Transcript
The State of Oregon Department of Administrative Services State Procurement Office issues the following
Buyer’s Guide For Purchasing Office Products
This Buyer’s Guide is applicable to the following Price Agreement: MetroOfficeSolutions Supplies for Price Agreement Number 5738
Point of Contact:
Pam Johnson, State Procurement Analyst Telephone: 503.378.4731 FAX: 503.373.1626
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Table of Contents I.
MetroOfficeSolutions Background………………………………..
3–4
II.
How to Order………………………………………………………….
5–6
III.
Catalog Offering………………………………………………………
6
IV.
Best Value Analysis…………………………………………………...
7
V.
Purchasing Recycled Items……………………………………………
7 – 10
VI.
Health & Safety Concerns……………………………………………..
10
VII. Sustainability…………………………………………………………..
10
VIII. End of Life…………………………………………………………….. 11
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I. MetroOfficeSolutions Background About our President and CEO Minh Duc Thi Sheridan, President and CEO, is a 1975 immigrant from South Vietnam, and the daughter of an Army officer. Minh Duc has always possessed the drive and determination to make her company the very best that it could be. Daily, Minh Duc can be found on the telephone assisting a customer with special delivery requirements, in the office of a facilities Manager establishing the logistics for their deliveries or training her representatives on the importance of polite, courteous service. Company History Minh Duc Thi Sheridan, President and CEO, established MetroOfficeSolutions to provide a high quality diversity alternative for American businesses of all sizes. Her intention was to create an alternative source of supply to the impersonal superstore culture that had overtaken the office supply industry. Her hunch was that the American business customer wanted more than just competitive pricing, but also wanted the personalized service that the larger chains were unable to provide. She structured MetroOfficeSolutions from an operation and customer service perspective, providing both timely deliveries of products and prompt, professional, customer service representatives. MetroOfficeSolutions markets and sells over 22,000 office consumable items with a complete offering of system furniture, case goods, seating, and custom printing to precisely targeted business consumer segments. The product categories offered for sale include ad specialty products, break room products, desktop accessories, janitorial products, paper products, writing instruments, and information technology supplies. We provide next day delivery of ordered items directly to the business customer from one of our 41 distribution centers across the country. In 1999, The Federal Government division of Metro Office Solutions (Metro Office Products) successfully negotiated a General Services Administration GSA Schedule Award. To date, Metro Office Products (The Government division of Metro Office Solutions) has been one of the top providers of office supplies to the Dept. of Army, Dept. of Navy, Dept. of Air Force, and the Veteran’s Administration. Federal Government sales are in excess of $15 million dollars annually. In 2000, MetroOfficeSolutions petitioned the SBA for 8(a) certification as a small disadvantaged, woman-owned company allowing MetroOfficeSolutions to participate in and partner on numerous large contracts. Currently, MetroOfficeSolutions provides services to the Department of the Army, Air Force, and Veterans Administration, many agencies of the federal government and a large contingent of the private government contractors. MetroOfficeSolutions also provides a wide range of products and services to many commercial customers, all utilizing its 8(a) certification.
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In 2003, MetroOfficeSolutions joined forces with the MyOfficeProducts / SP Richards Strategic Purchasing Alliance to greatly increase MetroOfficeSolutions’ ability to compete with the major National “Big-Box” suppliers. This strategic alliance, which gave MetroOfficeSolutions a combined buying power of over $100 million dollars, provided the means to perform nationwide desktop delivery, provide pricing programs that are better than or equal to the major national suppliers, and provide the superior customer service necessary to compete at a high level. Company Philosophy By Choosing MetroOfficeSolutions you’re supporting a 100% Small, Diversity Business. Metro Office Solutions Small, Disadvantaged Certifications: Certified Small, Woman-Owned, Asian-Pacific American Certification Minority Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) Certified SDB: P247272-0002427 California CPUC Clearinghouse Certified: 7BN00034 As a disadvantaged certified supplier of office products, 100% of your purchase dollars with MetroOfficeSolutions are attributed to the support of a bon-a-fide “Tier-1” company. Additionally, MetroOfficeSolutions provides your group with the highest level of indirect “Tier-2” diversity purchasing data available in the marketplace. Your “Tier2” purchases with MetroOfficeSolutions support all socio-economic groups such as African-American, Hispanic-American, Native-American, Asian-Pacific American, Visually-Impaired, and Physically-Challenged. Our “Manufacturer Diversity Analysis Report” provides you with “aggregate level” support totals for each socio-economic group broken out by Manufacturer.
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II. How to Order Contact Information MetroOfficeSolutions provides an array of ‘How to order’ options. A login and password will be needed to access our online web site – www.mymetroofficesolutions.com. This can be provided to you by customer service or by contacting your account representative. Customer Service Phone 877- 638-7641 Fax 877-859-1875 Email:
[email protected] Contract Manager Stephen De Jonghe Phone 775 848-5463 Email:
[email protected] MetroOfficeSolutions accepts phone and fax orders, but will require verification of an account number or authorization to order prior to processing the order. MetroOfficeSolutions will adhere to each agency’s prearranged guidelines. Please provide the PA agreement number when setting up your account or placing an order. Pricing All prices are listed on the web site and are ‘net’ priced to the end user. Delivery cost is included in all orders unless otherwise quoted for special orders. Delivery All deliveries will be made within the 2-day contract requirement. All major metropolitan areas will receive next day delivery for orders placed prior to 5:00pm. Desktop delivery can be provided, but must be approved by your MetroOfficeSolutions contract manager. Office Products Available All products available to DAS SPO are listed in our general line catalog. A part number will include the 3 alpha prefix recognizing the manufacturer and the remaining numbers or letters that match the manufacturers code number. This number has a corresponding unit of issue. These products are all available for next day delivery. Returns Returns can be done online or by phone/fax. All products should be returned in the original carton within 30 days of purchase. All shortages reported within 5 days will be corrected with a product shipped out at no charge.
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Special Requirements If your State agency or ORCPP member requires any special requirements, i.e. credit card, approval routing, budget limits by user, special delivery, custom reporting, blocking of items, unique products not listed in the catalog, please contact your Contract Manager for details regarding setups or processes.
III. Catalog Offering Catalog(s) Two main catalogs are offered by MetroOfficeSolutions. Our general line catalog offers 22,000 items. Certain items are blocked per DAS SPO requirements. This catalog can be ordered on line using item number SPZMOSCAT. It is provided at no charge. Our Vendor Specific catalog is available upon request. Please contact customer service or your Contract Manager. This catalog represents 5,000 high use items, which afford your agency the best prices. Additional catalogs include a 6,000 item recycled products catalog, which targets products that are recycled, and products that can be recycled, a quick ship furniture catalog, and a break room and janitorial supply catalog. These catalogs will be sent upon request. Catalog Features The following features come with our catalog. An easy to find index located in the front of the catalog with product categories listed alphabetically. Color-coded sections for quick referencing. Symbols listed in the front of the catalog to assist the shopper in identifying eco- friendly products Eco tips listed throughout the catalog to assist the shopper in becoming eco friendly. 20 easy ways to ‘Go Green’ suggestions Workplace Wellness tips Office Security tips Ergonomic Tips for reducing stress and assisting in increased productivity.
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IV. Best Value Analysis Following are suggested considerations for determining the ‘Best Value’ in purchasing products within this price agreement. SPARCO (SPR) and Business Source (BSN) are the generic offering, which gives the user the best value for the money in most cases. All items listed in ‘Vendor Specific’ catalog, which are also listed in the General Line catalog; will be sold to the user at the enhanced ‘Vendor Specific’ catalog discount. Following are suggested considerations for determining the ‘Best Value’ in purchasing environmentally friendly products within this price agreement. Application (does the product fit your needs?) Recycled content (higher post-consumer content is preferred) Product availability Environmental impact/sustainability Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Price
V. Purchasing Recycled Items Paper Paper is included in the Price Agreement. The primary paper consumed by agencies within the State of Oregon is 8.5 x 11 copy paper; it often represents 25 to 30% of the total dollars spent in this category. When choosing the appropriate paper for your agency, use the following criteria: • Choose the appropriate paper for the application including, machine compatibility, color or black and white printing, and laser jet vs. thermal printing. • Choose a paper with post-consumer recycled content. The most common offerings are listed as 30%, 50%, and 100% recycled content. • When appropriate, always choose the 100% recycled content paper for your office applications. (Use with confidence knowing this paper has been tested and used in a majority of agencies with no performance failures). • When available, avoid papers that use a plastic outer wrapping. • In high volume applications, look for papers packaged in bulk. This eliminates the outer wrapping and reduces labor when loading into a high-speed copier. icon. • Look for the Recycled
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Recycling Fast Facts Today, 90% of paper pulp is made of wood. Paper production accounts for about 35% of felled trees, and represents 1.2% of the world's total economic output. Recycling 1 ton of newsprint saves about 1 ton of wood while recycling 1 ton (1.1 short tons) of printing or copier paper saves slightly more than 2 tons of wood. It has been estimated that recycling half the world’s paper would avoid the harvesting of 20 million acres (80,000 km²) of forestland. About 35% of municipal solid waste (before recycling) by weight is paper and paper products. 115 billion sheets of paper are used annually for personal computers [Source: Worldwatch Institute]. The average daily web user prints 28 pages daily [Source: Gartner group and HP]. Toner Toner and Ink Jet cartridges are included with this agreement. The most important decision you make related to purchasing toner within this agreement is related to the proper disposal of the empty cartridges. The greatest environmental impact in managing the procurement of toner and ink jet cartridges is proper disposal of the empty units. Develop a recycling process for empty cartridges. Use a process that redirects empty cartridges from a landfill to a certified disposal program. Cartridges come shipped with a return label. Using the original box, labels are affixed to the box with free return shipping to the manufacturer for proper recycling. Empty cartridges can also be boxed up and returned directly to supplier via a company truck in areas where deliveries are managed by the supplier’s private fleet. Refer to end of life information at the end of this document for more information. Office Products: Office products are included within this agreement. There are now thousands of environmentally friendly options for office products. When making procurement decisions related to office products, use the following processes in identifying environmentally preferred options: Post-consumer waste is a waste type produced by the end consumer of a material stream; that is, where the waste-producing use did not involve the production of another product. Quite commonly, it is simply the garbage that individuals routinely discard, either in a waster receptacle or a dump, or by littering, incinerating, pouring down the drain, or washing into the gutter.
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Post-consumer waste is distinguished from pre-consumer waste, which is the reintroduction of manufacturing scrap (such as trimmings from paper production, defective aluminum cans, etc.) back into the manufacturing process. By choosing products with high post-consumer recycled content, you'll be helping to increase the market for old newsprint and other tough-torecycle materials, possibly saving trees and certainly making the manager of your town's recycling program a lot happier. The EPA has established that many products must carry a minimum of 30% post-consumer waste to be labeled as recycled. Pre-consumer waste is commonly used in manufacturing industries, and is often not considered recycling in the traditional sense, however, when considering this process within the context of sustainable purchasing; it is a viable process and can be considered as part of your buying decision. Any industrial process generates waste, much of which is routinely (and profitably) recycled. The paper and printing industries, for example, recycle ends of paper rolls, "make-ready" (test copies), misprints, and scraps from trimming, and so on. This pre-consumer waste has several advantages over the post-consumer kind: it's produced in large quantities at a relatively small number of sites, making collection easy, and it's clean, i.e., not mixed with the orange rinds and other junk found in the average consumer's garbage can. Computer Products and related accessories: Computer accessories and ergonomic accessories are provided under this agreement. MetroOfficeSolutions provides many solutions from its catalog and or additional options. Please work with customer service or contact your local account executive for additional options beyond the catalog. School Supplies: School Supplies are new to the offering this term. Visit our catalog for a listing of school related products or contact your local account executive for an additional listing.
Recycled Content and Packaging: Choose items with post-consumer waste content. Reputable manufactures will state the percentage of post-consumer waste content in their product. When possible, choose items with a minimum of 30% post-consumer waste content Use filters in the on-line catalog to quickly find and isolate those items designated as having recycled content or go to the ‘Green Tab’ that lists all 6,000 plus sku’s. Many items are also offered with pre-consumer waste content. Although postconsumer is the preferred choice, pre-consumer is still a viable option when making your purchasing decision. When given the option, avoid retail packaging. Retail packaging goes directly to the waste stream, increasing the materials sent to landfills and consumes more energy in production. 12/11/2014
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Many commercial office products are provided in bulk packaging designed to reduce or eliminate outer packaging waste. When applicable to your volume, use bulk packaging. Identifying recycled and environmentally friendly products Look for the chasing arrows symbol. This widely used symbol is used to identify items with recycled content. Look for percentage of recycled content. (Choose post-consumer first). Ask for an order guide or catalog that isolates or lists the recycled and environmentally friendly products offering. Look for products that are refillable or have a reusable character. Develop and utilize a “green” order guide or shopping list that clearly identifies those green items preferred by your department.
VI. Health and Safety Concerns In the following discussion, health and safety concerns are addressed as they relate to the procurement of office products and related items. Is there anything dangerous or unhealthy about the goods or products on the Price Agreement(s) that I should be aware of? Any products containing chemical compounds have MSDS sheets available. If you have health concerns related to chemical exposure from office products, contact the vendor MetroOfficeSolutions or manufacturer and request a copy of the MSDS sheet.
VII. Sustainability DAS is the main resource for achieving and maintaining sustainable practices for state government. To that end, DAS has created a sustainability plan. These Price Agreement(s) are one of the first steps toward achieving the Governor’s goals and DAS’s objectives. • DAS will measure progress toward achieving the three most important goals pertinent to the purchase of office products and related items. These are: Greenhouse Gas Emissions: By 2010, stop the growth of greenhouse gas emissions; by 2020, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below 1990 levels; by 2050, reduce emissions to 75 percent below 1990 levels, and fully stabilize and eliminate their negative impacts. Energy Consumption: By 2015, reduce energy consumption by 20 percent (using the baseline of energy consumed in 2000). Purchasing Strategies: 12/11/2014
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•
DAS SPO will collaborate and coordinate on regional purchasing strategies to harness purchasing power and maximize environmental and economic value. In addition, DAS SPO will develop a program to ensure that all state agencies “green the supply chain” by ensuring that the state uses its purchasing power to stimulate production of more sustainable products and services. For further information, refer to: o DAS Sustainability Plan on the DAS website at http://oregon.gov/DAS/docs/businessplans/2006_strategic_plan.pdf o Climate Savers information at http://www.climatesaverscomputing.org/ o Responsible Purchasing Network at http://www.responsiblepurchasing.org/ o EPEAT at www.epeat.net/ o Green Seal at www.greenseal.org/ o Energy Star http://www.energystar.gov/
VII. End of Life When making purchasing decisions related to office products, end of life should be considered as part of the decision making process. Many states and municipalities have established e-waste mandates. These mandates regulate the disposal of electronics. However, many items defined as office products are not regulated by state issued mandates as of now. This means that the authorized purchaser is left to control the purchasing process and the disposal process. OEM Toners are built with end of life in mind. An empty OEM toner cartridge returned to the factory is disassembled and re-purposed. None of the core components of an OEM toner end up in a landfill. The plastic parts are ground up and used to produce new cartridges. The metals are all reclaimed, as are other components. This is one example of how choosing the right product based on end of life can impact our landfills and lower our carbon footprint.
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