KU University Relations

University Relations

kurelations@ku.edu
p (785) 864-3256
f (785) 864-3339

G. Purchasing

Description of function to be improved:: The role of the Purchasing Office is to assist the campus community in the acquisition of goods and services needed to accomplish the University's mission.

What are the perceived problems?: The campus community requires a change in attitude from gate keeper, barrier and error catcher to an attitude of facilitator and service provider. Communication needs to be enhanced to include broader and quicker access to contracts, bid specification templates, policy and procedures, and training.
The Purchasing Office needs to state clearly that their top priority is to assist departments/units to get what they want, when they want it, for a price they can afford, while ensuring that State purchasing guidelines are being followed.
University administration and the Purchasing Office need to work with the State to allow "local purchase" limits to rise to $1,000/month/like-item without special documentation of vendor prices. The current limit is $500. The restriction is increasingly unwieldy as staff is cut and services that were previously provided on campus must be purchased from private vendors. An effort also needs to be made to work with the State to provide more flexibility and exemptions from some of the current State contracts which are found to be restrictive and often force departments to buy items at a higher cost or lower quality.
Approvals and administrative channels need to be reengineered and, where possible, eliminated.

What is the evidence of the process(es) problems? Consumer input, relevant data?: Interviews with senior administrators, September-October 1995
Letters from campus community, Fall 1995
Focus group transcripts, October 1995

What additional information and/or data are needed?: At this time the Acting Director of the Purchasing Office, Diane Goddard, is meeting with various Deans, Directors, and Chairpersons together with those staff in each area that have frequent contact with the Purchasing Office. Lindy Eakin has been attending those meetings as his schedule allows. A great deal of additional data is being generated as a result of these meetings.

Who are the stakeholders of this process? Who should be involved in its improvement?: A purchasing users group should be formed from departments on campus who interact with purchasing on a daily basis. This users group should be involved in reengineering efforts.

Is the improvement of this process likely to be a short-term or long-term task?: Improving attitude and communication needs to be a never ending task and must span both the short- and long-term.
Gaining more flexibility and exemption from some State contracts will be a long-term task that will require legislative action.
Increasing "local purchase" spending limits will both require legislative action and/or approval from the State Director of Purchases and so should be considered a long-term initiative.
Improving technology can be a short-term achievable goal.
Reengineering required campus approvals for contracts, etc., could be a short-term task.

What is the desired outcome of the improvement of this process?: Improved communication coupled with a different attitude will make a tremendous difference in the level of service provided to the University. Additional flexibility and increased "local purchase" limits would allow the Purchasing Office to focus on the larger expenditures. At present about 80% of the documents for purchases under $1,000 result in approximately 20% of the dollars expended.
Maintaining current staffing levels would allow the staff to offer more services and develop electronic functionality for greater department/unit efficiency. Reengineering efforts should revolve around the implementation of the new financial system with a focus on providing departments with a tool for facilitating the purchasing and accounting function on this campus.

Are administrative savings likely to result? How?: Administrative savings resulting from a refocusing of efforts would allow the Purchasing Office to greatly enhance the level and quality of services offered to departments and units on campus. For example, the Purchasing Office could write specifications for smaller departments or provide specification templates on line.