Procurement update: Progress on print, travel, IT hardware, lab consumables and furniture

Tuesday, 16 June 2015

At the University of Reading we use a category management approach to our procurement activity – this looks at aggregated categories of spend across the whole institution not just within specific schools or departments. This is a best practice, professional approach and brings with it many opportunities and advantages for the University. The Procurement team can look at the whole picture and ensure that we are buying the right products and services to fit the longer term needs of the University as a whole. We benefit from consistency in our approach, whilst being mindful of the flexibility that we need in such a large and varied organisation. Please read below a summary of progress on a number of key projects.

EU regulations

The University of Reading is subject to EU procurement legislation – these regulations apply to aggregated spend across the whole organisation. Any purchasing that takes place with funding from a University account, whatever the source of that money, is subject to these rules, so our approach has to apply to research funding as well as other budgets.

EU regulations have recently been updated to increase transparency and accessibility. The Procurement team is working with the Legal department to ensure that all our documentation and systems are updated accordingly. The key changes relate to how and when we provide information to potential suppliers.

Printing (Managed Print Solution (MPS) project)

Between now and the end of September, new printers will be installed across all our campuses. These will replace all existing machines, including shared devices, personal printers and desktop printers. These new machines are multi-functional, meaning they print, copy and scan, and are more efficient in terms of operation and support. Details of roll out plans for each building will be communicated via the locally-selected Print Champions, Building Managers and the Procurement website.

To find out more, including a reminder of the background reasons for this project, visit the Managed Print Solution (MPS) page of the Procurement website - https://www.reading.ac.uk/closed/procurement/news/Proc-MPS.aspx

Travel

We continue to work with travellers from across the University to assist them in getting the best deals for their travel and accommodation needs. In most cases this will be using our contracted suppliers: CTM (for individuals or small numbers of colleagues) or one of our group travel suppliers (for groups of 9 or more). We do recognise that in some cases, flexibility is needed – for example, when buying train tickets or booking hotel accommodation at a discounted conference rate.

To see a quick and easy list of top tips for travellers, visit the Travel page of the Procurement website - https://www.reading.ac.uk/closed/procurement/news/proc-travelnews.aspx

IT hardware

We now have in place two newly-appointed suppliers for IT hardware and consumables, such as PCs, laptops and keyboards: XMA for Windows PC hardware and Academia for Apple PC hardware. Both companies provide dedicated online portals with easy access to a range of University approved products that staff can use when they need to purchase this type of equipment.

However, we recognise that there will be times when more specialist equipment is required. We are currently working with colleagues from areas with frequent non-standard needs to identify the most appropriate processes to put in place to facilitate approval of these requests. We also plan to regularly review the list of standard items offered to ensure they remain suitable for as many people as possible.

Lab consumables

We are currently looking into awarding the IRLA framework agreement suppliers for lab consumables and chemicals. We have put out a request for quotes from suppliers in the marketplace, using data from an analysis of 2013/14 spend to help us identify potential savings.

To ensure that decisions taken are appropriate for the research community, we are working closely with Research Deans and Heads of School to formulate category teams to provide input. If you purchase a lot of goods in this area, please get in touch about contributing to these discussions – contact Claire Milham, Category Manager, c.milham@reading.ac.uk

Furniture

The first port of call for anyone who needs office furniture is to take a look at the University’s RUrecycling site and see if there are any surplus items that match their needs - http://www.reading.ac.uk/cleanandgreen/OurServices/cag2-ourservices-disposalrequest.aspx We are also assessing the way in which we buy new furniture goods. We are at an early stage and hope to use an online e-auction to help us identify the best way forward for the University. An e-auction enables us to look at factors including cost, quality of product and ongoing support.

If you would like to know more, please get in touch with Lisa Jeffries, Director of Procurement, or the appropriate Category Manager (contact details can be found here - https://www.reading.ac.uk/closed/procurement/aboutus/proc-aboutstaff.aspx )