Why Supplier Inclusion Matters: Understanding Importance and Benefits
The political climate these days is in flux. In response, nearly 90 colleges and universities have rebranded their DEI offices. Nearly 80 have closed them altogether in response to the current sentiment in DC. In procurement, however, supplier inclusion is not DEI and DEI is not supplier inclusion. They are two entirely separate concepts that […]
A Guide to Building Sustainable Procurement and Supplier Inclusion Programs
Higher education is under significant pressure these days to reduce costs while addressing climate change, equity, and compliance requirements. Procurement teams are at the center of these challenges and often under the microscope to meet a long list of demands, some of which conflict with each other. It’s a challenge, especially in the current environment […]
What Is eProcurement? Understanding Digital Procurement Solutions for Universities
Here’s a common scenario: a department administrator needs to purchase lab supplies. She fills out a form, emails it to her supervisor, waits for a signature, follows up with procurement, and then days or even weeks later, the order is finally placed. Contrast that with a centralized eProcurement platform that allows that same administrator to […]
eProcurement Savings and Technology: Maximizing ROI in Higher Education
Rising costs, tighter budgets, and increasing demands for transparency: Colleges and universities are dealing with a broad range of challenges in the current environment. That’s forcing procurement teams to find ways to improve performance and reduce waste. Yet, traditional procurement methods aren’t helping, especially for institutions that must make critical spending decisions. By combining automation, […]
eProcurement Tools and Platforms: Choosing the Right Solution for Your Institution
Higher education procurement has become increasingly complex. As colleges and universities navigate severe funding challenges and continuing uncertainty, things need to change. “The solution to this mounting complexity isn’t more complexity—it’s thoughtful simplification.”—Higher Ed Dive eProcurement tools simplify procurement, enforcing compliance and contract terms while improving visibility into your campus’s spend. The trick is finding […]
The Future of eProcurement in Higher Education: Trends and Innovations
Procurement in higher education is rapidly evolving, driven by the demand for greater agility, transparency, and cost reductions. From managing decentralized departments to meeting new compliance standards, colleges and universities need their procurement systems to do more than just process transactions. The future of eProcurement includes greater reliance on AI, predictive insights, and tools to […]
The Complete Guide to eProcurement for Higher Education: Solutions, Benefits, and Implementation
Procurement teams in higher education are navigating one of the most complex and high-pressure environments in recent memory. You know it all too well: mounting financial constraints, rising compliance demands, and growing expectations for agility and transparency. Yet, many are still relying on fragmented, paper-based processes or separate systems that don’t work well together. According […]
What Does RFP Stand For? Understanding RFP vs RFQ in Higher Education Procurement
The U.S. Department of Education reports that postsecondary institutions collectively spend more than $700 billion each year, but shrinking budgets, uncertain enrollment, and government changes to funding are affecting how academic institutions need to manage finances. For some, the situation is mission-critical. More than 40 colleges and universities have closed their doors since 2000, citing […]
Education Contract Management: Strategies for Effective Procurement in Higher Ed
Procurement in higher education can feel like a giant puzzle with pieces of all shapes. Procurement teams must fit these pieces together, managing varying contracts, pieces that may not fit together exactly right, and infrastructure that makes it difficult to manage everything efficiently across departments and campuses. Maybe a better analogy is the way Higher […]
Difference Between Sourcing and Procurement: Strategic Approaches for Universities
For a long time now, procurement has been about much more than just buying. Procurement teams today are immersed in strategic sourcing, supporting a broad range of strategic initiatives from advancing sustainability and digital transformation to enabling academic innovation and supplier diversity. In fact, 79% of procurement teams say they are being asked to support […]