The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania achieved a landmark milestone in its commitment to inclusive procurement—surpassing $1 billion in spending with small, small-diverse, and veteran-owned businesses for the second consecutive fiscal year. This success was underpinned by their strategic implementation of PRISM Compliance Management, seamlessly integrated within DGS’s Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion & Small Business Opportunities (BDISBO).
The Challenge
With ambitious goals set by Governor Shapiro and Lt. Governor Davis, such as increasing small-business certifications, reducing administrative delays, and boosting transparency. BDISBO needed a unified, efficient system to track, verify, and report on procurement and subcontracting spend across the agency network. The Commonwealth needed a compliance tracking and monitoring solution to reach goals from Executive Order 2023-18 addressing a disparity study.
PRISM was brought in to provide a centralized, streamlined solution.
PRISM’s Solution
As an end-to-end compliance platform, PRISM Compliance Management was tailored to Pennsylvania's needs:
Centralized Spend & Payment Tracking: PRISM provided a single source of truth for tracking all subcontractor utilization across SB, SDB, and VBE categories.
Automated Alerts & Dispute Workflows: Subcontractors confirm receipt of payments via PRISM; any contested entries prompt automated notifications and compliance officer workflows.
Real-Time Dashboards & Reporting: DGS leadership and agency liaisons obtained instant visibility, enabling them to track key metrics like spend levels, sub contractor inclusion, and underrepresented business participation.
Audit Trail & Compliance Reporting: Full transactional history supports oversight, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Results Achieved
1. Sustained Small-Business Spend Over $1B
Thanks to improved oversight and enforcement, PA maintained record procurement levels- $1.24 billion in FY 2023‑24, accounting for 21.4% of total spend which continued momentum from the prior fiscal year.
2. Increased Small-Diverse & Veteran-Owned Business Inclusion
Procurement with diverse suppliers rose from $690M to $692M, notably boosting spend with Black- and Hispanic-owned businesses by 10.7%.
3. Faster Certification & Payment Cycles
BDISBO reduced business certification periods by 33% and PRISM enabled the 10‑day “prompt pay” policy to ensure subcontractors receive timely payments following Commonwealth approval.
4. Enhanced Transparency & Trust
Monthly procurement forecasts and outreach (5,000+ businesses, 64 events) were supported by PRISM’s visibility tools which reinforced stakeholders confidence in compliance tracking .
PRISM & BDISBO: A Collaborative Success
PRISM became a critical tool in BDISBO’s toolkit, benefiting:
BDISBO Officers: instant compliance checks, better subcontract oversight
Prime Contractors: streamlined processes to report and verify payments
Subcontractors: assurance of timely payment and actual tracking
Leadership: dynamic dashboards to monitor agency compliance with Executive Order 2023‑18 goals
Why PRISM Stood Out
Looking Ahead
The Commonwealth continues to expand its small-business initiatives:
Rolling out Micro/Midsize Business Certifications in July 2025
Collaborating with Amazon Business to boost PA-based small business spend
Strengthening Mentor–Protégé programs and virtual trainings
PRISM remains the backbone for rigorous compliance, scalable oversight, and transparent reporting. Ensuring Pennsylvania continues to lead with equitable procurement practices and distributive economic impact.
In Summary
By partnering with PRISM, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania achieved:
Regulatory Compliance: with Executive Order 2023‑18
Operational Efficiency: faster certification/payment workflows
Economic Equity: sustained $1 billion+ procurement with small/diverse/veteran enterprises
Together, PA and PRISM are building an inclusive, accountable procurement ecosystem setting a powerful model for states nationwide.