Frequently Asked Questions

At CPG, we’re confident our vendors’ products compare to what’s out there, since in many instances, their products are created by the same manufacturer you’re currently using. In the event that the manufacturers differ, our vendors will supply samples you can evaluate for efficacy and cost.

At CPG, contract usage is voluntary. We ask that our members sign only one contract, with the opportunity to review other vendor contracts in the future. Of course, when you’re using a group purchasing plan, you’ll free up time and resources, since soliciting quotes and negotiating pricing is our job. The more vendor contracts we can identify for your organization, the more resources you’re bound to save. Essentially, the more vendors you use, the less you spend.

Ordinarily, community health centers and similar nonprofits spend between nine and ten percent of their total budget on supplies. Therefore, a savings of between 18 and 20 percent will yield between 1.5 and 2 percent savings on your organization’s overall budget. Superior cost savings are just one of the elements that make CPG so powerful.

Consider, too, our robust vendor list, and we believe that great service is just as important as low prices. As a CommonWealth Purchasing Group member, you’ll never have to sacrifice service in order to cut costs—in fact, many of our clients report that their level of service increases alongside cost savings. Plus, CPG staff members can be reached anytime, should additional customer service be required. There’s no issue too small—or too large—for CPG and its vendor affiliates.

At CPG, we recognize how hard it can be to switch vendors. That being said, rest assured that our group purchasing model will ensure a seamless transition – alongside immediate cost savings. Our years of experience mean we’re skilled at selecting high-quality, reliable vendors our members can count on. Vendor representatives will meet with your team personally to discuss every aspect of the vendor-member relationship, from order and delivery to sample availability, return policies, and more.

At CPG, we impose no volume commitments on our vendors or our members.

At CPG, we contract directly with every selected vendor to ensure we’re able to offer the products you rely upon most. With an intentional focus on healthcare providers and other community-based non-profits, our organization is committed to delivering the products and services healthcare organizations need the most. Plus, our knowledge and expertise mean we’re better equipped than most to solicit and secure such resources. Plus, our vendors work with each and every member to drive prices down, so you’ll enjoy uniquely tailored customer support, anytime.

Group purchasing programs help members to save money in three ways. First of all, we take responsibility for negotiating deep price discounts with our affiliate vendors—and the purchasing power of CPG’s membership gives us serious leverage. Secondly, we task our vendors with completing an analysis of each member’s purchasing in order to recommend discounted alternatives wherever possible. Typically, these recommendations include generic or household brands deemed functionally equivalent to the more familiar name brands. Lastly, our vendors will work closely with your organization to ensure proper inventory management, so you’ve got what you need, when you need it—but you’ll never have to deal with an excess.

In three ways; first (and most important) we negotiate deep price discounts with our vendors, based on the combined purchasing power of the CommonWealth members. Second, our vendors will do an analysis of your purchasing and recommend lower-cost alternatives wherever possible. These are usually generic or house brands that are functionally equivalent to the name brand products you may be using now. Third, the vendors will work with you to assure proper inventory management, to make sure you always have the goods you need but don’t over-stock, tying up capital and creating storage problems.

Your savings will likely depend on your organization’s unique circumstances since costs vary between health centers. However, new members typically expect to see savings of between 18 and 20 percent. You’ll see the majority of your savings immediately, though further cost-cutting potential is possible as vendors continually assess your inventory, recommending lower-cost solutions as relevant.