10 minute read
COVER STORY
by subcusa.com
By Subcontractors USA News Provider
Where col- ing UH’s HUB commodity purchasing leges and goal. HOD revamping its annual HUB venuniversi- dor fair, taking a more targeted approach ties open doors has been vital to surge contracting opfor the Historically portunities for HUB exhibitors. For the Underutilized Busi- April 2020 HUB Vendor Fair, fiscal year ness (HUB) commu- expenditure data was used by the HOD nity through their staff to determine the types of HUB venseparate programs, dors to invite as exhibitors and targeted the University of UH staff with purchasing authority to Houston (UH) HUB attend the event. This event included Operations Depart- 34 exhibitors and 250 UH staff resulting ment (HOD) uses the in $28,859.00 being spent with HUBs. “continuous improve- “This was a great effort with predicted ment” approach, outstanding results if we were to move proving successful forward, but unfortunately, shortly afin connecting HUBs ter hosting this fair, COVID-19 impacted with this Tier One budgets and procurements. HOD howuniversity for lucrative ever, saw this as an opportunity not opportunities. Under to be stagnant, but adapt, still being the leadership of the instrumental as a department to extend Director of HUB Opera- procurement opportunities for HUBs,” tions Dr. Linelle Clark, Dr. Clark expressed. she and her team work strategically, diligently, and intentionally to identify and implement everHOD implemented the following new and changing strategies that have proven effective in increasing procurement improved activities to help increase HUB contracting opportunities for HUBs. As HOD enters a new year and adjusts to the opportunities that began FY2020: impact of COVID-19; working remotely, social distancing, staying masked up; the HOD team remains ready, willing, and able to promote the inclusion of HUB vendors in university procurements. “This unforeseen pandemic has definitely forced a change in the structure in how our department operates. But I am proud of how my team and I have stepped up, above and beyond to meet the challenge, so we continue to provide HUBs access to procurement opportunities. An example is our Building and Special Trade categories providing large opportunities for HUBs. HOD is also laser focused on the smaller spend areas such as commodities,” said Dr. Clark. Being focused on the smaller spend areas has proven beneficial in exceed• Elevating the assistance to UH departments in the identification of HUB vendors by: o Providing each college and division with a monthly HUB use report o Holding bi-annual HUB meetings with each college and division to jointly review expenditures to show missed HUB contracting opportunities and provide examples of HUBs that offer those services or commodities o Assisting college and division business offices in finding HUB vendors in needed categories o Providing all colleges with an annual HUB goal designed to stretch their prior spend rates • HOD and Information Technology developed a HUB Vendor database used by colleges and divisions for spot bid and informal bid procurements. • HOD held a Purchasing Cooperative Workshop to help HUBs aware of the benefits of being a part of a cooperative and how to become a cooperative member. • HOD created the Did You Know? quarterly newsletter containing information about contracting opportunities, answer frequently asked questions, and share tips to help facilitate access and contracting opportunities. • HOD implemented targeted HUB Vendor Fairs consisting of exhibitors that provide commodities and/or services that colleges/departments can identify a possible need for during the applicable fiscal year. • HOD in partnership with the UH Construction Management Department and National Association of Minority Contractors created a Construction Management Talent Pipeline program to increase the construction industry talent pool and provide HUBs with knowledge to help them to be more competitive as prime contractors for construction work, including UH construction projects. • HOD will host B2G trainings for contractors (primes and subcontractors) to highlight best practices and illustrate how to successfully utilize the B2GNow system. • HOD hosts kick-off events held for major construction projects organized to not only share information, but to facilitate 2-way communication between panelists and attendees. • HOD continues its HUB participation in community events.
Construction Talent Pipeline Program - HUB Operations uses data to identify gaps in services and innovative responses to help increase HUB participation. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are nearly construction job vacancies (https:// www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.t01.
their prior spend rates
HOD and Information Technology developed a HUB Vendor database used by colleges and divisions for spot bid and informal bid procurements.
HOD held a Purchasing Cooperative HUBs become aware of the benefits of being a part of a cooperative and how to become a
HOD created the Did You Know? quarterly newsletter containing information about contracting opportunities, answer frequently asked questions, and share tips to help facilitate access and contracting opportunities. implemented targeted HUB Vendor Fairs consisting of exhibitors that provide commodities and/or services that colleges/departments can identify a possible need for during the applicable
HOD in partnership with the UH Construction Management Department and National Association of Minority Contractors created a Construction Management Talent Pipeline program to increase the construction industry talent pool and provide HUBs with knowledge to help them to be more competitive as prime contractors for construction work, including UH construction projects.
HOD will host B2G trainings for contractors (primes and subcontractors) to highlight best practices and illustrate how to successfully utilize the B2GNow
HOD hosts kick-off events held for major construction projects organized to not only share information, but to facilitate 2-way communication between panelists
Construction Talent Pipeline Program - Operations uses data to identify gaps in services and innovative responses participation. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are nearly 256,000 construction job vacancies (https:// www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.t01. htm) as of April 2020---ranking as one of the business categories most in need of labor within the private sector. The labor shortage within the construction field impacts both HUBs and non-HUBs of all sizes. HUB Operations also recognizes there is a big difference between a $1M contract and a $30M contract, and there are
HUB firms interested in transitioning from being a subcontractor to a prime contractor on UH construction projects. In response, the HUB Operations staff in partnership with the UH Construction Management (CM) Department and National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC) created the Construction Management Talent Pipeline program. The program offers internships for UH students majoring in Construction Management and classes to provide HUB subcontractors with knowledge to help them to be more competitive as prime contractors for construction work, including UH construction projects. Program graduates receive 32-hours CEU's and opportunities for mentor-protégé arrangements.
HUB Vendor Database - UH has internally developed this user-friendly database that allows HUBs to self-register into the system so the UH business office staff who initiate purchases can find the HUB vendors conveniently. The database also allows the HUB Operations Department to extract applicable HUB vendor information as needed.
Cooperative Purchasing Workshop - HOD hosted this workshop to increase the small business community’s knowledge about purchasing cooperatives to potentially increase their customer base and show how UH campuses utilizing cooperatives allow staff to select vendors without additional competitive bidding.
HOD deserves to boast of its expansion that is effective, even in the midst of COVID-19, connecting HUBs to UH procurement opportunities. “Though COVID-19 has definitely brought its share of challenges, our team’s thinking outside of the box and adopting new actions have kept us ahead of the curve so the small business community is able to remain competitive in their respective areas,” Dr. Clark said.
HOD’s ability to pivot is largely credited to it being more dependent on the department’s virtual platform, as they host vendor forums, workshops, meetings, and all other services virtually. The revamping of the HUB website was a part of HOD’s improvements on the virtual end, where visitors can find detailed information about the HUB Program and additional information that will benefit both the HUB vendor and prime contractor. The website is updated on a regular basis with news of events, updates on HUB regulations as provided by the state, and instructions on how to complete required HUB documentation.
One of the many successes to their results-driven continuous improvement application is the department presenting strategies to increase HUB spending in each specific college and division based on their needs. Dr. Clark emphasizes, “This is an internal effort to increase HUB purchases within the organization by providing necessary guidelines and tools. The benefits of this strategy are illustrated from the annual HUB Contest---For FY20, The Honors College was the first-place winner with 35.7% of expenditures made with HUB vendors, exceeding the assigned FY20 HUB goal of 8.80% by 26.93%.”
In addition to HOD’s traditional support and services, other resources and initiatives are available to provide a wealth of knowledge on how to do business with UH. HOD as always, will seek to identify and respond to gaps in services to increase contracting opportunities for HUBs.
For more information on how you can do business with UH, please contact Dr. Linelle Clark, the Director of HUB Operations at 713-743-8603 or flclark-brown@uh.edu.
IT & TECHNOLOGY Hyperlink
InfoSystem Listed as One of the Top App Development Companies in Texas
By Subcontractors USA News Provider
The technology industry is one of the GDP driving industries in the state of Texas. Tech hardware & software firms have grown quickly in Texas and has attracted business from other states such as California. Since August 2020, the IT industry has provided jobs to 195k people in Texas. The extensive tech sector employs 270k people in Texas, which is a piece of groundbreaking news. The recent boom has enabled Texas to rise over California as the country's top tech exporter. Besides the energy sector, tech is an essential productive economic element with the power to influence growth in the service sector.
Technology has progressed faster with the increasing demand for humankind. Like AI, chatbots, and IoTs, the latest tech have made great advancements in mobile apps as well. After looking at current tech trends, the demand for app developers has been increasing consistently. Businesses in the States are looking to have an app to reach their clients on the go. Hyperlink InfoSystem is a name that comes to mind, considering the company's work experience & worldwide presence.
Hyperlink InfoSystem was founded in 2011 and is one of the leading app developers listed by various B2B reviews and ratings platforms. It quickly picked pace having its offices in the USA, UK, UAE, and Australia. The company has been recognized as one of the most famous and trusted app development companies in the USA in 2020 because of its sincere efforts to deliver flawless services to its clients worldwide. The company has over 9 years of experience and has developed 3,200+ apps and 1,500+ websites for over 2,300 clients globally. The company has a strength of 250+ highly skilled developers ready to solve challenging tasks. The company has worked with huge brands like Cartoon Network, Papa John's, Disney, and Google for VR-based apps. The company recently built an IoT-powered scooter rental app for people in the states.
Founder & CEO of Hyperlink InfoSystem, Harnil Oza, says, "I started this company with the vision of becoming one of the best app development service providers in the globe. Today, where we are, is because of our constant efforts and hard work. This pandemic situation didn't break us, but it made us stronger; we made it work despite remote working. We will constantly make efforts
to enhance our services and deliver the best in the future as well."
Hyperlink InfoSystem has become one of the most popular companies in the US, and you can connect with them for your business requirements in Texas at info@hyperlinkinfosystem.com and discuss your ideas.
About Hyperlink InfoSystem: About Hyperlink InfoSystem:
Hyperlink InfoSystem is an established and popular top web & mobile app development company based in USA, UK, UAE, France, Canada with its development center in India. The company's talented team of 250+ developers offers world-class services in the areas of Mobile app & Web Development, Blockchain Development, AR & VR App Development, Game App Development, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Salesforce & much more. Since 2011, the company has successfully built 3,200+ mobile apps for more than 2,300 clients around the world.
