The Challenge
A city or county purchasing office is the back-office engine for every department. Public works needs road materials. Parks needs playground equipment. IT needs servers. Fleet needs vehicle parts. Facilities needs HVAC repairs.
Each request requires competitive quotes above threshold. Each requires documentation for the auditors. Each has a department director asking "where's my order?"
Most municipal purchasing offices are understaffed relative to request volume. Two or three people process hundreds of purchases annually. The result: backlogs, rushed decisions, and documentation gaps that show up in audits.
Common Pain Points
| Multi-department service | Purchasing supports 10-20+ departments with different needs |
| Request volume | Hundreds of purchases annually, each requiring quotes |
| Threshold compliance | $5k-$50k thresholds requiring 3+ quotes or formal bids |
| Auditor scrutiny | State auditors review purchasing compliance annually |
| Council approval | Larger purchases require public meeting approval |
| Cooperative contract decisions | When to use state contracts vs. open market |
Common Purchases
How Buyer24 Helps
Department request tracking
See all pending requests by department
Threshold automation
System applies right process based on dollar amount
Cooperative contract comparison
Compare state contract vs. open market pricing
Auditor-ready exports
Pull complete documentation for any purchase
Council packet preparation
Generate comparison summaries for agenda items
"We process 400+ purchase requests per year with a two-person office. Every one over $5,000 needs three quotes. Before Buyer24, we were always behind. Now we turn around most requests in 24-48 hours. The department directors noticed—complaints dropped to almost zero."
Purchasing Agent
City Government (52,000 population), Great Plains
Public Sector FAQ
Does Buyer24 work with state cooperative contracts?
Yes. You can use Buyer24 to get quotes from open-market vendors and compare them against state contract pricing. Many public organizations use both—Buyer24 helps you document either path.
How does this work with our existing purchasing system?
Buyer24 handles the quote collection and comparison phase. Once you've selected a vendor, you process the PO through your existing system (Munis, Tyler, PeopleSoft, etc.). No integration required to start.
Is the data secure enough for public sector use?
Yes. Data is encrypted at rest and in transit. We can provide security documentation for your IT review. No supplier data or pricing is shared between organizations.
What about purchases that require formal sealed bids?
Buyer24 is designed for informal quotes (typically under $25k-$50k threshold). For formal sealed bids, you'll continue using your existing bid management process. Most public organizations find that 80%+ of their purchases fall in the informal quote range.
Can multiple people in our office use it?
Yes. Team accounts let multiple staff members manage requests, with visibility into what others are working on. Great for backup coverage and workload balancing.
How long does implementation take?
Most public sector teams are live within 1-2 days. Connect your email, add your common suppliers, and start sending RFQs. No IT project required.