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Kenneth Jones

Procurement Specialist

Ken Jones has been working in the public and non-profit procurement field for 30 years. He worked for the New York State Office of Taxation and Finance as a Purchasing Assistant from 1985-87 and left there to work for the University at Albany, SUNY where he served as a Purchasing Agent and in 1999 was the Assistant Director supervising and providing training for the Office of Purchasing and Contracts. This included proving training for both State procurement and The Research Foundation for SUNY procurement rules and regulations. His previous purchasing experience included procuring commodities, services, and construction for the departments on campus. A past Director of the SUNY Purchasing Association, Ken retired from the position of Assistant Director in January of 2014. However, he was requested to continue to assist the office through the end of 2014 and is again doing so. Until 2020, Ken worked part-time for the SUNY Center for International Development as a Procurement Specialist assisting primarily with training and reviewing the work of procurement staff in Nairobi, Kenya with the AHADI program in Kenya, Africa. Ken has trained many University staff on procurement rules and regulations. He established online ordering processes with vendors ranging from Office supplies to Lab chemicals and continues to provide training in his current position. Ken has presented on various procurement topics both in person and on the Web.

Recorded-webinar by: Kenneth Jones

    • 90 mins

      Best Practices for Working with Vendors and Suppliers

      Corporate Governance
    • 90 mins

      Implementing Purchase Policies for Purchasing Professionals

      Corporate Governance
    • 90 mins

      Drafting Contracts for Procurement Professionals

      Corporate Governance
    • 90 mins

      Fundamentals of Writing effective RFPs: The Ultimate RFP Guide

      Corporate Governance

      Are you ready to master the art of writing an RFP and take your procurement skills to the next level?

      The RFP process is like a secret weapon that allows you to cherry-pick the best vendors, ensuring not only competitive prices but also reducing risks. It's an age-old practice in the business world, widely used and time-tested. But let's be real—it's not a walk in the park! Crafting the perfect RFP is an art that demands just the right mix of conciseness and context, along with the right questions to hit the bullseye.

      Even seasoned procurement experts sometimes get a case of the jitters when faced with RFPs, and office staff can feel like they're swimming in uncharted waters when asked to tackle one. Whether you've got to draft an RFP or score one, this is the ultimate training ground to equip you with the confidence and know-how to ace the procurement game. We've got you covered with tips, tricks, and best practices galore!

      Unlock the secrets of a winning Request for Proposal—what it truly means, when to deploy it like a pro, and how to create a compelling one that vendors can't resist. And it's not just about writing it—we'll also spill the beans on how contracts are born after an RFP process wraps up.

      Ready to become an RFP maestro? You'll be able to craft an RFP that oozes confidence and demands attention. We'll walk you through the key ingredients of asking the right questions and navigating the RFP process to claim that coveted award.

      Don't miss out on this webinar! Sharpen your skills, boost your confidence, and embrace the RFP process like a seasoned pro. 

    • 90 mins

      How to Administer Vendor Assessments Effectively

      Corporate Governance

      Everyone in procurement or who is engaged with the selection of vendors needs to know how to mitigate risk when dealing with vendors. This program on vendor assessment will guide participants through the process of setting up a vendor responsibility review program.  

      Attendees will be given tools they can use to review vendors on various key risk factors. Besides drafting a vendor questionnaire, they will learn ways to evaluate and confirm the vendor information provided using a vendor assessment verification form. This program will provide guidance in establishing vendors that are responsible and responsive to the needs of the company or organization.

    • 90 mins

      Mastering Purchase Order Fundamentals

      Corporate Governance

      Today’s fast-paced demands are requiring the rethinking of the standard paper processes and the use of electronic systems to facilitate decentralized desktop ordering, with just-in-time delivery while weighing the risks to internal controls.

      Purchase Order Fundamentals will be an interactive experience covering the basics of a current procurement office and how purchase order systems are used. The topics covered will give you an understanding of purchasing processes and how to avoid common mistakes. 

      The experienced Professional and Manager will be able to discuss interactively and share their experiences and ask questions to enhance their current operations with fresh ideas. 

      Increase your knowledge and enhance your skills with an in-depth discussion surrounding the world of purchase orders. Walk away with a better understanding of the PO process, the best practices for working with POs and strategies that will help you avoid the errors that commonly occur in the PO process.

    • 90 mins

      How to Write Contracts for Procurement Professionals

      Corporate Governance

      How to Write Contracts for Procurement Professionals. Many times, procurement professionals are required to draft or review contracts while not being a contract specialist. At the end of a procurement award process, the next step is to draft a contract with the vendor. This contract will determine whether the vendor is controlled by the terms of the contract or are able to avoid being responsible.

      This program is from the perspective of a procurement professional with many years’ experiences dealing with contracts and not from an attorney. Areas covered will be terms to use in drafting a contract, some common term definitions, as well as terms to include and terms to avoid. While this is mainly covering how to draft a contract the issues around vendor-initiated contracts will also be discussed. Part of the program will include reviewing a sample contract and discussing the various parts of the contract including such things as payment terms, cancellation provisions, renewals and escalation clauses. 

      Attendees will know the different sections and attachments of a contract and how to arrange them. Participants will learn how to prevent creating problems for yourself in the way you create your contract and know what terms to include to protect your organization.

      The program will conclude with information on how to manage your vendor contract and how to avoid pitfalls.

    • 90 mins

      Selecting Right Vendors And RFP Drafting

      Corporate Governance

      Many Procurement Professionals and those involved in a Request for Proposal (RFP) process can use additional guidance in creating a qualified vendor pool and to create and score an RFP. This live course will cover creating a vendor database and creating a qualified vendor pool for an RFP. In addition, this online webinar will cover ways to get better-qualified vendors using an RFI and vendor responsibility review processes.  Samples of RFP terms, Technical scoring and Cost evaluation will be covered as well. Attendees who complete this webinar will leave with tools they can use the next time they are faced with creating a qualified vendor pool for an RFP.

    • 90 mins

      Fundamentals of Writing Effective RFPs: The Ultimate RFP’s Guide

      Corporate Governance
    • 90 mins

      Drafting Contracts for Procurement Professionals

      Corporate Governance

      This webinar is geared toward informing participants about important terms and conditions to know when drafting a contract for your organization. This is presented from a pier perspective based on years of experience drafting contracts and not a legal review presentation by an Attorney. 

      Understanding the terms of a contract is especially important when problems arise with a contractor or with organizational priorities. The object of the webinar is to make you a better advocate for your organization when contracting with a vendor. Sample language will be reviewed that may assist you in strengthening the next contract you are required to draft.

      Attend this webinar to gain an understanding of the documents and section types necessary to draft a procurement contract. Use clauses to prevent getting locked into a bad contract. Learn about tools to control cost escalations.

    • 90 mins

      How to Draft Contracts for Procurement Professionals

      Banking & Financial Services

      This webinar is geared to informing participants about important terms and conditions to know when drafting a contract for your organization. This is presented from a pier perspective based on years of experience drafting contracts and not a legal review presentation by an Attorney. 

      Understanding the terms of a contract is especially important when problems arise with a contractor or with organizational priorities. The object of the webinar is to make you a better advocate for your organization when contracting with a vendor. Sample language will be reviewed that may assist you in strengthening the next contract you are required to draft.

      Attend this webinar to gain an understanding of the documents and section types necessary to draft a procurement contract. Use clauses to prevent getting locked into a bad contract. Learn about tools to control cost escalations.

    • 90 mins

      Implementing Purchase Policies for Purchasing Professionals

      Corporate Governance

      This live webinar is designed to equip purchasing professionals with practical applications for implementing effective purchasing policies in their daily business. Topics covered will include the strategic role of purchasing in the organization, the latest business writing techniques for policy development, designing cross-functional processes and procedures to optimize effort, cost, time, output, and controls, and developing service level agreements (SLAs) that govern purchasing activities. The program is geared towards an intermediate level and will feature examples and case studies.

    • 90 mins

      Fundamentals of Writing Effective RFPs: The Ultimate RFP’s Guide

      Corporate Governance

      Writing an RFP is a valuable skill for any professional. Indeed, when done correctly, the RFP process allows you to select the best vendor while also ensuring competitive pricing and reducing risk. RFPs have a long history in business and are widely used. As a result, understanding the RFP process and best practices is critical for success. A good RFP is as concise as possible while providing useful contextual information to vendors and asking the appropriate questions. It can be difficult to strike the right balance.

      Even seasoned professional Procurement staff dread doing RFP’s and many office staff that are called on by their supervisors to do one are not sure where to start. Because RFP’s maybe an infrequent experience it is always great to attend a webinar to sharpen your skills and avoid risks of having the RFP process be unsuccessful. Anyone involved in the drafting or scoring of an RFP as well as those that may need to respond to one will complete this webinar with an improved sense of confidence in tackling this procurement method.

      This webinar will discuss in detail the definition of a request for proposal, when to use it, how to draft it, and more. It will provide a better understanding of how contracts are created after an RFP process is completed. You’ll learn how to craft a Request for Proposal (RFP) with confidence. Contractors will gain insight into how to ask the right questions and what is involved in getting an award through the RFP process.