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The Daily OrangeSU saves $600,000 in new office supply deal
By Ryan Balton
Posted: 11/28/07, 1:23 AM EST Section: News
Between faculty, staff, undergrads and graduate students, there are more than 24,131 people who can use the printers and other office supplies on the Syracuse University campus on any given day.
And with a new purchasing partnership, SU expects to save $600,000 over the next three years. The university's Purchasing Department recently announced that it formed a contract with Corporate Express, which will cut costs and streamline ordering of office supplies, ink and toner.
The partnership allows individual departments to order their items online. Departments can now place orders using the new eProcurement module in the Purchasing Department's PeopleSoft software platform. The process, which is similar to enrolling in classes on MySlice, allows faculty to make requisitions online. Once a purchase is approved electronically, the items arrive via next-day delivery.
"This is going to save money in a number of different ways," said Douglas Freeman, director of the Purchasing Department.
The partnership was open to bids from a number of different vendors, and Corporate Express offered the best fixed pricing, Freeman said.
Making the process entirely electronic also saves money. Typing and mailing requisitions to the Purchasing Department is a thing of the past for SU faculty. The online order is sent directly to Corporate Express - cutting out the middle man - which allows a purchase order to be automatically generated. Faculty will also be able to track the status of their purchases online.
Freeman identified more efficient deliveries as the ultimate benefit. Items are delivered directly to individual offices instead of a central campus distribution center.
Other than the financial savings, Freeman pointed to other reasons for the new deal. The partnership allows departments to purchase office supplies, ink and toner when needed instead of using rooms on campus to stockpile them.
Michael Byrne, territory account manager for Corporate Express, said he believes aggressive pricing and speedy delivery were the two central reasons the partnership was created.
And with a new purchasing partnership, SU expects to save $600,000 over the next three years. The university's Purchasing Department recently announced that it formed a contract with Corporate Express, which will cut costs and streamline ordering of office supplies, ink and toner.
The partnership allows individual departments to order their items online. Departments can now place orders using the new eProcurement module in the Purchasing Department's PeopleSoft software platform. The process, which is similar to enrolling in classes on MySlice, allows faculty to make requisitions online. Once a purchase is approved electronically, the items arrive via next-day delivery.
"This is going to save money in a number of different ways," said Douglas Freeman, director of the Purchasing Department.
The partnership was open to bids from a number of different vendors, and Corporate Express offered the best fixed pricing, Freeman said.
Making the process entirely electronic also saves money. Typing and mailing requisitions to the Purchasing Department is a thing of the past for SU faculty. The online order is sent directly to Corporate Express - cutting out the middle man - which allows a purchase order to be automatically generated. Faculty will also be able to track the status of their purchases online.
Freeman identified more efficient deliveries as the ultimate benefit. Items are delivered directly to individual offices instead of a central campus distribution center.
Other than the financial savings, Freeman pointed to other reasons for the new deal. The partnership allows departments to purchase office supplies, ink and toner when needed instead of using rooms on campus to stockpile them.
Michael Byrne, territory account manager for Corporate Express, said he believes aggressive pricing and speedy delivery were the two central reasons the partnership was created.
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