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OFDA - Connecting Office Furniture Dealers
Breaking News:
Urgent Action Required: Texas Dealers Unite Against State Sole-Source RFP for Office Furniture
In June the Texas Purchasing Division (TPASS) of the Office of the State Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA) in Texas quietly issued a surprise RFP (that would substitute limited-source term contracts for the long-standing Multiple Award Schedule (TXMAS) used to purchase "office furniture" (GSA -71 1).
On July 3 the CPA/TPASS also issued an RFP on "general office products" (GSA Schedule 75) that also would do away with current TXMAS schedules for that category and replace them with a sole-source contract.
Approximately 100 manufacturers, manufacturers' reps and dealers attended an informational meeting on the Texas office furniture RFP on July 8, which broke down when there was unanimous criticism of the RFP. In response to the meeting, CPA/TPASS staff have extended the bid opening deadline from July 25 to August 8, but have set firm ground-rules (no discussion of TXMAS) for a follow-up pre-bid meeting on July 24.
OFDA believes there would be serious harm to members selling in office furniture in Texas if the RFP goes forward in its present form. Hundreds of millions of dollars in state purchasing are at stake. The result could be the loss of hundreds if not thousands of jobs in Texas. OFDA urges members to take action immediately to voice their concern regarding both RFPs to their elected state and local officials ASAP during the week of July 14. OFDA has drafted a letter that members may use and customize for this purpose.
Texas office furniture dealers should attend a follow-up meeting on the office furniture RFP on Thursday, July 24 at the following location in Austin: Stephen F. Austin Office Bldg., Room 170, 1700 N. Congress Avenue.
Written questions on the office furniture RFP are due to TPASS no later than 4:00 PM on Wednesday, July 16.
Questions and comments on the RFP should be directed to James Gonzales at james.gonzalez@cpa.state.tx.us.
Mark Your Calendar: OFDA is Offering a Series of Summer Webinars
OFDA is pleased to annouce that it will be offering a series of free webinars this summer to be given by Nancy Wilber of Growth Strategy Partners. The first webinar will be on July 24, 2008, 4:00-5:00 pm (EDT). The topic for the first webinar is "Taking Your Business to the Next Level". This one hour educational event will feature:
Other webinars by Ms. Wilber will be presented in August, September, October, and December (please see schedule below). Ms. Wilber is a partner with Growth Strrategy Partners, a research based management consulting firm that diagnoses, designs and implements efficient growth strategies for entrepreneurial organizations. Ms. Wilber will be a speaker at the OFDA Fall Conference, November 12-15, 2008 in New Orleans, LA. Her two conference seminars are:
Robust Processes - Identify, define and improve core processes of your business to increase sales and profitability.
Improving Your Ability to Execute - Focus, alignment and discipline are needed to ensure you and your team are getting the job done for your clients and you are accomplishing your goals and plans.
Schedule for OFDA Webinars:
July 24 4:00-5:00 pm (EDT) - "Taking Your Business to the Next Level"
August 7 4:00-5:00 pm (EDT) - "Growth Strategy Development"
September 11 4:00-5:00 pm (EDT) - "Best Practices in Growth Planning"
October 9 4:00-5:00 pm (EDT) - "Improving Customer Relationships and Marketing"
December 11 4:00-5:00 pm (EDT) - "Getting the Right Peope in the Right Seats" Please email Billie Zidek at bzidek@iopfda.org to register for these webinars.
OFDA Sponsors:
 Interested in our sister organization, National Office Products Alliance (NOPA)? Visit their site at http://www.nopanet.org.
NOPA and OFDA are subsidiaries of the Independent Office Products and Furniture Dealers Association.
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