Lancaster University saves time and resource by managing purchasing in one central system
Lancaster University centralised purchasing with Proactis, enabling faster ordering, reducing off-contract spend, and freeing up staff time.
Sector
Education
Students
16,500+
Hosted Catalogues
23
System Integration
Unit4 ERP
Customer Since
2016
How Proactis Helped
“Proactis not only makes life easier for our end users as they can easily find an item, click and order, but having everything in one place has also saved time, provided insights into our purchasing activity, helped us manage our supply chain better and helped make sure suppliers are paid on time.”
Linda Thompson, Procurement Manager, Lancaster University
Provided staff with a single, user-friendly purchasing portal - accessible via single sign-on through the University Intranet
Increased on-contract spend by directing all purchasing through approved catalogues and punch-out connections
Reduced off-contract and maverick purchasing across the University
Delivered faster ordering and reduced the time staff need to spend sourcing and procuring goods and services
Freed Procurement and operational staff from manual purchasing administration, enabling focus on value-added activities
Gave the Procurement team clear visibility of what has been ordered, by whom, and from which suppliers
Integrated seamlessly with Unit4 ERP, creating a streamlined end-to-end process from order to payment
Supported better supplier payment performance through improved order visibility and process efficiency
Overview
Lancaster University is a member of the N8 Group of research universities, ranked in the top twenty in all three national league tables and awarded Gold in the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework. To reduce manual purchasing administration and drive greater on-contract spend, the University implemented the Proactis Marketplace integrated with its Unit4 ERP - creating a single, secure online store giving staff easy access to 23 supplier catalogues and 32 punch-out connections. The result is faster ordering, reduced off-contract purchasing, and staff freed to focus on higher-value activities.
Challenge
Lancaster University is a member of the N8 Group of research universities, offering a full range of academic services to more than 16,500 students and employing around 3,000 staff. Procurement is controlled centrally by a team of 20 staff.
Manual processing and administration of orders was both time-consuming and frustrating for employees across the University. Without a single, centralised destination for purchasing, staff spent significant time navigating different supplier channels - increasing the risk of off-contract spending and reducing the Procurement team's visibility of what was being ordered and from whom.
The University decided to provide all staff with one online destination where they could quickly and easily find, compare, and order from preferred suppliers - within established purchase authorisation policies - reducing administration, driving on-contract spend, and enabling better purchasing decisions.
Solution
Proactis helped Lancaster University establish a secure online store integrated into the University's staff Intranet, providing a single procurement portal accessible via single sign-on. The Proactis Marketplace hosts supplier catalogues and punch-out connections, enabling staff to browse and order from approved suppliers quickly and easily through one consistent interface.
Seamless integration with the University's Unit4 ERP system ensures the purchasing process is fully streamlined from selection through to payment - creating a genuine one-stop shop for procurement activity. Buyers can move directly from the Unit4 ERP into the Proactis Marketplace, select goods and services, and ensure payment is processed without switching between systems.
The platform currently provides access to 23 hosted supplier catalogues and 32 punch-out connections for specialist items, giving staff the breadth of choice needed whilst keeping purchasing within approved channels and at the best available prices from qualified suppliers.
About us
Proactis has worked with finance and procurement teams for 30 years. We know what the problems look like - and what it takes to fix them.
Partners
We work with a network of trusted ERP partners who help you get Proactis running alongside your existing systems - and make sure it keeps working as your organisation evolves.
Customers
From day one through to long-term use, our team works alongside yours to make sure you get real value from the platform - not just a successful go-live.
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