The University of Dundee has a long term aim to be Scotland's leading University. The University's core purpose is to transform lives, working locally and globally through the creation, sharing and application of knowledge. 

The Procurement Office works to support this long term aim and puts the University's five core values at the heart of its operation:

1. Valuing people

To maximise the contribution made by members of the Procurement Office, University colleagues and external contacts within the Procurement community to ensure the University achieves best value for money. With consistent training and support of staff to allow them to achieve their potential.

2. Working together

To pursue procurement collaboration both within the public sector and privately for the benefit of the University and to ensure local, regional, national and international collaborations are sought out and encouraged.

3. Integrity

To behave in our business dealings in accordance with the professional standards and ethics of the University and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply. To treat those we deal with in an honest, transparent and fair manner and to adhere to relevant legislation regarding public procurement.

4. Making a difference

To ensure that procurement activities are carried out to encompass best procurement practice and where possible, non-economic benefits both locally and globally are taken into consideration.

5. Excellence

To enhance the reputation of the University through a commitment to continued development of best procurement practice to achieve best value for the University.

Over the next three years, the Procurement Office will develop its personnel and systems to assist the University in achieving its goal. This is broadly split as follows:

Personnel

  • Retention of MCIPS qualified staff
  • Investment of CIPS/MCIPS to currently non-CIPS qualified staff
  • CPD, including legislative compliance training
  • Skills knowledge transfer within the Procurement Office

Systems

  • eProcurement - complete rollout of Pecos
  • Catalogue Content Management - complete rollout of tool
  • Procurement Cards - includes Spend Management System to allow reconciliations and reporting
  • Consolidated Invoicing
  • Optical Character Recognition in Accounts Payable
  • Hunter Contracts Database (requires minimum upgrade to Office 07)
  • Procurement Website upgrade to ICS Content Management System
  • Furniture/IT Recycling website
  • Contract Styles Repository (in collaboration with Legal, Estates, RIS)

In order to assist the University in achieving a surplus of 6% to fund investment, the Procurement Office will help to control costs in the procurement of goods, services and works. Such procurements will continue to be characterised by whole life costing to appraise total costs and carbon use over the life of the University's equipment and buildings and will ensure robust appraisal and post-implementation reviews are carried out to ensure knowledge transfer of lessons learned.

The Procurement Office will assist the University to be a "good citizen" both locally and globally and to help "build a better Dundee", applying robust procurement procedures to ensure fairness and transparency in the award of University contracts that comply with all EU public procurement legislation and achieve best value for money.

Of critical importance to support the aims the Procurement Office, is the completed implementation of the Pecos eProcurement system across all University Colleges and Directorates. Once fully implemented, the tool will provide the Procurement Office with a stronger capability to review non-pay expenditure. More detailed information provides opportunities for consolidation, increased leverage to be applied and more effective targeting of resources to high value, high volume and critical suppliers to ensure best pricing and best terms, thereby assisting in the provision of the best possible physical facilities.

Training for Procurement staff will include:

  • Procurement legislation - as required
  • Procurement Card Training
  • Cross training for Supplier Adoption and eEnablement
  • Presentation skills
  • Negotiation skills - as required
  • Cross training for Operational Procurement
  • Content Management Solution
  • ECDL - as required
  • cXML - transactional websites

Training to be delivered by Procurement staff includes:

  • Procurement procedures - to be included in HR's OPD for all staff
  • Drop-in Procurement clinics
  • Pecos new user
  • Pecos refresher
  • Procurement card

Key Performance Indicators to monitor Procurement's progress will be:

  1. Cost of Procurement
  2. Efficiencies
  3. Volume of non-pay expenditure transactions
  4. Percentage of non-pay expenditure being placed on Pecos
  5. Percentage of non-pay expenditure going through Procurement Cards
  6. Percentage of electronic transactions with first-time match
  7. Percentage of Pecos expenditure with electronic content suppliers (either catalogue or punch-out)
  8. Percentage of collaborative contract spend
  9. Percentage of orders going to internal suppliers
  10. Procurement Capability Assessment score
  11. Number of EU tenders managed
  12. Number of MCIPS qualified staff
  13. Evidence of CPD for Procurement staff
  14. Number of Procurement training sessions fulfilled

Procurement Strategy - Ratified by Finance & Policy Committee, 13 May 2013