SUPC Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium

Procurement in the Face of a Pandemic SUPC Impact Report 2019/20 SUPC works for universities and is owned by Consulting and the Procurement Shared Service - universities. The HE sector is responding to a sets us apart from others. Our members are part of turbulent year, with Covid-19 adding to already a unique community that represents over a quarter challenging circumstances. Procurement teams of university spend across the sector. are striving to deliver even more with less. We understand universities and work with finance, We engage actively with organisations across procurement and other university staff to find the sector including other consortia and the right procurement solutions to provide professional bodies. Our strategic partnership value for money for the institution, its students, with the London Universities Purchasing and its wider community. Consortium (LUPC) has allowed us to reduce duplication and create new opportunities for Our in-depth knowledge of universities, and joint working across all category areas. specifically how to engage positively with academic areas, is our key strength. Our SUPC’s response to the challenges of the past members know finance and procurement teams year has been to focus on helping members must work together with other departments to deliver efficiencies and meet the rapidly deliver on university and departmental strategic changing demands imposed by the virus. goals which enhance the student experience We recognised that in these unprecedented and research delivery – we are our members’ circumstances, pressure was being placed preferred partner to make this happen. upon your resources and that you and our We understand how to connect strategy to HE community needed more timely, agile, operations to deliver cash and time savings in a way expert support - not less. SUPC has kept that provides compliance and reassurance for your our full complement of staff available to institution. Our knowledge of HE and our wide members throughout the Covid-19 crisis and • 100% of members who responded to last year’s reach through our sister business units - SUMS has increased - becoming more agile - our survey would recommend SUPC to others. engagement with members. • Over 96% of those who responded to last year’s In the background, we increased our data analysis survey were either satisfied or very satisfied with resource to provide greater spend insight to the support they receive through SUPC. inform your decision-making, with the aim of • The top three benefits SUPC members say they helping you deliver greater efficiencies. We believe value through SUPC are: high-quality frameworks, in the responsible and transparent financial commodity group meetings and procurement advice stewardship of your membership subscriptions from the SUPC Team. and so we worked hard to return your earned marketing premium to you as quickly as possible. • SUPC returns the majority of marketing premiums back to our members each year – this means We would like to thank the SUMS Board, and roughly 50% of members are able to fully cover the in particular Board Chair Martin Williams, cost of their membership fees, depending on their Director of Finance at the , frameworks spend. for their ongoing leadership and support.

Contents About Us 3 About SUPC 12-15 Responding to Covid-19 4 Our Members 16-19 Preparing for Brexit 6 Why Become a Member? 20-25 Delivering Value: Savings and Beyond 8 Our Impact 26-31 Building a Community of Excellence 10 Your Delivery Team 32-37 Providing Advice and Expert Insight 38-43 Acting as Your Critical Friend

2 www.sums.org.ukwww.supc.ac.ukwww.sums.org.uk www.supc.ac.uk 3 Full Members

Associate Members

Affiliate Members

Academy of Contemporary Music Buckinghamshire Education Sills & Dudley College of Technology Harlow College Northampton College Suffolk New College Training Partnership (BEST) Activate Learning East Coast College Hartpury College Oaklands College Sussex Downs Canterbury College Amersham and Wycombe College East Kent College Havant & South Downs College Peter Symonds College Tresham Institute of F&HE Central Sussex College Engineering Academy East Surrey College Hertford Regional College Peterborough Regional College Truro College Chelmsford College Basingstoke College of Technology Easton & Otley College Highbury College Plymouth College of Art & Design Uxbridge College Chichester College Group Bedford College Epping Forest College Leicester College Portsmouth College Waltham Forest College City Academy Bristol Berkshire College of Agriculture Exeter College London School of Theology Seevic Wednesfield High School City College Norwich Birmingham City University Farnborough College of Technology Luton Sixth Form College Solihull College West Herts College Academy Trust City College Plymouth Gloucestershire College Merchants Academy Somerset College of Art & Technology West Thames College Birmingham Metropolitan College City of Bath College Greater Brighton Metropolitan College Mid Kent College South Essex College Wiltshire College Bridgwater College City of Bristol College Hadlow Group Moorlands College South Gloucestershire & Stroud College Windsor Forest Colleges Group Brockenhurst College Cornwall College Halesowen College Moulton College Strode College Worthing College New College Swindon Strood Academy Yeovil College Our Members *As of 31/07/2020

4 www.supc.ac.ukwww.sums.org.uk www.supc.ac.uk 5 We provide solutions to university procurement demonstrate value through your membership • 100% of members challenges. SUPC provides access to frameworks and deliver greater value for money based on who responded to covering a wide range of products and services your institution’s spend profile to help universities run effectively and deliver • Access to significantly discounted training last year’s survey a strong student experience. Our unique courses and value-added services, such as would recommend membership model rewards universities who responsible procurement tools SUPC to others. direct spend through our agreements by • Discounted access to consultancy support to delivering time and money savings, as well as help procurement and finance teams get the • Over 96% of those returned marketing premium every year. most from their activity who responded to SUPC is part of the wider SUMS Group. SUMS • Discounted access to professional Group membership spans 151 universities, FE development support to help senior leaders last year’s survey colleges and educational charities – and our operate at peak performance within new or were either satisfied membership represents 50% of the sector’s evolving roles or very satisfied student population and 52% of the staff • Knowledge exchange through a series population*. With this comes access to a wealth of free publications including an e-Digest and with the support of insight, best practice and data – all of which case studies they receive SUMS shares for the benefit of our individual • Access to our accumulated experience and through SUPC. division members. knowledge of higher education institutions and developments over 50 years. SUPC Members benefit from: • Access to over 120 collaborative frameworks to meet the spectrum of procurement needs • Access to procurement advice and support ‘Our internal from our team of specialists • Access to our member base of universities, Procurement representing the breadth of UK mission groups, for networking and knowledge sharing Team view our • Free member events including an annual conference, agreement launches, new SUPC contacts member inductions and other events to learn about the latest insights from SUPC membership and beyond as highly • Commodity and category group meetings to discuss discipline-specific issues in a supportive collaborative and supportive environment with like-minded colleagues and responsive • Opportunities to shape new and re-tendered frameworks • Quarterly spend reports to help you manage colleagues.’ your framework usage HEAD OF PROCUREMENT, • An annual benefits statement to help you SUPC MEMBER INSTITUTION

Why Become a Member?

*Full-time equivalent populations according to HESA Data 2018/19 6 www.supc.ac.ukwww.sums.org.uk www.supc.ac.uk 7 18 £ members

£ £ 12 (1,00) £5.5m £86m online and in person savings (cashable spend through events (attendees) and non cashable) agreements

1.%

£ % of U student % of U staff population population (FTE) (FTE) £622k .% returned marketing premium

288 AgreementAgreement SMEs on SUPC agreements 1:56 ROI agreements accessible by 122 members Our Impact *Full-time equivalent populations according to HESA Data 2018/19

8 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 9 Bernarde Rob Jayne Dani Gavin Mark Taron Chris Paul Hyde Johnson Thorn Sweeney Phillips Lewis Smith O’Hagan Sayles CEO HEAD OF CATEGORY CATEGORY CATEGORY CATEGORY ASSISTANT DATA ANALYST BUSINESS MANAGER MANAGER (ICT) CATEGORY INTELLIGENCE CATEGORY MANAGER MANAGER Chris has eight years’ Bernarde has over MANAGEMENT (CORPORATE (STEMed) (ACADEMIC MANAGER MANAGER Mark is a skilled experience working 20 years’ experience AND SERVICES SERVICES) SERVICES) Dani brings over 20 procurement Taron brings to his A data visualisation working in partnership as an analyst in Rob is an experienced Jayne brings 15 years’ procurement Before joining SUPC, professional with role experience in and insight analyst, with universities to help procurement, and purchasing professional years’ procurement experience to Gavin spent over over 20 years’ the learning and Paul has more than them make meaningful brings a diverse set with over 30 years’ insight experience to SUPC her role at SUPC 20 years working in knowledge gained development sector 10 years’ experience and impactful changes. of skills to his role gained in executive from various industries and manages the Higher Education from working in a as well as financial working in the HE Understanding the including, change and consultancy including food, IT Science, Technology, and has in-depth variety of businesses services, working sector. Paul uses complexities and management, data/ roles throughout the and pharmaceuticals. Engineering and knowledge of the from SMEs to Blue principally with banks, business intelligence challenges of Higher financial reporting, manufacturing, service, Jayne’s skills cover Medicine (STEMed) library supply chain. Chip organisations. He insurance firms and and visualisation to Education is at the core of insight analysis and finance and aviation category reviews, the Category. Before Most recently, he specialises in long- mortgage companies enable decision-makers what Bernarde does – she project management. arenas, and across the tendering process, joining the team, was the Acquisitions term cost reduction, in a procurement and to take informed thrives when identifying He is also responsible private, public, third and stakeholder Dani spent over Services Manager sustainable process supplier management action with impact and the areas where change for developing SUPC’s and higher education engagement and 12 years in both for Library Services improvement and capacity. Taron’s skills accuracy. He is adept at will have the most impact. reporting approach sectors. Rob specialises management. Jayne the rail and water at Imperial College category management. include stakeholder undertaking statistical She specialises in business to ensure the in the development combines analytical industries and has London and was He has responsibility engagement, supplier analysis to identify models and benefit organisation presents and deployment thinking with a focus significant experience part of the Contract for the ICT category, management the reasons behind realisation. Bernarde insightful information of procurement on departmental and of procurement Management including leading on and compliance. trends and patterns overlays expert consulting to members, best practice, the organisational goals. regulations. Dani Group for the several top-used Taron is your first and communicating skills and commercial suppliers and other creation of robust She is skilled at brings expertise in Books Framework national agreements, point of contact insights to a wide range awareness gained from stakeholders in the category strategies, the delivering savings and contract planning and Agreement. His led by SUPC. at SUPC for all of audiences. Paul working in the retail most effective way. identification and delivery adding value management, supplier skills include enquiries related to leads SUMS’ business sector with Debenhams of cost reductions, and for members. and stakeholder member engagement, the Estates Category. intelligence resources. plc and in manufacturing. the creation of a engagement, and supplier management value-adding e-procurement and delivering procurement ethos. systems to her role. operational excellence.

Full list of all SUPC staff is available on our website www.supc.ac.uk. Your Delivery Team

10 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 11 As the global pandemic began to unfold, saving the need for each member to interpret working from home and blended learning. institutions were faced with an unprecedented them separately. Increased demand for items such as laptops ‘The team did an and uncertain operating environment. At SUPC and headsets led to delays in supply. SUPC we recognised that our members needed us • Information About the Developing Picture played a pivotal role in highlighting up-to-date excellent job of now more than ever. Instead of making use of We shared timely and accurate information information to enable members to plan their the government furlough scheme, we chose about problems in the supply chains for PPE activities accordingly. to refocus our team on the areas where they items and IT equipment. We also highlighted quickly adapting could add the most value to members dealing potential new suppliers. This information • Returning to Campus Working alongside our with tough decisions. enabled members to adapt where possible or UK University Purchasing Consortia (UKUPC) to the new norm simply to remain informed. partners, we put together a back to work Immediate First Crisis document that guided members through key and enabling The Covid-19 crisis affected every aspect of the • Speaking Up on Behalf of Members We considerations for procuring PPE equipment higher education sector, from staff and student acted as a single point of contact for members, in preparation for a return. We also brought wellbeing to estate management, supply chains suppliers and other stakeholders. Regular two- in speakers to share their experiences with online events.’ and income generation. With the situation way communication meant we could quickly our members, on topics such as repurposing SUPC MEMBER changing daily, it was incredibly difficult for share updates and relay issues specific to the buildings for socially distanced activities. institutions to keep track of developments and HE sector. We took part in the campaign to the pandemic will affect our members for many potential impacts. Our aim was to respond protest against unsustainable price increases • Supplier Impact Where suppliers were years to come. Our support remains aligned quickly as you reached out for help. in the e-textbook market, joining Jisc and impacted by the crisis, we helped members to your needs, as you plan for uncertainty and institutions to call out suppliers and bring to life to deal with the implications. For example, explore what your future could look like. Example Activities: the impact on the higher education sector. when suppliers ceased trading, we supported • Practical Help We facilitated discussions for mini-competition processes to replace them Institutions will need to respond with disruptive members to understand the implications of • More Opportunities to Connect, Not Fewer quickly and reduce service disruption. In the and innovative operating models which require government-issued Procurement Policy Notes, We moved our events and meetings online case of an e-book supplier, we were able to a different use of budgets and spending. At quickly in March 2020 so that members could identify cost-effective options for re-homing SUPC we are well-placed to keep members meet remotely with the SUPC team and each of e-book content so that universities did not informed about market developments that other. We sourced sector experts in topics lose access to content they had paid for. support these new approaches, for example important to our members and facilitated innovative PPE products and sustainable sharing of best practice. We also recognised the ongoing need our solutions to the challenges of the high-cost members had for peer-to-peer support e-textbooks market. The sector experience • Finding a Way Forward Once it became and wider learning. We continued to offer available through our sister division, SUMS clear that the effects of the pandemic would this support through informal virtual coffee Consulting, means we can help members with be with us for a long time to come, higher mornings and by moving our popular insight and best practice garnered from our education institutions needed to find new conference and events programme online. efficiency work with universities across the UK. ways to operate. We provided timely, accurate This year we hosted 12 events, which were information and support to inform our members’ attended by over 1000 members and wider We know that there will be increased scrutiny decision-making. sector representatives. of budgets and an even greater need for efficiency and financial sustainability. Our • IT Infrastructure This was put under pressure Planning for the Future ongoing contract management will support due to the twin requirements of increased The wider societal and economic impacts of supplier performance and value for money.

Responding to Covid-19

12 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 13 Case Study

Who we worked with The NHS, other public sector bodies and our own member institutions. ‘The higher education sector’s response to The Situation The need for Personal Protective Equipment the Covid crisis has (PPE) has increased exponentially around the been tremendous world during the global Covid-19 pandemic. With such high demand, the market faced a – from supplying number of challenges, from supply and logistics frontline healthcare considerations to quality and pricing variations. The procurement of these items was an staff, to manufacturing area where SUPC team members could add PPE, and of course, considerable value. creating the vaccine What happened that will lead us out In March our STEMed Category Manager, Dani Sweeney, was seconded to join the effort to of lockdown. It was procure PPE items for the NHS. The scale an honour to play of the exercise was such that the project was managed by the Ministry of Defence Alongside this involvement in procuring PPE for and lead times. Individual institutions could then my part, on behalf of on behalf of the Cabinet Office. During the the NHS, SUPC was also working to support conduct their own specific call-offs directly. SUPC, in the national initial stages of the crisis, Dani led one of the our members with their needs in relation to teams who carried out supplier investigations this equipment. Many of them required supplies The difference it made effort and use my to ensure products were available and met of PPE to carry out their activities, particularly The findings of Dani’s team were used by the procurement skills the specified requirements on the 20,000+ when returning to face-to-face working. Our Cabinet Office to secure a supply for NHS potential suppliers who signed up on the Assistant Category Manager Taron Smith frontline workers, both in the immediate crisis for something so government portal. When PPE procurement conducted an aggregated RFQ exercise with and for a longer-term strategy. Our aggregated important – ultimately moved to a longer-term strategic phase, she relevant framework suppliers, having asked our RFQ saved time for our members and for the took on a more specialist role supporting members to provide details of their institutions’ suppliers, who would otherwise have had multiple saving lives.’ the development of a strategy for procuring requirements. This collective approach led to RFQs to respond to. Taron continues to monitor DANI SWEENEY, SUPC CATEGORY protective gloves. five suppliers confirming appropriate pricing security of supply and pricing for our members. MANAGER, STEMed

Case Study: Responding to Covid-19 An Opportunity to Deploy Our Staff and Expertise to Benefit the Greater Good

14 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 15 with our members’ procurement teams so they could undertake this exercise with their local supply networks.

Beginning in Autumn 2020, UKUPC have undertaken more regular reviews which we shared with members.

‘The additional benefits of our SUPC membership go beyond savings and also include regular training, advice, Brexit planning, due diligence and an opportunity

The impacts of Brexit on higher education services, such as the changes associated to consider labour, supply chain, regulatory and to learn from procurement activity are likely to be with Brexit, can have a huge impact on commercial risks. We asked them to: considerable. While there remains a lot of an organisation; it is important that teams • Identify those risks and align to our uncertainty about the details of the changes, work collaboratively within and across their • Confirm how they are planning to mitigate at SUPC we have worked to support our institutions to mitigate challenges. identified issues key research members with information, advice and • Advise what action university procurement guidance to help them prepare. Starting in early 2020, SUPC as part of the UK teams should take. university Universities Purchasing Consortia (UKUPC), Supply Chain Risk reviewed each of our framework contracts. We We then provided a report to members partners.’ and General Guidance asked suppliers who provide goods or services detailing all results for all suppliers who JAKOB KAUUSBERG, PROCUREMENT MANAGER, A disruption to the supply of products or which are at risk of disruption due to Brexit responded. We also shared our question set UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGY

Preparing for Brexit

16 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 17 To save our members time and make it easier Performance Indicators to help benchmark for them to find relevant information, we have procurement efficiency and effectiveness. This brought together sector guidance from a range is combined with data gathered from a decade of sources on our website. These have covered of delivering the sector-leading Procurement areas such as imports/exports, risk mitigation Maturity Assessment, as we undertake a and next steps in preparing for the transition. focussed qualitative assessment of your university’s procurement strategy and approach. Events and Community Discussion While no one has all of the answers, we We are confident that, together, we can help have provided opportunities for members to universities and the sector harness opportunities come together regularly to share experiences, to be more efficient. This will be essential as questions and solutions in both formal and universities seek to make significant efficiency informal settings. This has provided reassurance savings while maintaining a strong reputation as well as answers. within a crowded university landscape.

We have also promoted and raised awareness of national sector events and used our voice to ‘Information help expedite activity on behalf of our members. Dealing with Disruptive provided by Forces in 2021 SUPC to help Both Brexit and Covid-19 have been incredibly disruptive challenges for the higher education us understand sector and society as a whole. While there’s hope on the horizon, the impact of these potential impacts twin concerns will mean universities will have to focus on efficiency and effectiveness of Brexit was so like never before. To support the sector to identify priority areas, we’ve developed the useful. It meant Procurement Value Assessment (PVA). that I didn’t have to The PVA is an essential tool for universities looking to deliver savings in non-pay re-invent the wheel expenditure. It combines SUPC’s in-depth expertise in university procurement with SUMS by trying to put Consulting’s efficiency and effectiveness know- how. Those who need support, can contact us together my own directly at [email protected] for support. interpretations.’ As a starting point, we use the HEPA CLAIRE CROTHERS, PROCUREMENT MANAGER, Procurement Value Survey and Procurement

18 www.supc.ac.uk At SUPC we recognise that our members to give you access to frameworks and face ever-increasing financial pressures. We aim agreements from other organisations, such as to support you in playing your part in your Pagabo and Consortium Procurement. The institution’s success. Delivering support to a long- Travel Management Services framework is term university strategy requires efficient buying a nationally available agreement which was processes, cash savings and more. In 2019/20, shaped by members’ input and tailored to SUPC members spent £386m through framework the needs of the HE market. While the travel agreements, demonstrating a commitment to sector has been hit hard by Covid-19, we have collaboration. Despite the challenges of Covid-19 worked with suppliers to expedite refunds and a decrease in member spend from the and collaborated with sector bodies such as previous year, SUPC members achieved £21m in Universities UK International and the Business cashable savings and £33m in non-cashable savings Travel Association on alternative ways of – representing an average ROI of 1:56. helping UK universities continue to welcome international students. Quick and Compliant Routes to Market Support for Your Changing Needs Our frameworks and supplier agreements As the world in which our members operate make it easy for your institution to procure changes, we have continued to evolve our the goods and services you need. You can support for you. We identify your changing be confident that you are saving time by not needs through ongoing conversations with starting from scratch each time you seek the suppliers and members, enabling the bringing most suitable, best value supplier for you. together of expertise.

As an added reassurance you know that your Example Activities: internal colleagues can use these agreements • The scope of the IT Related Accessories and remain compliant with all appropriate and Parts (ITRAP) framework was extended legislation. Since our tender working groups to include virtual reality (VR) requirements. involve individuals from member institutions – Discussions with members on the tender both procurement professionals and technical working group identified that more experts - these frameworks will often include institutions now use VR in their work, but suppliers already known to academic colleagues. there was no single source sector agreement. Marketing. We have also created a PMA+ a direct impact on institutions being able to The renewed ITRAP framework went live in remote, recognising that the service needed fulfil their duty of care to travelling employees This year SUPC has let frameworks across February 2020. to be delivered in a flexible way – this was in and students. areas including travel, IT and lab chemicals and • During this year we carried out PMA+ place pre-Covid-19 and has proved invaluable consumables. Our strategic partnership with reviews to help universities improve their in the face of ongoing restrictions. Wider Priorities LUPC has removed duplication, making it even procurement capability. The process has • Our support for internal conversations Institutions are coming under increasing easier for you to find a suitable, sector-relevant evolved in recognition of the changing role has enabled Heads of Procurement to scrutiny of their wider world impact. SUPC route to market. of procurement teams. We now gather input demonstrate the strategic nature of their membership gives procurement teams from senior stakeholders and decision-makers, work. For example, using Travel Management knowledge and confidence in their strategic We have also looked for opportunities such as Directors of Finance, Estates, ICT and Companies (TMCs) during early 2020 had role. We continue to improve SUPC’s internal

Delivering Value: Savings and Beyond

20 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 21 • Members spent £85m spend through efficiency so that we can focus on direct help SSSNA framework in 2019/20 for members and activities such as proactive ‘Completing scanning for future opportunities. successive PMA’s Areas this year have included: • Showing Support for Regional Economies has given Newcastle and Communities To help institutions demonstrate their support for local an impetus and a sustainability we now have 288 SMEs on agreements available through SUPC. We also defined target to assist with best practice in engaging with SMEs, for example clarifying the ensure continuous March 2020 Procurement Policy Notes on payments which had a bigger impact on improvement is smaller suppliers. achieved in our • Supplier Contribution to the Global Sustainability Agenda Many of our framework Procurement Services TMCs are improving their booking systems to provide information on carbon footprints and team. The assessment sustainable routes. Travellers will be able to make more informed choices. criteria are clear

• Student Experience Library budgets are and the pathway to central to teaching. In a digital world, students need new ways to access library resources. Our Superior performance metadata special interest group has led to improvements in this area. is mapped out. The

• Supporting equality, diversity and inclusion PMA+ is particularly (EDI) In 2019/20 we started work on our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy to provide well placed to drive members with assurance that SUPC upholds these important values. We are now working further improvement on EDI training and guidance for members to support greater inclusivity within tenders and and stretch across supply chains. We are also hoping to support the development of the procurement profession as the sector.’ one that welcomes and supports a dynamic and NEIL ADDISON, PROCUREMENT MANAGER, diverse community.

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Who We Worked With The Difference it Made University of Portsmouth, a TEF Gold-rated The team has been able to make optimum use university supporting an undergraduate of their time by taking the input from SUPC student population of over 25,000, and ranked and applying it to their institution’s context. ‘Thanks to the leg-work among the top 30 institutions in the UK in the This has allowed them to increase their ROI National Student Survey 2020. through SUPC membership over previous years. carried out by SUPC, I They have been able to have better quality have been able to pull out The Situation conversations with colleagues and to proactively The procurement team at Portsmouth already influence senior level decision-making. the information I need to managed a high volume of work to support provide timely input to the their institution’s activities. The addition of a Hearing from peers at other universities has global pandemic and the need to prepare for helped the team to identify successful ways senior team at Portsmouth. Brexit increased their workload still further. • Opportunities to get involved in forward for Portsmouth. Contributing to the activities, such as the IT software licence collective voice of HE sector procurement has This has really helped What Happened retendering group and participation in the been beneficial to themselves and others. to proactively influence During the year, Claire Crothers, Procurement post-Brexit Public Contracts Regulations Manager, and her team made use of the full range reform consultation. There has been a direct impact on decision-making and raise of SUPC membership benefits, including: opportunities to increase understanding of procurement’s profile at • Access to timely, accurate and trustworthy Outside of membership, Portsmouth procurement internally. This has come from information on the complex issues caused by undertook a Procurement Maturity providing strategic overviews at senior levels the top table. Our PMA+ was Covid-19 and Brexit, such as Procurement Policy Assessment (PMA+) in 2019. and from involving subject-expert colleagues, also critical in developing Note interpretation, supply chain issues and The PMA+ looked at the performance such as the IT team, in tendering groups. SUPC compliant routes to market of the procurement team in the broader has worked with the procurement team to the procurement team’s • Accessible, relevant webinars and conferences – context of the institution’s strategy and clearly demonstrate the efficiency and value capability and impact. I am in-person and online performance and provided a road that the University gets from its non-pay • Learning from peers and expert speakers to map for making improvements. spend – a strategic imperative during these relatively new to the HE improve their own activities Through the process, they were able to challenging times for the sector. sector and have found SUPC • An increase in return on investment (ROI) from identify areas to improve the procurement 1:72 in 2018/19 to 1:88 in 2019/20, despite the operations and strategy to deliver long-term Being able to position themselves as a colleagues to be welcoming challenges of Covid-19. benefits and having a third-party report with more proactive, strategic function has raised • An expected return of over £19,000 in supplier recommendations gave additional weight to the profile of procurement at the University. and their support invaluable.’ marketing premiums for the 2019/20 year, more influencing senior decision-makers and then This has in turn enabled more effective spend CLAIRE CROTHERS, PROCUREMENT MANAGER, than covering the cost of SUPC members. delivering change. and ROI. UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH

Delivering Value: Savings and Beyond Information and Support for Proactive Decision-Making in Difficult Times

24 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 25 Reassurance and and special interest groups. Drawing on the Learning from Others expertise and input of members is vital to Bringing members together to communicate ensure solutions are fit for purpose. and share experiences has never been more important. Whether in person or online, Collective input is vital in shaping the next SUPC has continued to provide opportunities iteration of the frameworks, such as the to connect. Servers, Storage & Solutions National Agreement (SSSNA). The spend level through • Informal coffee mornings have provided the this framework remained high in 2019/20, chance for members to check in with each demonstrating the ongoing importance of other during a difficult, uncertain year. This infrastructure in digital learning. The re- has proved invaluable for wellbeing, practical advice and support. • Meeting online as commodity and special ‘The membership interest groups meant that members continued to learn from each other, hear gives access to about best practice and gather ideas for their own future plans. a consortium • Information webinars on topics ranging from repurposing buildings for social distancing that I see as an to the future of business travel and understanding software licensing models. The important catalyst subjects for these sessions were developed by listening to members’ needs. These for collaborative webinars were opened up across all HE procurement consortia. working, be that directly with Listening to the collective discussions of our members also helped SUPC to identify the SUPC team, common themes and issues that were wider than at individual institution level. For example, via commodity when a problem with an IT supplier pricing was identified, we were able to work with groups or from the that supplier to find a way forward that was fair to all. networking with Get Involved other universities.’ A wide range of institutions and individuals HOWARD GOFFIN, HEAD OF PROCUREMENT, have taken part in our commodity, working

Building a Community of Excellence

26 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 27 tendering working group enabled those involved to discuss future tech developments ‘The value for to address. our institution During this year, SUPC has facilitated opportunities for a wide range of internal is the access colleagues to be involved in procurement activity. Members have been represented on to robust IT tendering groups, STEMed working groups and library special interest groups by their own frameworks, internal IT teams, researchers and librarians - not just procurement teams. This has in turn information, enabled better understanding and internal conversations. and a network of Wider Collaboration At SUPC we work hard to reach out to a knowledgeable wide range of new and existing partners for our members’ benefit. These relationships and relevant give members access to more expertise, perspectives and arrangements. colleagues

Example collaborations include: in other • The National ICT group, involving all HE procurement consortia, Jisc and ucisa, institutions.’ is chaired by SUPC. Together we work SUPC MEMBER collaboratively on data analysis, systems and processes for the sector. Issues can • A member of the SUPC team was be collectively raised with the market and seconded to the NHS programme for PPE information quickly shared with members. procurement, part of the effort to efficiently • SUPC teamed up with BUFDG and Jisc and compliantly deliver the equipment to support members’ needs in relation to needed by frontline workers. the zero-rating of VAT on e-publications. • The national UK Universities Purchasing Subsequent refunds for members have Consortia (UKUPC) Communications Group Events for members totalled £4.5m. is chaired by SUPC and has developed a • SUPC New Member Induction Event • We have begun conversations with other central website and regular e-publications. • Travel and Temp/Perm Recruitment Services Launch Event interested partners in the world of These provide advice and guidance for accessibility for digital platforms, in order to members on a range of procurement topics • Two Council Events and Networking develop forward-thinking specifications for including Brexit, tender working groups and • SUPC Labs Agreement Launch potential suppliers. working with SMEs. • LUPC & SUPC Conference - Covid-19 Webinars • LUPC & SUPC Conference - On the Day Webinars • Developing Personal Resourcefulness in HE, During Covid-19 and Beyond • LUPC & SUPC - Back to Work Webinar • LUPC & SUPC - Efficiencies Webinar • Cartel Dangers in Higher Education Procurement: What You Need to Know • PCR Consultation with the Cabinet Office

28 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 29 Case Study

Who We Worked With Librarians and metadata experts from across our member institutions, responsible for approximately £55 million in annual ‘Books are there to be sector spend. read. If a student or The Situation other member of the More and more resources for students’ learning are now provided online. The global university community pandemic has accelerated this digital provision of books and journals. The metadata held can’t find a book, they within university library catalogues is vital to cannot use it. ensuring students can find and use critical resources. It makes the books, journals and Members have told other resources searchable and easy to locate, which is a fundamental requirement for me how valuable our meeting students’ expectations. metadata special

What Happened interest group is Metadata is a complex, niche area of 70 librarians and data professionals. We have This special interest group has enabled librarianship. It enables sophisticated continued to host these conversations remotely member institutions to learn about this for developing their connections to and between online works during the pandemic. The next stage for this group changing area and share their experiences. practices to ensure so that they can be easily discovered and is to look at ways we can enable collaborative They are able to improve their own online used. We realised that we could add value projects between member institutions. library catalogues and provide a better a high-quality by supporting our members to discuss this experience for their students and staff. evolving area together. The Difference it Made In this safe space with their peers, they library experience Metadata improvements underpin value for feel able to ask questions and seek Our Academic Services Category Manager Gavin money for institutions. If a resource cannot reassurance when required. Given the and value for money for Phillips, who came to SUPC from a role as a be found, it will not be used and the cost to growing importance of digital library their students.’ provision – especially in light of Covid-19 - university librarian himself, set up a metadata acquiring it will have been lost. The group special interest group so SUPC and LUPC therefore gives our members the opportunity this best-practice sharing network is already GAVIN PHILLIPS, members could learn from each other. The to ensure ongoing value beyond SUPC’s helping to shape the future of learning in UK SUPC CATEGORY MANAGER, network we have created is made up of around framework in this area. higher education. ACADEMIC SERVICES

Building a Community of Excellence A chance to Share, Learn and Add Value to the Learning Experience

30 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 31 At SUPC we aim to join the sector dots by identifying cross-sector needs and ‘The SUPC helping you to find solutions that work for your institution. We employ the tools membership and expertise available to us to provide efficient insight for you to use in your decision-making. is much Insight more than a We continue to add to our team’s strengths in HE procurement by bringing in individuals subscription with experience of working within institutions. In a changing world this has given us the to a service, perspective of procurement needs beyond frameworks and agreements. it is access We recognise the vital importance of evidence-based decision-making to our to a range of members’ success. We have therefore invested in data insight and analysis for you procurement to use. We are working with members in the coming year to develop our reporting and professionals insight tools.

Throughout the year, we maintained support with a breadth for our members with insight into complex and evolving markets. For example, we of knowledge, provided regular updates in relation to: • PPE supply and development of relevant to the innovative products • Pricing changes for e-textbooks HE Sector.’ • The rapidly changing travel markets. HOWARD GOFFIN, HEAD OF PROCUREMENT, UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH This information shaped your response to the scenarios you faced. Example activities: Advice and Guidance • The global pandemic enforced a pause Our team’s expertise provides a balance of to travelling. Many institutions have taken category management and consultancy in advantage of this situation to re-think their response to members’ needs. travel policies and processes.

Providing Advice and Expert Insight

32 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 33 We provided the latest information on the practice, to support each other and our ever-changing travel landscape and potential wider procurement community. future scenarios. This helped institutions • We collaborated to put together a back- to identify what to consider during their to-work document that guided members review. Our insight into the role TMCs can through key considerations for procuring play in providing data for environmental PPE equipment in preparation for a return sustainability has also proved helpful. to campus. This pooled a wide range of • We created and distributed a central experience in a single source of guidance. repository of consortia frameworks in the • Since SUPC is part of the wider SUMS estates category. This requirement had been group, our members can take advantage identified by the SUPC Estates Group. We of the expert briefing papers written by also included frameworks from the wider SUMS consultants. These cover a range of market to create a single point of reference topics, including the impact of Covid-19 on for our members. university finance, digital education and the • We supported members to understand changing university culture, all of which can changes to Microsoft’s licensing model help inform procurement activities. Events so that you could select the right option such as the SUMS Conference have also for your staff and students. We facilitated been opened up to SUPC Members to give conversations with other members who you perspectives beyond procurement. had already taken actions and with suppliers who offered free support. As a result, our Our resources and working groups can be members could be confident that they had made available beyond the procurement teams the correct licences and were not paying at member institutions so knowledge and higher fees than necessary. insight can be shared more widely internally. Wider Access It’s not just SUPC’s advice and expertise that our members benefit from. Our ‘SUPC partnerships and relationships with others mean that you can access a greater range of provides an information and perspectives. excellent • We work closely with other HE consortia through UK Universities Purchasing service [that] Consortia (UKUPC). UKUPC is a partnership between eight UK consortia who created a formal entity to support I am very collaborative procurement within higher and further education. All eight consortia happy with.’ work together to share knowledge and best SUPC MEMBER

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What Happened The first thing the Travel Management Companies (TMCs) did was to locate passengers who were currently travelling and ‘SUPC’s expertise make arrangements for bringing them back to the UK. They also worked with universities brought a range and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to repatriate travellers who were stranded of benefits to our by border closures and airline cancellations. In the face of ongoing uncertainty about members, helping whether booked travel would go ahead or be subject to last-minute cancellations, the TMCs the sector to provided expert advice on the best course of action for university travellers. understand and

SUPC worked with Clive Wratten, navigate a number the CEO of the Business Travel Association (BTA), to raise with the government the of very complex unique position of the HE sector in relation to the need for cash refunds, not travel issues through vouchers. This relationship with the BTA also helped us to share up-to-date the pandemic.’ both research collaboration and student information with our members about the JAMIE ARROWSMITH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, Who We Worked With POLICY AT UNIVERSITIES UK INTERNATIONAL Member institutions, representing over £200m recruitment. The global Covid-19 pandemic current travel environment. in buying power across the UK HE sector, has stopped this trend in its tracks, with along with other sector consortia, travel international travel all but shut down. The issue of bringing international students The Difference it Made management companies and the Business During the initial stages of the pandemic, to the UK also created problems as time In a fast-changing travel landscape, our Travel Association. there was a direct impact on individuals who went on. SUPC worked with the TMCs and relationships with the TMCs, the BTA and UUK were on a trip and caught up in the race UUK International to develop a collaborative, International helped us to keep up-to-date with The Situation to get home. As the crisis continued, travel innovative solution which addressed legislative the latest picture and share that information with British universities have been increasingly disruption, HE funding models and the needs and risk concerns, enabling universities to our members. This not only kept them informed, reliant on overseas travel in the last 30 of international students caused further issues charter flights in order to bring their students but also meant that the TMCs were not facing years as internationalisation has boomed in for our members. to campus. multiple queries with the same questions.

Travel Requirements in an Unfamiliar World

36 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 37 The higher education world is a complex environment with many sector-specific needs. The resulting procurement-related challenges need to be viewed through the lens of this complexity, something that is fully understood by the SUPC team. Part of Your World We save our members time by building and maintaining relationships with suppliers, procurement consortia and sector bodies and other stakeholders in the supply chain. Bringing appropriate parties and perspectives together to discuss topics avoids having to reinvent the wheel.

We help procurement teams to make their processes relatable to end users and buyers within their institutions. The data and insight we have helps them to make the case for compliance. For example, during the Australian bush fires of 2020, TMCs quickly located travellers and brought them home safely without extra effort for them. Procurement teams could clearly show how booking travel through the official route was beneficial to the individual traveller in a difficult situation.

Our PMA+ reviews are designed to help you assess your performance in a way that is aligned with the specific challenges of the sector. The process has evolved in recognition of the changing role of procurement teams and the contribution you make to your institutions’ evolving strategies. Acting on Your Behalf SUPC provides a single point of contact in relation to HE sector procurement. Our

Acting as Your Critical Friend

38 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 39 • Policy-Makers We were able to leverage our long-term viability, connecting with them We continue to add to our team’s ‘I am particularly relationships with TMCs and the Business also speaks to universities’ civic responsibility strengths in HE procurement by bringing in Travel Association to ensure the Home agenda. SUPC has been able to keep individuals with experience of working within Office heard about our members’ challenges suppliers and members informed of activities institutions. In a changing world this has given pleased with in relation to travel refunds. The unique and developments. us new perspectives. impact of HE funding models was how SUPC’s collectively represented. Bodies like Universities UK are also able to look at sustainability collaborative work undertaken within HE to and social values present to Government. In addition, we use information members give us take centre- to influence others. We have recently supported the grass roots campaign for change to pricing structures in the e-books market, using insight stage and is from stories our members have shared. aligned to our Stakeholder Perspectives A key strength of higher education suppliers own values.’ is their understanding of the unique conditions JAKOB KAUUSBERG, PROCUREMENT MANAGER, in which our member institutions operate. UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGY Our positive, ongoing relationships with them ensure that their perspective and members trust us to speak and act on their expertise can be easily brought in for the behalf because we demonstrate time and again benefit of members. that we understand what you need. • Student Experience Changes in the We connect with: travel market have impacted on student • Members You come to us for up-to-date, trusted group travel, with the loss of a significant information, such as the timely and accurate supplier in the market. We knew how information about problems in the supply chains this would affect our members and for PPE items and IT equipment that we shared supported them to find suitable alternative during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. suppliers to provide quality experiences • Suppliers They can talk to us once instead for their students. of holding multiple meetings with separate institutions. This is hugely beneficial at a time • STEMed Suppliers Many of these suppliers when they are also negotiating the impact on have switched to supplying the NHS during their businesses of issues such as Brexit and the pandemic. As well as a strategic climate change. decision that contributes to their

40 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 41 Case Study

Who We Worked With One of the largest universities in the UK with ‘Time and again international campuses and a global reputation for excellence. our members tell us The Situation how invaluable it is An over-reliance on time-consuming manual to have an objective processes and an outdated operating model were impacting on the procurement team’s review carried out by ability to use their full expertise. Working someone who really remotely due to the global pandemic made manual processes even more problematic. understands the world Changes to the make-up of the team provided of HE procurement. an opportunity to review how they could add greater value to their institution. In this case our What Happened consultant made The University approached SUMS Consulting, recommendations that a sister division of SUPC and part of the SUMS group for support in making process processes into existing systems, to improve the procurement and finance, as well as the end clearly demonstrated efficiencies. Consultant Graeme Sloan carried organisational design for procurement and to users whose form-filling activities out a review of current activities, tools and update tendering and contract-management will be more efficiently and compliantly the strategic benefit systems. He discovered that the traditional systems. These suggestions were provided in managed. There will also be an associated to the University of procurement operating model in use meant the format of quick wins and a longer-term financial cost-saving. that team members were firefighting and roadmap to assist with implementation. making changes. He unable to proactively add value. As well as The improvements to the organisational design also provided a tactical taking up a lot of time, the manual processes The Difference it Made and working practices will support a move often led to missed steps and/or duplicate Automating the manual processes will to a more strategic procurement function, road-map to assist the information and effort. significantly reduce the number of hours contributing to the University’s wider goals. taken, with an estimated annual saving This will also provide more enriching roles for team in taking the work Graeme provided the Head of Finance with of approximately 400 person hours. This individual team members, where they are able forward themselves.’ a series of recommendations to digitise will benefit the back-office functions of to fully use their procurement expertise. BERNARDE HYDE, CEO, SUMS GROUP

Objective Insight – Target Operating Model Review A Lean, Mean, Efficiency Machine

42 www.supc.ac.uk www.supc.ac.uk 43 SUPC is an operating unit of Southern Universities Management Services, a company limited by guarantee.

Registered in England and Wales No. 02732244 Charity Number 1042175 Registered office as above.

Financial Statements Copies of Southern Universities Management Services audited Directors’ Report and Financial Statements are available from [email protected] or on our website at www.supc.ac.uk.

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