An audit was recently conducted on the Furniture Purchase Policy at The City of Calgary to assess whether office furniture was purchased with due regard for economy. The audit assessed:
- The contract awarded to supply furniture to The City.
- Compliance with policies governing the purchase of furniture.
- Furniture standards to ensure quality and control costs.
The audit concluded:
- Office furniture was purchased by The City with due regard for economy, supported by a competitive award process which helped The City purchase furniture at a competitive price.
- The City has furniture standards to ensure quality, to control costs, and to ensure that the standards are in keeping with CSA (Canadian Standards Association) specifications.
- Benchmarking indicates agreements with the preferred supplier provided value for money when compared to the industry.
The audit also made three recommendations:
- The City should formalize the process to extend and renew agreements to ensure decisions are supported by clear rationale as to how the extension would continue to provide value for money.
- The City should set and monitor delivery time targets as part of vendor performance for future furniture purchasing agreements.
- The City should update the Furniture Purchase Policy
For more information
A typical City of Calgary workstation includes a desk, chair, filing cabinet, storage fixtures, shelves and office panels to create cubicle areas.
