40% of Public Sector Buyers Report Being Overworked According to Onvia's 2017 Survey of Government Procurement Professionals

SEATTLE, June 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Onvia (NASDAQ: ONVI), the leading provider of sales intelligence and acceleration technologies for business-to-government (B2G), today released its second-annual Survey of Government Procurement Professionals. The results show that nearly 40 percent of public sector buyers report being overworked. Buyers also report struggling to find the time to perform the research needed to author well-written bids and RFPs. Responses to the survey were used to create the Procurement Performance Index, which dropped from 76.4 last year to the current value of 72.6.

Public Sector Buyers Challenged to 'Do More with Less'

The survey found that nearly 40 percent of all procurement professionals report being overworked, up 4% from last year's survey. In the absence of adequate staffing resources, buying teams are struggling to "do more with less."

The report drew correlations between the most successful government agency procurement teams and the methods they use. Some of the key areas identified that can improve procurement performance include the following:

• Increased funding for procurement teams
• Better engagement with key stakeholders
• More efficient purchasing methods
• Increased adoption of e-Procurement

"Smart governments recognize that strategic investments in their procurement teams translate into more value for the citizens they serve," said Ben Vaught, Director of Onvia for Government. "Procurement officers must lead the way in identifying modern tools to increase their productivity."

Procurement Teams Struggling to Perform Pre-Bid Planning and Research

When asked about their greatest challenges in procurement, the top ranked issue was "not enough time to prepare and plan for bids/RFPs." Resource-stretched buyers are challenged with little time to research and write bid language, having to comply with multiple layers of rules and regulations and lacking specific knowledge of the items they are procuring, forcing them to operate in a reactive mode rather than planning proactively.

Government buyers are able to combat this challenge, reduce research time and streamline their procurement processes by implementing solutions like Onvia Exchange into their day-to-day workflows:

"Onvia Exchange has been a very helpful tool both for our purchasing agents and client departments. It has helped us in researching bids, developing specifications and finding additional supply sources. This has allowed us to reduce our lead time in developing solicitations while increasing our competition base." – Jim Tillman, Purchasing Manager, Broward County, FL

Decline in Procurement Performance Index Highlights the Opportunity for Vendors to Proactively Partner with Government Agencies

This year's report features the Procurement Performance Index (PPI), a custom measurement developed by Onvia's market research team. The three inputs of the index take into account survey questions related to response agility, customer service and having a reputation for integrity and transparency in the buying process.

The PPI saw a drop from 76.4 last year to the current value of 72.6. All three components of the index saw a decline, with the biggest decrease coming in area of response agility.

"The PPI measures the overall performance of state and local government agencies in providing timely and trustworthy purchasing services," said Paul Irby, B2G Market Analyst. "This year's results show a clear decline in the procurement performance among agencies, a result that is driven by resourcing challenges and time constraints among buyers. Companies pursuing government contracts should interpret these findings as an opportunity to proactively connect with buyers, better understand their needs and form trusted partnerships that help to achieve agency goals." 

About Onvia's 2017 Survey of Government Procurement Professionals

A representative sample of 668 procurement staff members, coming from states, cities, counties, special districts and school districts nationwide, submitted responses to this year's study. The findings in the report provide real solutions to the challenges around resourcing, response agility, customer service and transparency that government procurement teams are facing nationwide. Likewise, contractors and vendors that pursue public sector sales can use the report to gain a deeper understanding of the unique needs of government customers and better position themselves as trusted partners.

Request your complimentary copy of the report today here.

About Onvia

Onvia (NASDAQ: ONVI) is the leader in B2G sales intelligence and acceleration. Onvia provides enterprise, mid-market and small business customers with the most comprehensive set of federal, state and local government contracting leads. Clients grow their sales pipeline with access to bids, RFPs and future spending data, along with agency contacts, competitor information and market analytics – all backed by Onvia's smart search technology, CRM integration and expert support. Resolving the friction in this $2 trillion market, Onvia creates mutual value for public and private sectors, taxpayers and society at large.

For more information visit https://www.onvia.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE Onvia, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.onvia.com