City launches new electronic system to improve bidding process
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- Companies, businesses and vendors vying for city contracts will see an all-new system in place designed to modernize and streamline the city's bidding process.
The City of St. Joseph is now utilizing a new electronic process called IonWave to streamline bidding procedures. The city hopes that by making the change, it will allow it to reach more potential vendors, alleviate errors and ensure a fair selection method.
The city previously used a manual bidding process, which required vendors to physically submit their proposals. Bid review, scoring and award decisions were conducted manually at the department level, resulting in inconsistencies and inefficiencies across procurement operations, potentially leading to missed opportunities for competitive bidding.
“What matters is that every bid, big or small, is managed the same way,” said Dawn Lanning, assistant to the city manager, in a press release Wednesday. “That consistency gives businesses and taxpayers alike confidence in the process.”
IonWave allows the city to post and manage solicitations electronically, eliminating physical submission requirements and improving access to bid opportunities, proposals and staying informed about procurement activities.
The new electronic system also restructures the bid review, scoring and awarding process by placing it entirely under the management of the procurement division within the finance department. Procurement will oversee the entire bid process from start to finish, ensuring its integrity and transparency and guaranteeing a standardized approach to bid evaluations, reducing inconsistencies and eliminating the potential for bias in decision-making.
“We want to make it easier for businesses to work with the city, while keeping the process fair and transparent,” Lanning stated. “More vendors competing means better pricing and better value for taxpayers.”
Vendors interested in doing business with the City of St. Joseph need to register as a supplier in the IonWave system by visiting stjosephmo.ionwave.net. Current bidders are being notified of the new process and many have already made IonWave accounts.
Anyone registered with IonWave can bid on City of St. Joseph opportunities. Those who are registered are notified when the city is seeking goods or services that match categories the vendor has selected. Having more bidders means the city is able to get a wider range of options, ensuring the best pricing.
The IonWave software went live on the city’s website this week, having been planned since spring. The new electronic system will be used for all future solicitations and vendor interactions.
Anyone interested in seeing the City of St. Joseph’s active bidding opportunities can visit stjosephmo.ionwave.net.
