3 Things to Know About NJPA
The National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA) has cooperative contracts for Sharp copiers and a variety of products and services with the expressed purpose of making it easy for school districts, local/state/federal government agencies, and nonprofits to quickly make purchases.
NJPA is designed to cut through the red tape associated with the purchasing process. Because NJPA does the upfront work of RFPs and competitive bids, their member organizations can spend more time concentrating on what to buy.
Often, when we talk about NJPA with our customers, they think there has to be a catch. Here are three common misconceptions we can clear up when considering the use of the NJPA contracts.
#1. NJPA Covers More than just Sharp Copiers and Printers
Bringing up NJPA to customers, it is often regarding a Sharp copier – Sharp is one of the vendors already approved, vetted and negotiated by NJPA. But NJPA’s products and services don’t end there. Along with copier products, NJPA provides fleet services, phone services, office products and a whole range of things your school district, local/state/federal agency, or nonprofit likely purchases on a ongoing basis.
In addition to products and services, NJPA also provides agreements that allow you to buy, at a predetermined price, extended warranties for products you purchase. With software, for example, this maintenance agreement could cover future upgrades. Some business managers have signed off on copier purchase order from an IT manager, thinking NJPA was just about technology. When they find out how it can help all levels of the organization, there are very surprised.
#2. It’s a Government Agency
NJPA looks like a private company, but it’s a government agency. It operates under the same regulations and restrictions that its clients need to follow. That can help some people inside school districts and state agencies rest a more comfortably at night, and it can help nonprofit funding go further. NJPA understands the market dynamics that you work with every day.
#3. You May Already Have a Membership
Because the range of products and services available is so wide, many purchasing managers don’t know their organization is already an NJPA member. The folks in other parts of the organization may have already used NJPA to buy a new HVAC system, but it didn’t occur to them to tell others about the NJPA program. Because of situations like this, a lot of big organizations are members of NJPA without even knowing it. Timing is also a factor. Please give us a call and we will be happy to introduce you to the people at NJPA that can start saving you time, money, and resources on your next purchase.
For more information on membership, please click here.