Purchasing Survey for School Districts for Furniture
Contact Person-Harry Watt, NC State University, 704-880-5034, harry_watt@ncsu.edu
132 Beckham Road, Statesville, North Carolina 28625
Survey Contact Information and School District Statistics
1-School district name
2-Contact person name/title
3-Department
4-Mailing address
5-Phone number
6-Email address
7-School district website
8-Are you a member of a professional
purchasing society or association?
If so, which one?
9-Number of students
10-Number of schools
11-# of new schools in last 4 years
12-Number of purchase orders in last
four years for furniture products
13-$ Total for last four years for
furniture products
Wooden Furniture
14-What is your preference for wooden furniture relative to metal and plastic without looking at price?
(Please circle one).
Lower
1
2
Same
3
4
Higher
5
15-What is your preference for wooden furniture relative to metal and plastic when looking at price?
(Please circle one).
Lower
1
1
2
Same
3
4
Higher
5
16-Of the following wood species for wooden school furniture, what is your preference for each
species? (Please mark + or -)
Wood species
Oak
Cherry
Maple
Yellow poplar
Pine
Birch
Beech
Sweet gum
Positive
Negative
No preference
17-What is your preference of painted furniture as compared to stained or clear finish wooden
furniture? (Please circle one).
Less
1
2
Same
3
More
5
4
18-What is your preference of domestic versus imported made wooden furniture? (Please circle one).
Less
1
2
Same
3
4
More
5
19-Where in school facilities do you think wooden furniture should be preferred versus metal and plastic
furniture? (Please check all that apply).


Staff offices
Classrooms


Libraries and media rooms
Dining halls


Art and craft rooms
Assembly rooms
20-Would it be helpful for wooden furniture manufacturers to support their products with the following:
(Please check all that apply).



Posters of forestry and trees
Use local wood species
Innovative designs



School logos and designs on furniture pieces
Identify the type of wood on each piece of furniture
Use strips alternate dark and light wood for desk tops
21-Do you have a preference for the following wooden furniture construction?
Positive, negative or no preference
2
Wood Construction Type
Solid Lumber
Melamine paper over particleboard
Veneer over particleboard
Veneer over veneer core
Plastic laminate (like Formica) over particleboard
22-What can wooden furniture manufacturers provide that you would find helpful when purchasing
furniture?
23-What is your opinion of wood as compared to metal and plastic in terms of being “Green” and
“Sustainable”? (Please circle one)
Less
1
2
Same
3
4
More
5
Purchasing Policies
24-Please describe the process of how you buy furniture for new facilities-
25-Please describe the process of how you buy replacement furniture for existing facilities-
26-Is there $ limits or thresholds that adjust how you buy furniture? If so, what are the limits?
27-Do your department’s purchasing policies encourage or require consideration of or have preferences
for specific groups or goals (Please check all that apply):



3
Diversity; small/minority-owned/women-owned
businesses
“Buy local” considerations
Utilization of state correctional/prison industries



□ Sustainability/“green”
considerations
In-state preferences
Other-please list
28-Please describe state statutes, regulations and policies that significantly impact your procurement
practices.
29-Who (what position) in your organization starts the process of buying furniture?
_________________
30-Who on the school district’s staff are included in the process of buying furniture? (Please check all
that apply).






Users like teachers and librarians
Finance personnel
Upper level administrators
Facility personnel
Principals
Others-
31-Do any outside professionals assist in the selection of furniture, if so, who are they?
____________________________________________________________________________
32-Does your purchasing department offer online information on bids, like Request-To-Bid? □ Yes □ No
33-Please feel free to describe other institutional or system policies that significantly impact your
procurement practices and ability to contain costs.
34-Over the last four years, how has the expenditures for furniture been split between furnishing new
buildings and replacements?
New construction-%
Replacements-%
Vendor Relations
35-Does your purchasing department maintain a prospective bidders list for various types of goods and
services that is different from the state approved bidders list?
□ Yes
□ No
36-If yes, then how is your prospective bidders list created? (Please check all that apply.)



4
Use vendors who have bid in the past
Use lists from other schools
Use state approved vendors



Vendors ask to be placed on the list
Use bidders in trade associations
Other-
37-Are you limited to the state approved bidders list unless for custom items?
□ Yes □ No
38-Does your unit have a manual for vendors that explain the policies and practices used to procure
goods and services?
□ Yes
□ No
General Procurement Practices
39-Does your purchasing department maintain a purchasing calendar (a listing of upcoming purchasing
events)?
□ Yes
□ No
40-Does your purchasing department buy furniture from the state’s prison industries?
□ Yes
□ No
41-Please indicate which procurement method you use most frequently for the following goods and
services. (Check one method per product category. Please leave blank if you do not procure certain
items.)
State
County/City
Cooperatively
Competitive
Product Category
Contracts*
Contracts
Bid Contracts
Bidding/RFP
Chairs and Tables
Office Furniture
Computer
Furniture
Dining Furniture
Storage Furniture
Specialty Furniture
and Accessories
Furniture Services
*Includes preferred source commodities and services from Industries for the Blind, etc.
No Bidding =
Negotiation
42-What do you think of the benefits of the state central purchasing department? (Please circle one
answer per row).
Benefits
Provide lower prices or better value
Save time and administrative costs of bidding
More choices in vendors and products
Provide better quality goods and services
Other - - please describe-
Not at all
1
1
Slight Level
2
2
Moderate Level
3
3
Great Level
4
4
1
2
3
4
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
Electronic procurement
43-Does the purchasing department have a website that includes information about how it procures
goods and services?
□ Yes
□ No
5
44-What type of information and functions are available for vendors on your website if your unit has
one? (Please check all that apply).








Purchasing policies information
On line vendor registration
Bid documents for downloading
Information on invoicing and payment
Contacts in the purchasing department
Requests to Bid
Notices of awards
Other-
45-Please indicate the tasks the procurement staff perform using the Internet or an internal network in
procuring goods and services for your unit. (Please check all that apply).






Research products and prices
Research vendors specifications
Communicate with other gov’t buyers
Make small $ furniture purchases
Accept bids and proposals online
Other-
46-What is the principal means that departments use to requisition goods and services in your unit?
(Please check one.)






Paper forms
Phone call
Emails
47-Can vendors submit bids electronically?
Electronic purchase order system
Fax
Other-
□ Yes
□ No
48-What is the average time from the publication of the contract notice to the award of the contract?
49-How are the winning bids and vendors evaluated?
50-How can bidders get information on the evaluation of bids?
51-How many days are bids held open?
52-When/how will the final choice be communicated?
53-Is it possible to receive e-mail alerts for notices of future bids?
54-Is there a standard policy for vendor certification and qualification before bids are awarded ?
□ Yes
□ No
55-Is vendor bonding necessary before bids are awarded?
6
□ Yes
□ No
Purchasing School Furniture Problems and Solutions Recommendations
56-What problems have you experienced in purchasing furniture that you feel should be addressed as a
long term reoccurring problem and what is the solution you recommend?
Problem
Recommended Solution
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your assistance in providing this information will
help us present an accurate picture of procurement practices in your school district. If you have
additional comments please list them below:
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