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Guest Column
Purchasing technology calls for ever-changing strategies Tammy Rimes, MPA | Guest columnist Executive Director of National Cooperative Procurement Partners
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echnology creeps into every aspect of our personnel lives — inside cars, appliances, furniture and plumbing fixtures — it’s not just laptops and phones anymore! Transitioning to the municipal office, the same would be true. The use of technology, or the way it’s embedded into everyday products, has made procurement offices rethink past strategies. Sergio Paneque, former CPO for the state of New York and Michigan, said, “We need to redefine procurement’s objectives and set reasonable expectations on what can be planned and promised in delivery of complex IT modernization efforts. By adopting more agile procurement methods and shifting away from fixed-price, low-bid solutioning brings better value and more qualifications-based selections.” Fleet technology increases efficiency and safety Using systems that communicate fleet vehicle locations, safety metrics and engine diagnostics in real time allow municipal managers better manage their fleets. Known as telematics, this technology can also play a major role in improving driver safety. Providing greater visibility into driver behavior assists supervisors in enforcing policies and identifying opportunities for targeted driver risk profiling and safety training. A 2020 policy survey of Element Fleet Management Corporation, a fleet management company, demonstrated that 49% of its clients had changed their vehicle selector (model or trim level) to include
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desired advanced-safety features for their drivers. One client in the pharmaceutical industry wanted to leverage specific vehicle safety features to make their fleet safer for drivers while also reducing total fleet spend. Implementing a program focused on three specific safety features — lane departure, automatic braking and blind-spot warning — resulted in a 50% reduction in their accident rates upon a full-roll out. Another electric utility customer implemented a telematics pilot focused on enforcing speeding policies, decreasing idle time, ensuring seatbelt usage and reducing erratic driver behavior. The successful program helped achieve the goals, as evidenced in the pictured chart.
A pharmaceutical industry client leveraged specific vehicle safety features to make its fleet safer for drivers while also reducing total fleet spend. (Chart provided)
Playgrounds — not child’s play anymore The typical municipal playground with slides and swings is beginning to incorporate technology as well. BCI Burke, a leader in play, playgrounds, outdoor fitness and recreation products, and Biba Ventures, a leader in the smartphone gaming world, joined forces to keep kids moving, imagining, engaging and playing at the playground longer. “Kids develop important social, emotional, communication, cognitive, physical and creative skills through play,” said Brian Johnson,
