States Buy E-Procurement from AMS, Accenture

American Management Systems Inc. of Fairfax, Va., has launched the first phase of an electronic procurement system for the state of Virginia, the company announced.

Six state agencies are to be included in the initial phase, said AMS and state officials. In July, the state will expand the system to include more than 100 agencies.

The six state agencies are the departments of Accounts, General Services, Health, State Police and Treasury, and the Virginia Community College System.

The project, called eVA, will eventually provide electronic purchasing through a portal for all state agencies, local governments and higher education institutions.

So far the project has attracted more than 200 vendors in the first 30 days of marketing, said Donna Morea, executive vice president and general manager of AMS' state and local solutions group.

Although there is no user fee to access eVA, vendors must pay the state a 1 percent transaction fee per order, state officials said. The project is funded through a revenue sharing plan that between Virginia and AMS.

Meanwhile, California unveiled its new electronic procurement system March 7. The e-procurement system, known as CAL-Buy, was developed by Accenture of Chicago.

CAL-Buy will allow the California Department of General Services and the agencies it serves to make complex acquisitions and place routine orders on the Internet at prearranged prices, said Accenture and state officials.

During its first phase, CAL-Buy is expected to consolidate purchasing and the use of existing commodity contracts negotiated by the Department of General Services, they said.