer, Allen Carnes, John Mann, Mary Ensley and Dana Roberts

Did you ever stop and think that without the purchasing department, schools would not have desks, cafeterias would not have food, offices would not have telephones or computers and teachers would not have supplies? Essentially, without the GCS purchasing department, the district could not function. The purchasing department interacts with almost all other GCS departments, as well as outside vendors and state agencies. 

John Mann, purchasing officer, sits at the helm of the purchasing department. On a typical day, he might review 100 requisitions that come across his desk.  Whether the request is for pencils or a major ticket item like computer servers, Mann reviews them all.  Last year, the busy eight-person purchasing department approved 15,000 purchase orders.  “We are not physically in the classroom, but what we do directly impacts our schools,” said Mann.

Professional Purchasing

The GCS purchasing department is the only entity in North Carolina to win the sustained professional purchasing award for seven years in a row. “I attribute this recognition to the direction of the board of education, our chief financial officer and our staff, which has a passion for what they do,” Mann explained. 

Passion is key to working within the purchasing department.  All purchasing staff are required to go through a certification process for government purchasing.  Once completed, each staff member becomes an approved local government purchasing officer. 

How Purchasing Helps

One department that works very closely with purchasing and realizes the results of its hard work first-hand is the maintenance department. “We work on a pressing time line, and purchasing always works with us in a timely manner to expedite a needed purchase order for us,” said Gerald Greeson, director of maintenance.  “John finds creative solutions to make things happen, and he does it quickly.”  

The modest Mann says he is just doing his job and trying all he can to cut costs. That has already happened thanks to a relatively new online ordering program for supplies. The group also has cut costs by issuing procurement cards, which have sped up the time for vendors to get paid.

The Future of Purchasing

Long-term goals for the purchasing department center on using the Web to increase efficiency and decrease costs.  Some ideas include online ordering for school and offices supplies and providing requisitions and informal bids online. 

“We are always looking for ways to save time and money,” said Mann. “We have a high level of accountability and try to be good stewards of our taxpayers’ money. If we have to say no to a request for supplies, it may be because we are just trying to find the best solution for the request.”

Mann holds the bar high for the purchasing department and holds himself accountable for results. “At the end of the day I ask myself, 'Did end users get what they needed, were vendors treated fairly and did the taxpayers get full value for their tax dollars?’  If I can answer yes to all three questions, then I know I have fulfilled my duties as Purchasing Officer for Guilford County Schools.”

For more information about the purchasing process, please visit: http://www.gcsnc.com/depts/purchasing/index.htm

DID YOU KNOW?

• Purchasing department approved 15,000 purchases in 2007.
• The purchasing officer reviews up to 100 requisitions each day.
• In 2006-07, purchasing expenditures were approximately $62 million.
• $500 million in bond money from 2000 and 2003 went through the purchasing department.
• Turnaround time for receiving purchases has decreased significantly from 10 days to 24 to 72 hours.