RTPS - About Us

The beginnings of RTPS

Our Story

Our Beginnings

It was the dawn of the new millenium when RTPS founders David Rourke and Duane Donnelly came to a sudden, clear realization.

After years working as advisors for some of the largest private and public consulting firms in Canada, the two veteran consultants recognized a massively underserved market for procurement services in Canada: small to medium-sized enterprises (SME). These organizations desparately needed expert guidance with their procurement initiatives, yet couldn't justify a dedicated, in-house procurement team.

This held especially true when it came to Not-For-Profit organizations - and the charitable community at large. Not only were these markets underserved, they existed in unchartered territory. No one working in the contemporary procurement arena was paying attention to the unique procurement needs of these organizations - no matter how big or small!

It's from this realization that Round Table Procurement Services was born.

Today and Beyond

Every organization within the NFP and charitable communities is unique, and their procurement needs reflect that. Heavily scrutinized spending habits, governmental regulatory and compliance issues, internal resource constraints and precarious revenue streams are but a few of the hurdles faced by NFP and charities on a daily basis. Challenges we've faced, with a great deal of success, for many non-profit and charitable organizations.

From those challenges comes growth through experience, and we've been able to assimilate what we've learned these past 20+ years into bespoke, sustainable solutions that are designed specifically for your organization.

RTPS's approach to not-for-profit procurement is continually evolving - a reflection of the industry we work in. Our solutions can help all NFP's overcome the challenges they face and implement sustainable, long-term solutions that fit perfectly with your companies culture.

It's our hope that every NFP and charitable institution across Canada may leverage our expertise and enjoy the high-impact outcomes our services can provide.

RTPSs approach to procurement

Our Approach to Not-for-profit Procurement

Understanding our clients needs

We are here to help you sort out your particular procurement dilemna, no matter how big or small. We'll sit down with your team to determine exactly what you need, when you need it by and how you want to get it. From here we'll initiate a plan and apply the required due diligence to ensure you get exactly what you need, while reducing the risk associated with procuring in the nonprofit sector.

Developing strong vendor / client relationships

The cornerstone of any successful partnership is trust - from both sides. Over the last 20+ years, RTPS has developed strong relationships with many key suppliers and service providers across a vast array of spend categories. Relationships that are passed on to your organization. We have an intimate understanding of how each of their industries work and how to navigate through sometimes precarious waters.

RTPS awareness in an everchanging industry

Awareness of an ever-changing industry

Change is inevitable. It comes with growth, it comes with time. As a company of the new millenium, RTPS is aware of the changes that have influenced our industry over the years. We have incorporate many those advancements in our approach to procurement. We may have influenced a few ourselves. Our ability to think outside the box and adapt to the ever-changing challenges and realities of the non-profit community allows us to offer your organization bespoke and sustainable procurement solutions that will take you well into the future.

RTPSs approach to procurement

Frequently Asked Questions

If your question isn't answered here, please feel free to reach out to an RTPS representative for assistance.

How can managed procurement benefit my organization?

Managed procurement offers a wide array of benefits to organizations of every size, for every situation. It can exist as a complete solution, where we dedicate a rep to your organization, either on-site at your office or remotely from ours. For small to medium businesses (and in particular, non-profits and charities) that do not have the size, need or resources for an in-house procurement team, outsourcing your procurment processes will help in several important ways:

cost savings
responsible sourcing
streamlined procurement processes
risk mitigation and compliance
improved supplier relationships

Why should we partner with Round Table?

For 20+ years, we have helped many broader public sector (BPS) organizations embrace innovation and achieve savings and operational efficiency in their supply chain and procurement processes. We have an unparalleled knowledge of the needs of not-for-profit and charitable organizations, we were the first to offer services targeting this community, and our experience extends across many industries and spend categories.

Now, more than two decades later, we continue to offer innovative procurement services and solutions designed specifically for your organization. This allows you to focus on ensuring your organization is a smooth-running machine.

What is Round Table's role in the Community Purchasing Network (CPN)?

Round Table's role in the CPN is that of developer, manager and facilitor. We developed the program for non-profits and charities to help facilitate the purchasing process by vetting the suppliers, negotiating the deals and securing and managing the contracts that make up the program's essential services. We develop and maintain the relationships with our chosen vendors and manage their connection to our clients.

We are NOT a supplier!

We do not carry inventory, process sales orders or make any type of payments on your organizations behalf (although we can find someone who can help with that!). All payments and other financial processes are carried out between you and the vendor.

Who determines what categories get chosen for the CPN?

Category selection is chosen by members of the Procurement Team and our clients. Typically, spend categories with a good potential for savings (and other benefits) are the first area of focus, along with those that reflect the most vital aspects of operations. Sometimes, an area where savings can be quickly realized - a "quick hit" - may often be given priority.

There is also an attempt to balance the potential impact to be spread across multiple areas of operations so that benefits are as widespread as possible.

How are the vendors of the CPN selected?

There are several factors taken into consideration when choosing spend categories to prioritize. Typically, Preferred Suppliers are selected through a formal, transparent selection process (ie. RFP, RFI, RFQ). Selection is always conducted by our Procurement experts based on a balanced set of criteria that usually include:

Pricing
Total Cost
Quality
Service
Availability across membership
An understanding of the non-profit sector
A proven track record of success working with similar organizations
Other criteria specific to the expense category

For overall efficiency, economies of scale and program co-ordination, it's ideal if we can have a single or small number of Preferred Suppliers who can service a wide area, but there is an openness to consider multiple and/or local vendors where appropriate.

Historical vendor relationships are also taken into consideration as well; we recognize previous relationships are important, so we will review them with feedback from membership.

Finally, but certainly of equal importance, is a combination of pricing and total cost. A vendor who is able to see the "larger picture" as far as an increase in potential business, and whose pricing reflects this foresight, will be given closest attention.

What other services do you offer?

Along with our Community Purchasing Network, we can manage any or all of your procurement needs. As a complete solution, you'll have a dedicated RTPS representative (working either remotely from our office or on-site at yours) handling all your procurment requirements.

We also offer a selection of 'a-la carte' services that can help manage or enhance any of your procurement initiatives, either for important on-going processes or for those special one-off projects.

This includes: