April-June 2008 (Quarterly Newsletter)
News
What is VRAMP?
 |
|---|
by Mary Jo Furphy
There is a new buzzword in Procurement – VRAMP. VRAMP stands for Vendor Registration and Messaging Portal and it's the new online system that allows Internet access directly between businesses and Procurement. The system is scheduled to “go live” in the middle of April 2008. When vendors log in, they will be authenticated and allowed to proceed to the Vendor Registration system. The vendor registration module allows businesses to register as a vendor with Pima County and to view and update their vendor data that is already on file with us. Once they are finished entering their information into VRAMP, the Procurement staff will verify the information and, if accepted, it will be part of their permanent record.
 |
|---|
VRAMP will also be used by Procurement to send emails to selected registered vendors. Procurement will query for potential vendors based on the criteria entered that is relevant to the message that is being sent. An example of this is when Procurement is publishing a new solicitation; we will search for vendors that registered stating they can supply the commodity we are looking for. It is in the vendors best interest to make sure that they fill out their type of work and commodities that they offer. A courtesy notice will be sent to all vendors in VRAMP who meet that criterion. Why did Procurement implement this system? We are constantly looking for ways to improve processes and efficiencies, not to mention the whole “green” movement. This system allows for instantaneous sharing of information with the public. In the past a new business would fill out a registration form, submit that form to Procurement, and then the information would be manually entered by our staff. Once a business was registered, the vendor would not know if or when the information was entered. It had involved a phone call by the vendor to the Procurement staff to manually review information entered. Likewise, if a vendor wanted to update their information on file, the vendor completed the entire form and Procurement staff would then have to manually enter any changes. Our new VRAMP system will be a tremendous time saver for both parties. It's to the vendor's advantage to use the new VRAMP online system! We have expanded on what information we are now collecting. Until now, we have collected minimal data for the types of work or the commodities that vendor's offer. As vendors start updating these new items, we can perform more specific searches to exactly match our needs to those vendors who provide that service or commodity. Also as part of making sure Pima County continues to serve minority and woman based enterprises, we can now more efficiently identify these enterprises.
What is the advantage to the business community?
• As a potential vendor to Pima County, vendors will have 24/7 access to their information that is on file with us;• The data can be updated at their convenience and they can verify their own data;
• Vendors can receive electronic notification of solicitations.
You may ask, “Do I really have to register in VRAMP to do business with Pima County?” No, you do not have to, but we strongly encourage you to do so as this is a benefit for you. Everyone who wants to utilize this system must log in, even if you are in our current system. If you do not register in VRAMP, you may not receive notification of upcoming solicitations or information that may be of interest to you. Very important note: We will not continue our practice of sending faxes out to notify potential vendors about upcoming solicitations. We will continue to place public notice advertisements and post the solicitations on our Internet site www.pima.gov/procure/. Procurement will be sending notification to approximately 9,000 businesses. In order to utilize this system, you will be REQUIRED to take action. Please look for our notification over the next couple of months. If you do not receive one, visit our website in May and register
Our staff is waiting to answer any questions that you may have about VRAMP. Contact Procurement at 520-740-3807 or 520-740-8161. So what are you waiting for? Get in on the buzz and get registered!