Procurement
Vision
The University and its affiliates are committed to lessening our negative impacts on the environment and strengthening the regional economy through sustainable purchasing practices and partnerships with vendors while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Goal 1: Reduce the volume of campus purchases
Objective 1.1: Reduce overall purchases by campus departments, especially of disposable goods
Reducing our purchases will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and our resource footprint.
Strategy 1.1.1: Reduce the use of paper by adopting electronic workflow processes, electronic communication, and policies that require printers to duplex print by default
Strategy 1.1.2: Minimize packaging through procurement practices and vendor agreements
Strategy 1.1.3: Develop processes for departments to combine orders with minimum spend requirements and share supplies that are used infrequently or in small quantities to prevent overbuying
Strategy 1.1.4: Assess budgeting and procurement practices at the departmental level to determine whether they support a “use it or lose it” mentality that encourages end of the year buying; make adjustments as needed.
Objective 1.2: Maintain and utilize assets to their fullest potential
Using products fully and for as long as possible will reduce the need to purchase replacement goods.
Strategy 1.2.1: Adopt procurement practices that factor in life-cycle costs and allow for the purchase of more expensive items when proven to have a longer life
Strategy 1.2.2: Expand the campus-wide surplus program and develop a more robust system to encourage the use of surplus materials before buying new
Strategy 1.2.3: Enhance preventive maintenance efforts to extend the life of equipment
Goal 2: Encourage the purchase of more sustainable products
Objective 2.1: Increase environmentally and socially preferable purchasing practices
Buying products that are local, organic, fair trade, recycled content, etc. support the local economy and socially responsible business practices as well as reducing our negative impact on the environment.
Strategy 2.1.1: Create a best practices guide for preferred purchasing practices (local, recycled, efficient, reduced packaging, chemical free, organic, fair trade, durable materials, life cycle cost analysis, etc.) including products certified by reputable third party organizations.
Strategy 2.1.2: Identify frequently purchased items and utilize strategic purchasing practices to acquire more environmentally and socially preferable alternatives at a comparable cost.
Strategy 2.1.3: Pilot the preferable purchasing best practices guide in select departments to establish minimum purchasing requirements
Strategy 2.1.4: Revise standard vendor contracts using models from the General Services Administration and Environmental Protection Agency to require sustainable purchasing practices
Goal 3: Support the economic viability of a diverse regional economy
Objective 3.1: Support local and regional businesses
Supporting local businesses provides local jobs and support for the local economy and reduces the costs and impacts of transportation.
Strategy 3.1.1: Establish a campus definition for local businesses.
Strategy 3.1.2: Develop a system to identify existing and new vendors that meet this definition and track the purchase of goods and services with these vendors.
Strategy 3.1.3: Encourage procurement officers to include strategic purchasing and partnership development with local businesses
Strategy 3.1.4: Include locally-owned businesses in the best purchasing practices guide
Objective 3.2: Support supplier diversity within the procurement system
Supplier diversity programs encourage the growth of small businesses while helping overcome the unique challenges that diverse businesses face in establishing and sustaining their organizations.
Strategy 3.2.1: Assess procurement practices to identify barriers of entry for Minority Owned Business Enterprise (MBE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE) and other historically underutilized and disadvantaged businesses.
Strategy 3.2.2: Establish a system to identify existing and new vendors within this classification and track the purchase of goods and services with these vendors.
Strategy 3.2.3: Develop partnerships with regional and national organizations and consortiums that support supplier diversity programs and can assist vendors with gaining access to procurement opportunities with the University.
