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Board authorizes piggyback on Western States procurement after vendor appeal
Summary
After a public comment from local vendor Omnipro Systems, the board approved staff authorization to piggyback on a Western States Contracting Alliance IT procurement process, with staff saying price advantages motivated the choice over a district-specific RFP.
The San Francisco Board of Education approved a staff recommendation to piggyback on the Western States Contracting Alliance (WSCA) for a district IT procurement after hearing public comment from Omnipro Systems.
Ranjan de Costa, chief executive officer of Omnipro Systems, told the board he has supplied SFUSD with HP desktops and laptops since 2007 and asked for "a fair chance" after learning the district intended to move to a different vendor. "After almost seven years of working with the district... I wanted to earnestly request a hearing," de Costa said.
Chief Technology Officer Matt Kinsey explained the district’s procurement options: run a district-run open RFP or piggyback on another public agency’s competitively bid contract. Kinsey said the WSCA pricing was generally lower and that purchasing and IT recommended piggybacking for price reasons. "So what we're asking for tonight is a piggyback on the open bid process done by another organization," Kinsey said.
Commissioner Moffett pressed staff to explain why the Alliance was chosen and whether the district had an open-bid alternative. Kinsey confirmed the district's contract with Omnipro had expired and that using WSCA was judged to be more cost-effective. The board approved the item on roll-call, recorded as six ayes.
The authorization allows district staff to use the WSCA contract to procure equipment and services rather than conduct an independent district solicitation; staff said the choice was driven by anticipated lower pricing. Omnipro's CEO said he has a meeting scheduled with the district CIO and HP vendor staff and asked the board to consider local-business impacts.
