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 support long-term strategic value. It’s already happening. In Deloitte’s 2025 Global Chief Procurement Officer Survey, 67% of procurement leaders cited AI and analytics as core to their digital strategy, showing continued acceleration in AI adoption across procurement functions.
Procurement workflows shouldn’t require deep technical knowledge to navigate. Today’s best eProcurement solutions are defined by their usability, enabling staff, faculty, and administrators to manage tasks efficiently.
As eProcurement evolves, it needs four specific traits, according to KPMG:
This design philosophy influences how eProcurement platforms are built and reflects what we see. Here are five of the biggest trends and innovations in eProcurement solutions.
Artificial intelligence has become a mainstream tool, aiding in speed and procurement strategy.
AI capabilities now include:
In higher education, procurement teams can serve hundreds of departments. AI helps expand capacity and shift focus from administrative tasks to value-added activities.
With remote work and decentralized campuses now the norm, procurement must meet users where they are. That means embracing mobile-first functionality that allows users to:
eProcurement solutions that don’t offer mobile responsiveness are risking low adoption in the future.
Another trend impacting the future of eProcurement is the ability to more seamlessly incorporate cooperative contracts in higher ed.
Contract integration produces a smooth workflow that includes:
Of course, the biggest benefit of cooperative contracts is combining demand with other institutions, creating larger buying pools that produce greater volume discounts. In other words, cost savings.
Procurement has historically been viewed as a cost center. But with the right data, it becomes a powerful driver of strategy.
Modern eProcurement solutions offer:
Organizations investing in data analytics are outperforming peers in spend optimization and sourcing strategy. In higher education, these tools help procurement teams make smarter decisions and justify them.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations are increasingly shaping procurement strategy in higher education. Institutions are being asked to demonstrate progress on carbon reduction and ethical sourcing.
eProcurement solutions can help by featuring:
Despite recent challenges to DEI and ESG strategies, a KPMG survey found that 66% of procurement leaders expect ESG to remain a critical part of their procurement strategy.
Future-ready eProcurement solutions offer more than technology. They will be able to enable change and offer greater flexibility. This will be crucial to support institutional resilience as funding mechanisms and budgets change.
The future of eProcurement in higher education is already taking shape. Forward-thinking institutions are not waiting for the perfect system. They are building flexible, scalable procurement environments that can evolve with their needs.
E&I Cooperative Services provides eProcurement solutions for higher education and competitively solicited cooperative contracts tailored to higher education. As the only member-owned, nonprofit sourcing cooperative focused exclusively on education, all E&I agreements are tailored to the unique needs of colleges and universities. By aggregating demand across 6,000 member institutions and offering cooperative agreements for goods and services, as well as eProcurement platforms, consulting, and implementation, E&I allows you to achieve significant time and cost savings.
Don’t wait for the perfect system—start building your future-ready procurement today. Explore E&I’s innovative eProcurement solutions and see what’s possible.