Strategic Goals and Benefits

OhioBuys is the State of Ohio’s online purchasing solution that empowers both government buyers and interested suppliers. OhioBuys leverages innovative technologies to increase efficiency, opportunities, and participation with businesses in Ohio.

Operated by the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, OhioBuys is currently available to many State agencies.  OhioBuys will continue to grow, expanding to include other State agencies, boards and commissions, local governments, and higher education institutions.

Learn more about the OhioBuys Journey from Chief Procurement Officer Kelly Sanders and eProcurement Manager Andrew Cochran on the NASPO Pulse Podcast: Don't Stop Believin'!

OhioBuys for Agencies

OhioBuys provides the primary platform for agency employees to perform procurement activities, including purchasing goods and services provided by supplier partners, releasing bid opportunities, and managing contract events.

The OhioBuys shopping experience includes: 

• Catalogs of Goods and Services: A sampling of goods and services is available for purchase, including batteries, clothing, footwear, general hardware, gloves, ink and toner cartridges, IT equipment pickup and disposal/delivery services, laboratory supplies, office supplies, soaps, and hand sanitizers, writing utensils and eSignature transactions.
• Additional Catalogs: Additional catalogs are continually loaded.
• Guided Buying: Indicators make it easy to find catalog items from requisite programs, as well as those available on mandatory contracts, MBE set-aside contracts, contracts with multiple dealers capable of providing the items, and agency-administered contracts.
• Improved Search: Search for items from State contracts and direct purchase catalogs, then place an order. Use "Favorites" to save frequently purchased items.
• Comparison Shopping: Compare multiple items and features side-by-side.
• Pricing Options: Tiered pricing features and options.

Agencies can use the Procure to Pay functionality, which includes:

• Requisition and Purchase Order Creation: Create requisitions, route approvals, and budget checks seamlessly generate/dispatch purchase orders and send to suppliers through OhioBuys.
• Quick Quoting: Utilize quick quoting to solicit suppliers for products and services.
• Automation: Leverage automated workflows to rout items for approval, as well as dashboard capabilities to track activities. 
• Integrated Steps: Seamless linkage across order-through-pay transactions; increasing compliance with automation and routing to the proper authorities. 
• Receiving: Create receipts for goods and services.
• Invoicing: Receive invoices within the system to pair with Purchase Order.

Agencies can now centralize their Solicitation and Contract Management in OhioBuys:

• Integrated Steps: Create solicitations, award and manage contracts, and measure spend, all in one place.
• Integrated Review: All members of a team, including approvers and legal counsel, can review and annotate solicitations and contracts from within OhioBuys. 
• Electronic Signature: Utilize OneSpan Sign in OhioBuys to complete all contract signatures.

 Agencies can now leverage the Data Analytics activity:

• Data Analysis: Allows agencies to create customized reports or review existing reports to track procurement spend and workflow activities across various dimensions (e.g. contracts, commodities, date, supplier, etc.).

OhioBuys for Bidders and Suppliers

Bidders and Suppliers are critical to OhioBuys' success. We want you as a supplier enrolled and active in our solution, so you can provide:

• Accurate contact information
• Responses to quick quotes and public opportunities
• Reviews and acknowledgment of purchase orders
• Advance Shipping Notices (ASNs) and manage returns
• Catalogs that can be directly posted and managed
• Direct Contracts so a catalog can be loaded without a State Contract (Suppliers will agree to standard terms and conditions)

OhioBuys for Co-Ops

OhioBuys is currently available to fourteen State agencies. OhioBuys will continue to grow, expanding to include other State agencies, local governments, and higher education institutions.

OhioBuys will begin to become available for our Cooperative Purchasing Program (Co-op) members in 2023. We completed a pilot with the following Co-ops in the fall of 2020.

Thank you to our pilot Co-op members, including:

• Amherst Exempted Village Schools
• City of Springfield
• City of Piqua
• Cleveland Metroparks
• Columbus Regional Airport Authority
• Fayette County
• Southwest Ohio Regional Transport Authority
• Tuscarawas County Commissioners 

OhioBuys for Boards and Commissions

OhioBuys is currently available to certain Boards and Commissions who need to complete a limited list of functionality in the solution.  OhioBuys will continue to grow, expanding to include other local governments in 2023.

Thank you to our initial Boards and Commissions!

OhioBuys Rollout Strategy

OhioBuys is being rolled out in phases. The initial phase (Phase 1) included three releases with Early Adopter Agencies from 2017 through early 2021. Phase 2 was completed in May 2022, and Phase 3 will start in July 2022.

Phase 1

Phase 1.5

These organizations were brought into OhioBuys in the spring of 2020 to leverage a limited set of functionalities, including:

• Request to Purchase submissions to DAS
• Posting Public Solicitations
• Filing a Supplier Exception (formerly CTV).

They will be fully onboarded and have access to full functionality in OhioBuys at a later date.

Phase 2

Phase 3

More information to come.