Director's Corner

Maggie Witt, Director
Maggie Witt, Director

Sourcing Strategically: It's OUR Move

Perhaps you’ve heard or even used the phrase “strategic sourcing.” But what does it really mean? Is it a means to locate new suppliers? Or a way to reduce costs? Maybe it’s a method to leverage contracts and suppliers? Or a best practice model in procurement services?

Actually, strategic sourcing includes all of those things, plus a whole lot more. Think of it as the more “creative side” of procurement; it does not include the day-to-day, more obvious activities of submitting PO’s, or processing suppliers’ quotations, etc. Instead, the major objective of strategic sourcing is to engage in projects with stakeholders and suppliers that align with our goals, and recognize that many purchases require a bigger picture perspective, a long-term plan of supply chain action.
Consider the game of chess. Strategy rules each time a token is moved. Each movement is thoughtfully planned with consideration for the entire board, the placement of each token, and the desired end result.

Like chess players, university procurement plans to use strategic sourcing as a means of effectively leveraging our purchasing power, and help make sourcing decisions that are consistent with the university’s desired objectives. Further, we hope that by combining strategic sourcing with the University’s efficiency initiatives, we will achieve these results.

Most importantly, strategic sourcing requires teamwork amongst all of us to be successful, which is what Procurement Services strives for every day in our work with you, our campus stakeholders and suppliers. Thank you for your continued collaboration. As always, I welcome your feedback and questions.

Best,
Maggie
Maggie C. Witt, C.P.M., AVP & Director, Procurement Services