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L.A. Procurement Goes Digital with Self-Serve Vendor Platform

The city of Los Angeles this month fully launched a vendor self-service platform that it's been rolling out over the last few months. The portal, which offers access to information and contract statuses at all hours, was built on the Procurement and Inventory Management module in CGI’s Advantage ERP suite.

The city of Los Angeles this month fully launched a vendor self-service platform that it's been rolling out over the last few months.

The portal, which offers access to information and contract statuses at all hours, was built on the Procurement and Inventory Management module in CGI’s Advantage ERP suite.

The ERP suite cost the city $20 million.

"As part of our commitment to making government work for our local businesses and residents, we're making it easier for companies to do business with the city of Los Angeles, which made more than $7 billion in payments to vendors last year to support our regional economy," City Controller Ron Galperin wrote to Techwire.

The off-the-shelf solution was adjusted to fit city policies, using an iterative approach with users, developers and subject-matter experts, according to Deborah Ramos, assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Department of General Services.

“This team tested, evaluated results and provided immediate feedback during each iteration to complete each modification and configuration. This led to a deployment that was both on budget and ahead of schedule,” Ramos wrote to Techwire.

The portal simplifies the invoice process through an electronic submission process and status tracking. Vendors can also bid for services online.

“The VSS portal improves transparency, communication and business relations between the city of Los Angeles and our vendors. In the near future, the city will be able to process electronic payments to vendors via the VSS,” Ramos wrote.

The system was launched along with the city’s procurement and inventory management system replacement, and the entire process took three years.

“This phase of the project allowed vendors to register and update their profiles. The full implementation of the VSS coincided with the July 10, 2017, launch of the new Procurement and Inventory system,” Ramos wrote.

Kayla Nick-Kearney was a staff writer for Techwire from March 2017 through January 2019.