City of Quincy issued the following announcement on March 22.
Mary-Ann Ervin has been with the City for 25 years. She started in the Planning and Development Department in September of 1994, and moved to IT in 1999 where her favorite part of her job was working with all the City employees. One of Mary-Ann’s responsibilities in IT was the organizing and servicing of all City cellular equipment such as phones, wireless cards and hot spots, which she still does today. In 2015, she was named the Purchasing Agent. As the Purchasing Agent, she is in charge of creating, writing and issuing all Bids, RFPs and RFQs, which must be done for all purchases over $10,000. She spends most of her time on her computer and working with vendors. She loves that this job has ownership and a set timeline when dealing with the Bids, RFPs and RFQs. Mary-Ann must make sure all the vendors’ paper work is in line and the City has the correct information. She works with the Comptroller’s office in making sure the billing and payment process runs smoothly. Mary-Ann’s ability to stay organized and her ability to multi-task is vital in her position.
What’s the difference between a bid, an RFP and an RFQ?
A bid is an exact and straight forward response with no negotiating.
An RFP, Request for Proposal, allows for the City to work with the vendor. This is common for bigger projects, which in turn takes more time.
An RFQ, Request for Qualifications, happens when the City sends out a request for a project, and vendors submit their qualifications for the project, along with a portfolio of past projects, and work history.
Mary-Ann is in charge of internal purchasing; all purchases must go through her before a purchase can be made. However, before it reaches her, it must go through different levels of approval, including the department head and budget approval. If a purchase is over $1,000, additional levels of approval must be made. Employees must justify the purchase and have different quotes for the purchases.
Mary-Ann is also in charge of all the City credit cards, if an employee wants to use a credit card they have to check it out and check it in with the receipts and the card.
If a vendor is interested in doing business with the City, she encourages them to sign up for email alerts on the City’s website. Vendors then receive an email any time a new Bid, RFP or RFQ is posted. She wants to remind vendors that all Bids, RFPs and RFQs must be delivered by the timeframe specified in the document. The City cannot accept late applications.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of Quincy