Covendis News & Views

Covendis' Managed Services Provider (MSP) Program and Vendor Management Solution (VMS) Goes Live with the State of Oregon

Covendis, the leading vendor-neutral Managed Services Provider (MSP) for the commercial and public sectors, has recently gone live with its Information Technology MSP program for the State of Oregon as scheduled.

Covendis was selected from a competitive field following a request for proposal. The IT MSP program provides a broad range of both hourly (Staff Augmentation) and project (Deliverables-Based) information technology services to the State of Oregon’s agencies and Oregon Cooperative Procurement Program (ORCPP) members. The Covendis Vendor Management Solution (VMS) provides an easy-to-use Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) that automates and streamlines key processes of the IT MSP program, including Opportunity Management, Competitive Bidding, Screening and Selection, Time, Expense, and Deliverables Management, Invoice Presentment & Payment, Reporting and Workflow Management, all in a single, fully-integrated platform.

Raymond Tsao, Covendis’ President and Chief Executive Officer stated “We are thrilled to have been selected by the State of Oregon to take its IT MSP program to the next level. Innovation in our products and programs is the key to the success of our MSP offering. For example, the ability of our Vendor Management Solution (VMS), enabling each of the state agencies and affiliates to configure and operate the VMS in a way that meets their unique business and reporting requirements – plus our experience and high touch approach to managing both hourly and deliverables-based projects, makes it easier for the State to engage and manage critical IT services for its stakeholders and citizens. We’re also proud that we’ve been able to work in partnership with the State to develop an innovative approach to better manage and mitigate risk while also allowing local and small businesses to participate directly in our open subcontractor network.”

To learn more about the IT MSP program, or to apply to join the subcontractor network, please contact Covendis at 1-855-COVENDIS (1-855-268-3634), or at ORMSP@covendis.com.

About Covendis

Since 1999, Covendis has helped companies and government organizations buy services more quickly and efficiently. Covendis clients have saved money, standardized and automated key processes, and gained greater visibility across the enterprise. Covendis, a vendor-neutral company, has over 10 years of experience managing Vendor Management Solutions (VMS) and Managed Service Programs (MSP) in North America, Europe, and Asia, and owns and operates its own technology platform.

Covendis Vendor Management Solution (VMS) Saves the State of Georgia Fifteen Percent (15%) in Temporary IT Staffing

Covendis, the leader in Vendor Management Solutions (VMS) and Managed Services Programs (MSP) for the commercial and public sectors, currently manages the State of Georgia’s temporary staffing for Information Technology (IT). In the November 2010 issue of “Supply Chain Management Review”, Brad Douglas, the State of Georgia’s Commissioner, Department of Administrative Services (DOAS) cited IT staffing rate reductions of fifteen percent (15%), one of the State’s major accomplishments in its procurement transformation initiative.

Raymond Tsao, Covendis’ President and Chief Executive Officer stated “We are extremely pleased that we have been able to effectively partner with our clients in bringing about real change along with significant hard dollar savings. The taxpayers are the real beneficiaries when our clients are able to use their dollars more efficiently in delivering critical and important services. What is impressive is that Covendis has been able to produce these savings without having to apply rate cards, which many organizations have found to be problematic and restricting. The Covendis VMS and MSP programs are highly innovative and are able to effectively and efficiently bring competition to the process of procuring services in an easy-to-use solution without a lot of bells and whistles which, in our experience, generally don’t work.”

Check out the article

About Covendis

Since 1999, Covendis has helped companies and government organizations buy services more quickly and efficiently. Covendis clients have saved money, standardized and automated key processes, and gained greater visibility across the enterprise. Covendis, a vendor-neutral company, has over 10 years of experience managing Vendor Management Solutions (VMS) and Managed Services Programs (MSP) in North America, Europe, and Asia, and owns and operates its own technology platform. To learn more about Covendis, please contactus at info@covendis.com or call us at 1-866-COVENDIS.

Covendis VMS Program Highlighted in Senate Budget Committee Hearing on Improving Performance

Covendis, a leading Vendor Management Solution (VMS) for the commercial and public sectors, was highlighted in a Senate subcommittee hearing: “Data-Driven Performance: Using Technology to Deliver Results.” The subcommittee hearing featured testimony by Brad Douglas, The State of Georgia’s Commissioner, Department of Administrative Services (DOAS).

The Covendis VMS program for the State of Georgia was highlighted for ensuring the completion of routine and periodic background checks on the State’s information technology (IT) contractors, something that had not been completed on a regular basis prior to Covendis.

Raymond Tsao, Covendis’ President and Chief Executive Officer stated “IT contractors have access to some of the most sensitive personal and financial information of an organization’s personnel, clients, and, in the case of the State, it’ citizens. Background checks are an important component of ensuring the security and integrity of that information, but are often overlooked or performed manually or sporadically. The Covendis Vendor Management Solution (VMS) and Managed Services Program (MSP) provides and efficient and effective way to standardize and automate critical parts of the onboarding and offboarding process and management of contractors. We’re pleased that our program has been recognized in public testimony as a way to improve organization effectiveness, something that can be applied to both the public and private sectors.”

Check out the hearing here 

About Covendis

Since 1999, Covendis has helped companies and government organizations buy services more quickly and efficiently. Covendis clients have saved money, standardized and automated key processes, and gained greater visibility across the enterprise. Covendis, a vendor-neutral company, has over 10 years of experience managing Vendor Management Solutions (VMS) and Managed Services Programs (MSP) in North America, Europe, and Asia, and owns and operates its own technology platform. To learn more about Covendis, please contact us at info@covendis.com or call us at 1-866-COVENDIS.

Covendis Goes Live with the State of Nebraska

Following the successful launch of Vendor Management Services (VMS) for the State of Georgia, Covendis Technologies is pleased to announce the formal implementation of government procurement services for the State of Nebraska on May 1, 2009.  As the State’s VMS, Covendis will manage all IT staffing contractors and consultants as well as the selection and management of the preferred IT staffing vendors. The Covendis VMS implementation was successfully completed in less than 30 days and has resulted in a more streamlined and efficient process of IT Staffing for the State of Nebraska.

By utilizing the Covendis web-based, vendor-neutral procurement solution, State of Nebraska agencies can take advantage of Covendis’ VMS model, which enables greater transparency, competitive bidding, and visibility enabling the State to track every dollar spent and saved on IT staffing. Contractors and consultants can allocate their time and expenses to numerous funding and billing codes, thereby improving the speed and accuracy of the invoicing payment and reconciliation process. Customized reports are also available for managers within the agency to view spending trends.  Covendis met and exceeded the state’s goals by identifying strategic solutions to reduce the costs of current and future temporary IT staff while improving the overall quality of the temporary IT staff.

Covendis among the Top Contractors for the State of Georgia

Covendis Technologies has earned a place among the top contractors for the State of Georgia in the past fiscal year, according to an analysis of State Accounting Office payments by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. For its implementation of the state’s Vendor Management Services (VMS) program, Covendis was paid $49.6 million, coming in 16th on the list of top 20 state contractors. It currently serves as an interface connecting nearly 100 staffing agencies to 49 state departments and organizations, which permits the state to conduct the entire services procurement process online.

While Bert Brantley, a spokesman for the governor’s office, insists “…the old days of quid pro quo are over,” many of the top state contractors continue to make large political contributions and employ teams of lobbyists. Covendis takes a different approach. Raymond Tsao, CEO of Covendis, explains, “One of our strengths is that we are vendor neutral. While we make charitable donations, our overall philosophy is to keep costs low so that savings can be passed along to the client and, in this case, the taxpayer.”

There has been an emphasis in recent years on the competitive bidding process for state contracts, as the governor’s office has sought limit the influence of lobbyists. Covendis has benefited from this trend. They beat out a number of other companies who were competing for the contract by offering a program that allows the State of Georgia to save a majority of the fees it was paying to its previous supplier, while significantly streamlining the services procurement process, and adding functionality and value-added services.

Check out the article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Article Original Posted: August 31, 2008

About Covendis

Since 1999, Covendis has helped companies and government organizations buy services more quickly and efficiently. Covendis clients have saved money, standardized and automated key processes, and gained greater visibility across the enterprise. Covendis, a vendor-neutral company, has over 10 years of experience managing Vendor Management Solutions (VMS) and Managed Services Programs (MSP) in North America, Europe, and Asia, and owns and operates its own technology platform. To learn more about Covendis, please contact us at info@covendis.com or call us at 1-866-COVENDIS.

Covendis Technologies Goes Live with the State of Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia, February 6, 2008- Covendis Technologies announced that it has gone live with its Vendor Management Service (VMS) with the State of Georgia on July 1, 2007. As the State’s VMS program, Covendis will manage nearly 100 IT staffing agencies for Georgia’s 49 statewide agencies and organizations. Covendis scored the highest in a competitive bidding process among several companies vying for the state-wide contract. Following the implementation, the State of Georgia will save over half on fees charged by the previous VMS supplier.

“We are extremely pleased to have been able to implement this e-procurement program in under six weeks for the State, despite the requirements to provide tailored workflow and invoicing capabilities for over 2 dozen State agencies” said Covendis CEO Raymond Tsao. “This was made possible by our multi-tenant, multi-landlord Covendis Services Procurement platform which will now provide great savings and process efficiencies for the State of Georgia and its taxpayers.”

By using Covendis, the State of Georgia can choose the best IT staffing candidates to provide services at the best pricing while eliminating paperwork and improving efficiency at each point in the process. The entire services procurement process- e-requisitioning, approvals, competitive bidding, onboarding, time and expense management, consolidated invoicing- can all be conducted online.

State agencies can take advantage of Covendis’s customizable billing features. Contractors can allocate their time and expenses to numerous funding and billing codes, thereby improving the speed and accuracy of the invoicing payment and reconciliation process. Customized reports are also available for managers within the agency to view spending trends.

“Each State agency has its own unique requirements, including workflow, budgets, funding sources, and invoicing.” said Tsao. “Being able to automate and put the entire process online without forcing the agencies to adopt a single process with manual work-arounds is the key to improving quality, speed and savings for the State.”

About Covendis

Since 1999, Covendis has helped companies and government organizations buy services more quickly and efficiently. Covendis clients have saved money, standardized and automated key processes, and gained greater visibility across the enterprise. Covendis, a vendor-neutral company, has over 10 years of experience managing Vendor Management Solutions (VMS) and Managed Services Programs (MSP) in North America, Europe, and Asia, and owns and operates its own technology platform. To learn more about Covendis, please contact us at info@covendis.com or call us at 1-866-COVENDIS.