{"id":9913,"date":"2025-09-15T09:02:23","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T13:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sovra.com\/?p=9913"},"modified":"2025-09-15T09:02:23","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T13:02:23","slug":"city-of-seguin-expanding-competition-and-modernizing-procurement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sovra.com\/fr\/success-story\/city-of-seguin-expanding-competition-and-modernizing-procurement\/","title":{"rendered":"City of Seguin: Expanding Competition and Modernizing Procurement"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Seguin, one of Texas\u2019s oldest cities, is a rapidly growing hub in Guadalupe County with a strong economy built on manufacturing and education. Like many historic communities, Seguin understands the importance of embracing modernization to serve its residents and businesses.<\/p>

Situation:<\/span> Paper Bids and Limited Competition<\/strong><\/h2>

When Ashley Bruns joined the City of Seguin\u2019s purchasing team in 2023, the city was still accepting only paper bids that had to be physically dropped off. The process discouraged vendor participation, resulting in only a handful of bids, sometimes as few as three or four, for each solicitation. Fewer bidders meant higher costs and limited competition.<\/p>

\u201cWe were only accepting paper bids,\u201d Bruns recalled. \u201cWe weren\u2019t getting a variety of responses, and that meant we were paying more. My goal was to get more bids in, more competition, and save money for the City.\u201d<\/p>

The lack of vendor access meant the City of Seguin not only struggled with competition but also faced rising costs with every cycle. \u201cWhen bids went out, there was always a huge increase,\u201d said Bruns. \u201cWe needed a way to open things up and level the playing field.\u201d<\/p>

Solution:<\/span> A User-Friendly Digital Platform<\/strong><\/h2>

At the TxPPA procurement conference, Seguin started exploring several providers. Cost, ease of use, and vendor accessibility were top priorities. Many systems required heavy setup or complex build-outs. SOVRA stood out with a user-friendly interface, competitive pricing, and a straightforward transition to digital bidding.<\/p>

\u201cAs soon as we were done with training, I was able to go in and immediately start updating bids,\u201d said Bruns. \u201cWithin six months, we were completely digital, including vendors submitting proposals and bids.\u201d<\/p>

SOVRA also provided vendor-facing resources that eased the transition: printed registration guides, step-by-step instructions, and media toolkits to spread the word on social channels. \u201cWe thought it would be hard for our vendors to get on board, but we actually had no issues,\u201d Bruns noted. \u201cBy the end of six months, it was just the norm.\u201d<\/p>

Outcomes for Seguin<\/strong><\/h2>
  • More Competition, Better Value<\/strong>
    The results were immediate. Seguin now receives double or triple the number of bids compared to its paper-based past. A long-standing transformer contract that used to attract just four vendors now brings in nine, sometimes sixteen, including responses from outside Texas and even overseas.

    \u201cWe used to think three or four bids was good,\u201d said Bruns. \u201cNow we\u2019re consistently seeing much higher numbers, and that competition keeps our costs steady and predictable.\u201d

    Instead of unpredictable spikes, pricing has leveled. \u201cWe\u2019re not necessarily seeing big decreases, but we\u2019re not seeing huge increases either,\u201d Bruns explained. \u201cIt\u2019s plateaued. We know what to expect, and that helps us budget with confidence.\u201d<\/li>
  • Stronger Recordkeeping and Transparency<\/strong>
    Where filing cabinets once overflowed with paper, SOVRA now provides a centralized, digital record. Open records requests are fulfilled in minutes with a simple download, rather than hours of searching, scanning, and emailing.<\/li>
  • Streamlined Workflows<\/strong>
    Procurement no longer needs to manage every step of the process. Departments can review and respond to vendor questions directly in the system, freeing purchasing staff to focus on higher-value work.<\/li>
  • Responsive Support<\/strong>
    From implementation to daily use, Seguin highlights SOVRA\u2019s customer service as a differentiator. \u201cEven during a live bid opening, I was able to call and get immediate help,\u201d Bruns shared. \u201cThat level of support has been amazing.\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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    \u201cAs soon as we were done with training, I was able to go in and immediately start updating bids. Within six months, we were completely digital, including vendors submitting proposals and bids.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Ashley Bruns<\/strong>, Purchasing Manager, City of Seguin<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Lessons Learned:<\/span> Don\u2019t Wait to Modernize<\/strong><\/h2>

    Bruns encourages other municipalities still reliant on paper and manual processes to take the leap.<\/p>

    \u201cMy advice is just jump in. It\u2019s 2025, and vendors are ready. Moving to digital opened Seguin up to more competitive bids and fairer processes, and it\u2019s saving the City money. I would do it all over again today.\u201d<\/p>

    For Ashley and the team at the City of Seguin, their modernization journey has only just begun, but the foundation is strong.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Seguin, one of Texas\u2019s oldest cities, is a rapidly growing hub in Guadalupe County with a strong economy built on manufacturing and education. Like many historic communities, Seguin understands the importance of embracing modernization to serve its residents and businesses. Situation: Paper Bids and Limited Competition When Ashley Bruns joined the City of Seguin\u2019s purchasing team in 2023, the city was still accepting only paper bids that had to be physically dropped off. The process discouraged vendor participation, resulting in only a handful of bids, sometimes as few as three or four, for each solicitation. Fewer bidders meant higher costs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9914,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"positioning":[58],"class_list":["post-9913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-success-story","positioning-public-sector"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sovra.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sovra.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sovra.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sovra.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sovra.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9913"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sovra.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9913\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sovra.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sovra.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sovra.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sovra.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9913"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sovra.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=9913"},{"taxonomy":"positioning","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sovra.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/positioning?post=9913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}