Local communities are often on the front lines in major emergencies and disasters. The ability for communities and states to effectively respond and recover from disasters depends largely on actions taken before the disaster. Proactive procurement is an essential component of emergency disaster preparedness. The benefits of early planning and effective procurement preparation will include responding to and mitigating the extreme damages of a disaster, restoring essential services and engaging in the recovery and reconstruction process. Every dollar counts during a time of need. Here are three guidelines to keep in mind to help stretch your agency’s budget through Amazon Business. 1. Create a workflow to make quick purchases When planning, you want to ensure that your team is purchasing items that align with your agency’s policies and not adding unauthorized items to the cart. Amazon Business online store allows departments that use tools like Guided Buying, a Business Prime feature, to create multiple workflows for separate budgets or approval needs, restrict certain items and automate the ordering process. Guided Buying takes the mystery out of shopping for work by providing clear answers to the question: What am I allowed to buy? Government purchase card administrators can set their accounts to default to these policy parameters, setting guardrails for cardholders to purchase within agency requirements and drive toward purchasing goals. Buyers can pick the recommended product based on agency preferences. This option appears at the top of the search making it quick to locate and purchase. 2. Fast and reliable shipping matters In a time of need, every second counts. Procuring items from Amazon Business offers benefits like Same Day shipping on eligible products. Manage your delivery preferences to receive your orders when it’s most convenient. Agencies can also consolidate all shipments to arrive on the day of their choice