Department of Purchasing and Supply Management Organization
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Overview.
The Fairfax County Purchasing Resolution stipulates that the director of the Department of Purchasing and Supply Management shall be the County Purchasing Agent and charges the director to "carry out the principles of modern central purchasing and supply management in accordance with applicable laws and regulations…" The resolution also specifically assigns the director "oversight responsibility over all county warehouses and storerooms" and the responsibility of "maintaining the County and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) fixed assets accountability program."
The director has organized the department into three primary branches: Administration, Purchasing and Supply Management, and Systems and Customer Service. The County Small Business Program also reports to the director in a staff relationship. The department is staffed by 52 employees and uses County and Schools Purchasing System (Walker Interactive System - Purchase Order, Inventory Management, and Accounts Payable modules) to manage the purchasing and supply management function.
Administration
The Administration Branch provides leadership, managerial oversight, and administrative support. This includes performing the function of Purchasing Agent for the county Board of Supervisors and the Fairfax County Public School Board. The Administration Branch also provides internal staff support to the DPSM employees to include all human resources support and fiscal management activities. These activities are intricately interwoven into the overall operation of the department.
The Administration Branch supports the director's role of providing procurement policy direction for all County departments and FCPS. The Branch keeps abreast of all procurement regulation changes, both at the state and federal level, and ensures all regulatory requirements are included in the Fairfax County Purchasing Resolution.
Purchasing and Supply Management
The Purchasing and Supply Management Branch is headed by the deputy director, DPSM. The branch is subdivided into two divisions: Purchasing and Warehouse
Contracts
The Contracts Division provides central purchasing and contract management support for the acquisition of goods and services for Fairfax County agencies, Fairfax County Public Schools, and other assigned Boards and Authorities. This service is provided through the competitive process as mandated by the Virginia Public Procurement Act and Fairfax County Purchasing Resolution. The Branch is divided into two teams of professional buyers who are authorized to approve purchase orders against contracts up to $50,000 in value.
Warehouse
The Central Warehouse, located at 6800A Industrial Road, Springfield, Virginia serves as a storage facility and distribution service for County department’s consigned goods, for the County’s electronic voting machines, and supplies and materials for the Office for Children’s School Age Child Care Program (SACC). County Library books for new and renovated facilities are stored at the warehouse prior to being put into circulation. Central Warehouse staff pick-up, sort, and redistribute Fairfax County Public Library books each day to the 21 library branches. In addition, the Central Warehouse manages County property that is declared excess by a department or surplus by the County and ensures its proper disposal; this includes redistribution, sale, or destruction.
Systems and Customer Service
Systems and Customer Service provides systems management and administration for all county and FCPS users of the mainframe-based County and Schools Procurement System (CASPS) as well as management and technical oversight of the department's Local Area Network (LAN), Internet and Intranet Web sites, Procurement Card Program, and electronic commerce initiatives.
The Branch serves as the trainng and oversight arm of the Director with a formal Procurement Assistance and Compliance Program designed to ensure agency compliance with the delegated procurement functions, consumable inventory management, and property management.
Vendor Relations Division
A 1981 Board of Supervisors mandate created the Vendor Relations Division (VRD) and assigned the director, DPSM, responsibility for increasing the participation of small and minority business community in county procurement activities. The VRD primary functions are to ensure that small businesses, minority-owned businesses and women-owned businesses are treated fairly and have an opportunity to compete for the county's contract dollars. The VRD engages in a variety of outreach efforts, including counseling and assistance, which are intended to maximize prime and subcontract opportunities for small, minority-owned businesses and women-owned businesses.
The VRD has additional responsibility of providing staff support to the Small Business Commission appointed by the Board of Supervisors.