Procurement is the foundation for ensuring efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and resource optimization across industries. It has progressed from a traditional purchasing function into a strategic element that drives sustainability, innovation, and inclusivity. The shift towards data-driven decision-making and technology integration has enhanced procurement’s role in maintaining resilient supply chains and cultivating economic growth. Organizations are prioritizing supplier diversity, transparency, and ethical sourcing to align with broader business goals. Additionally, engaging with small and minority-owned businesses has become essential in creating equitable opportunities, further enriching the procurement ecosystem.
As a Chief Procurement Officer and a prominent leader, Lance Jay brings a strategic and goal-oriented approach to procurement, shaping the field with his keen ability to anticipate industry trends and implement innovative solutions. His leadership is committed to efficiency, adaptability, and inclusivity, ensuring that procurement strategies deliver measurable value. With a deep understanding of operational and procurement needs, he cultivates collaboration, empowers teams, and creates impactful opportunities for diverse business communities. His focus on clear communication and accountability allows him to drive meaningful change while maintaining a strong focus on continuous improvement. His leadership philosophy revolves around setting achievable goals, integrating technology, and ensuring every team member is engaged.
The City and County of Denver Department of General Services is essential in optimizing procurement processes to support city-wide operations. By managing over $700 million in goods and services, the department ensures that procurement activities align with the city’s economic and social goals. A core focus is engaging with small, minority, and women-owned businesses, facilitating their participation in government contracts through training, certifications, and streamlined processes. Additionally, the department is committed to technological advancements, leveraging strategic tools to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accessibility. These initiatives continue to strengthen the local economy, improve public services, and build a more inclusive business environment.
Let’s explore Lance’s innovative procurement strategies for making a greater impact and value:
Agile and Efficient Procurement Practices
Lance’s journey in procurement began in the late 1990s within the hospitality industry, where managing unexpected challenges cultivated agility and efficiency. Over his career, Lance has worked for some of the largest hospitality and entertainment businesses in the industry, including The Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line, Gaylord Hotels, Marriott International, Millennium Hotels globally, and now the City and County of Denver Department of General Services.
Transitioning from the hospitality sector to the government sphere enabled him to bring many skills cultivated and refined in the hospitality world, including exceptional customer service and anticipating operational needs. This unique perspective, encompassing operational and procurement viewpoints, has ultimately resulted in mutually beneficial opportunities.
Delivering Value in City Goods and Services
Lance is privileged to work with a dedicated group of professionals who procure and deliver value for over $700 million of city goods and services. The team also manages city-wide surplus property activities through the sale and strategic reutilization of city goods and provides asset inventory management.
One key focus is engagement with the SWMBE (Small, Minority, and women-owned business community) to ensure alignment with city goals. The team also performs outreach to the vendor community, including small, women, and minority-owned business enterprises, providing opportunities for training and certifications and identifying opportunities to do business with the city. In the past 24 months, $242.7 million was successfully awarded to entities in the MWSBE community.
Strategic Goal-Driven Leadership Framework
Lance’s approach to leadership and decision-making begins with envisioning the end goal and then establishing a framework to work towards that goal. The process must start with strategically relevant goals, allowing the team to focus on the most important elements first. Goals should be measurable, as people tend to perform differently when they can see the impact of their efforts.
It is important to ensure that the strategy steps are attainable, as setting unrealistic milestones can demoralize the team. Furthermore, the team must see their involvement in the process. In simple terms, the approach is to think big, act small, and be willing to pivot when necessary.
However, the most important aspect is the need to listen. There are four forms of communication: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Despite extensive training and education in speaking, reading, and writing, many leaders fail to listen effectively. The key is to seek first to understand, then to be understood, as the old saying goes.
Prioritizing and Seeking Support for Better Balance
He believes balancing the demands of his role and personal life involves setting clear expectations for oneself. Lance highlights that it is not so much about balance as that implies a trade-off and a time management equation. Early in his hospitality career, a mentor shared advice that he still uses today: “Work needs to be a part of life, not the meaning of it. You must be 100% present at home and work.” As a result, Lance prefers to view it as work-life harmony, where work is integrated into the rest of life in a way that promotes happiness both at home and in the office.
Lance established some personal non-negotiables: Be present through established boundaries, set priorities, and seek support when needed. He makes sure to be fully engaged with his tasks and activities, making the most intricate decisions first thing in the morning when he is at his best and then putting work responsibilities out of his mind when he is off the clock. He uses technology to enforce these boundaries to hold himself accountable, such as setting ‘do not disturb’ modes on devices after hours.
He sets priorities by establishing goals and priorities for work and home, helping him focus on tasks that bring satisfaction, happiness, and a sense of accomplishment. He ensures he makes time in the day for regular exercise, adequate sleep, and healthy eating. Lastly, he seeks support by establishing a strong network at work and home, providing much-needed advice and emotional support, and not hesitating to seek help when required.
Engaging with Industry Partners and Vendors
According to Lance, networking is essential to staying ahead of industry trends and innovations. Engaging with industry partners, vendors, and the community can help gain key insights into future developments. Anyone who believes they can succeed alone is missing out on valuable opportunities.
Mastering Soft Skills for Career Advancement
He highlights the importance of embracing continuous learning and remaining open to feedback and criticism to ensure consistent personal and professional development. In the current workplace, the best advice he offers is to master soft skills, which can be a key differentiator and set a young professional apart from the competition. With a focus on effective communication and leadership, developing these competencies is vital for career advancement. A blend of personal ambition, strategic planning, and openness to learning shapes the path forward.
Implementing Strategic Technology Tools
Lance’s key objectives for the procurement function at the City and County of Denver, Department of General Services over the next few years include expanding the reach into the small business community and striving to provide as many business opportunities as possible to ensure the small business segment flourishes within the Denver communities. Additionally, Denver General Services aims to innovate by streamlining and, in some cases, re-engineering processes to benefit all City Agencies.
Some examples of these innovations include revisiting and modifying current purchasing dollar thresholds to reduce barriers of entry for Small and Minority entities doing business with the City and increasing the efficiency of the city agencies served. Another objective is implementing strategic technology tools, such as the strategic sourcing module within the Workday system. Lastly, exploring tools like submittable to manage the execution of the grant process better is also a focus.
Leaving a Legacy of Team-First Culture
As part of the City and County of Denver Department of General Services, Lance aims to leave a legacy as a procurement leader who consistently exhibited a team-first culture. He achieved this by maintaining a clear vision, regardless of challenges, and consistently encouraging the team to persevere.
Lance is always direct and to the point, eliminating any opportunity for confusion. He never blames others, taking sole responsibility for unfavourable outcomes while quickly crediting the team for its successes. Lance believes that excellence results from caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible.
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