Rockland gets smart with SmartProcure

BY BRIAN EDSALL

Rockland County has implemented a new transparency link, detailing annual county spending data from 2016. The link was built by SmartProcure – a company that utilizes data for better decision making – which has been working with Rockland County since 2013.

The link – https://smartprocure.us/RocklandCounty/ – showcases the annual county spending of $94 million, providing county residents and their peer agencies with a clear outline of purchases. Currently, there are more than 12,500 single line items from Rockland County government purchase order data, including the date each purchase order was issued as well as a detailed description.

With the creation of this link, Rockland County continues to push towards transparency with its residents. Information such as top buyers, top spend categories, spending by threshold, spending category and even spending location is now completely accessible to the public.

SmartProcure provides the most comprehensive, high-quality government purchasing data; powerful, easy-to-use analytic and reporting tools; and a nationwide information sharing platform to enable easier and more efficient government procurement.

The company has collaborated purchase order data from over 16,000 agencies including co-ops and contracts. It uses data to help Rockland County, among other government agencies, make the best decisions when it comes to things such as budget cuts, large purchases, saving taxpayer dollars and more.

Paul Brennan, director of Purchasing for Rockland County, expressed his thoughts on the county’s partnership with SmartProcure. “We haven’t begun to scratch the surface with SmartProcure,” said Brennan. “They’ve helped us find potential bidders, let us see other organizations that have purchased what we’re looking for, and made it possible for us to benchmark pricing for same or similar products.”

“SmartProcure’s database helps you confirm whether the price you’ve received is reasonable,” he continued. “If it’s not, you have the data you need to find who can deliver at a better price.”

Agencies that are utilizing this data can now feel confident going to their board, committee, and taxpayers knowing that they have made the best purchasing decisions. For more information, visit the SmartProcure website at https://smartprocure.us/government/ as well as Rockland County’s Purchasing Division website at http://rocklandgov.com/departments/purchasing/.

  SmartProcure