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Top 10 Reasons to use TIPS

Why TIPS? 

Top 10 Differentiators in the Cooperative Marketplace That Makes TIPS Unique

As all TIPS Members and Suppliers will attest, the reasons why schools, municipalities, universities and non-profits across the United States use a cooperative contract are to save time, save money and procure the solution(s) that they want in a compliant manner.

With all of the cooperative contract solutions available, the question is often times asked, why TIPS?  I have taken the time to put together the top 10 Reasons (Differentiators) to use TIPS as your Cooperative. 

Why Top 10?  Well, according to Mallory Jean Tenore of the Poynter Institute, https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2011/the-top-10-reasons-that-top-10-lists-are-so-popular-with-journalists-readers/, she interviewed Rex Sorgatz and Stuart Fischoff, an expert in media psychology.   Here is what she summarized as the Top 10 list of why people like Top 10 lists.  They are:

  1. They make us smarter
  2. They’re memorable
  3. They’re nostalgic and futuristic
  4. They explain and order our experience
  5. They’re cocktail chatter
  6. They rank our views
  7. They express opinions
  8. They capture cultures
  9. They’re practical
  10. They’re motivational

So without any further ado, here is our Top 10 Reasons (Differentiators) to use TIPS as your Cooperative:

  1. A Team that is 100% dedicated to supporting the construction contracts of TIPS.  The TIPS Construction Team is there to support both Member Agencies with questions that they have in purchasing labor solution contracts AND Supplier Partners to be more effective in their cooperative selling efforts.
  1. Investment in Associations to continue to assist to evangelize the message of cooperative purchasing and staying in tune with legislative topics related to cooperatives.  See our Partnership with National Cooperative Procurement Partners (NCPP), the Professional Association for Cooperative Procurement, www.ncppassociation.org.
  1. An E-Marketplace that will roll out soon that makes it easier for Members to purchase compliant competed solutions and provides Suppliers more exposure and access inside the walls of each Member we serve.
  1. Connecting Buyers and Suppliers with Portals.  Our Vendor and Member Portals provide a wealth of information that many of you may not be aware of.  We also have other platforms to help make connections.
  1. A Director of Quality Assurance that has over 24 years of experience.  Meredith Barton has returned to TIPS in this role and is poised to add yet another layer as to why Members will want to work with TIPS on their construction related initiatives.  She will be putting into place new processes, training and interviewing Members and Suppliers Operational Teams to help ensure successful projects.  TIPS Construction is reinvesting Admin fees that are paid via our contracts back into the business to help ensure an even greater Member experience.
  1. A Compliance Program to ensure TIPS Contract Pricing continues to be enhanced.  Gene Hawk Is the Construction Compliance Manager with 30+ years of experience in construction and complaint contracts.  As a Member Agency, you may not know this but when you send your construction contract or PO into Compliance@tipsconstruction.com OR TIPSPO@Tips-USA.com, prior to giving it to the Supplier, TIPS will request from the Supplier the appropriate and acceptable line-item pricing so we can verify that the project is complaint with their TIPS Contract.
  1. Attendance and targeted National and Regional Shows.  At the recent NIGP show in Boston, TIPS was one of only 3 national cooperatives that had a “section of suppliers”.  In addition, TIPS had two booths, including a Construction Contract Booth!   In addition, we are present at targeted regional trade shows across the country.
  1. Rebate Programs.  Our strategic rebate programs are another way that we give back to agencies / associations that promote our cooperative contracts.
  1. Program Managers.  We have one of the largest teams of Program Managers working regionally in the areas that they cover, meeting with Members and Suppliers and providing them TIPS Cooperative guidance.
  1. Private Sector Opportunities with affiliate Affinity Partners GPO.  This private sector GPO is one of only two in the industry that is tied to a national cooperative.  It also has a Team of Membership Development Managers, a Marketing Team, Selling Tools and a soon to be rolled out, E-Marketplace.  The ultimate benefit is more opportunities for our suppliers and ultimately leveraging even more buying power and savings for all TIPS and Affinity Partners Members.  For more information, please go to: https://affinitypartnersgpo.com/

Hopefully this Top 10 list is all of the things referenced earlier about Top 10 lists but most notably, is memorable, and explains “why TIPS” and how we are different, is futuristic as to what cooperative contract to use in the future and, most importantly, is motivational to use TIPS Contracts to purchase and sell in the future. 

Future NEWSLETTER ARTICLES will highlight each of the Top 10 in more detail.  If you have any questions about any of these, please feel free to reach out direct to us at info@tipsconstruction.com.