November 13, 2018
It can be difficult for any organization to keep pace with rapidly changing technology, especially considering the expense typically associated with doing so.
Not-for-profit organizations are met with budgetary and process challenges that make investing in the technology they need difficult. But, with the help of cooperative contracts from Sourcewell, these entities can simplify their purchase process and meet budget requirements when it's time to purchase new or upgrade their existing technology.
If your school district, government agency or nonprofit organization is in need of a new phone system, consider these four benefits of an Sourcewell cooperative contract.
#1: Obtain the Right Product at the Right Price
When you submit an RFP for a new phone system, the competitive solicitations you receive don’t always meet your expectations. In many cases, you receive responses that don't match your operational requirements or meet your requirements but exceed your budget.
Sourcewell cooperative contracts provide you with access to quality phone systems from Mitel at prices you can afford. Through these contracts, you have the opportunity to work with a provider and design the phone system that meets your needs. Sourcewell’s partnership with Mitel gives your organization access to phone systems you can afford without requiring you to make sacrifices in products or service.
#2: Skip the RFP Process
The standard RFP (request for proposal) process can be time and resource intensive. For starters, the process is slow. After creating an RFP, you have to send it out so vendors can put together competitive solicitations. If none of the solicitations deliver options that are affordable and/or match your requirements, you have to start the process all over again.
Most organizations do not have the time for this lengthy RFP process. Budgets are fluid and money that exists today may not be available in the future. If an RFP fails the first time, it might mean missing your window of opportunity. Sourcewell contracts present you with prepared competitive solicitations from reliable providers that make it easy to select the products you need; in the case of telecommunication systems, Mitel is their exclusive vendor.
#3: Design Custom Solutions
Perhaps the most frustrating characteristic of the RFP process is the fact that the lowest competitive solicitation often wins. When you select the lowest solicitation, you often end up with a solution that doesn’t meet the need of your entity or organization.
With the help of the Sourcewell contract process, your organization or agency will end up with a phone system that meets or exceeds your expectations. Additionally, you get to select a local service provider of your choosing, one that you trust to manage, maintain and support your phone system, which leads me to the next point.
#4: Work with Quality Providers
Sourcewell solicits, establishes and facilitates competitive solicitation purchasing contracts on behalf of schools, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Sourcewell's mission is to serve its membership by providing the structure and processes to leverage the benefits of contract purchasing, which reduces overall cost and increases the efficiency of procurement. Mitel was awarded the exclusive vendor contract from Sourcewell based on product quality, customer service, pricing and overall market leadership.
Using Sourcewell contracts limits your vendor selection, but it provides you with the best pricing of the best products available in each category. Sourcewell contracts satisfy your competitive solicitation requirement, and they don't limit your choice of service provider. Your organization has the freedom to select a local provider you know and trust to install and maintain your phone system and provide support to your users.
Why Sourcewell?
Sourcewell leverages its national network of vendors and manufacturers to help lower costs on contract competitive solicitations for entities that have to work with tight budgets, i.e. schools, government agencies and nonprofits. Procuring these contracts is as simple as contacting Sourcewell or Mitel, and it's even easier when you work with your provider. Providers are equipped to manage the communications and logistics with Sourcewell to get you the best phone system for your needs.
