LEVERAGING THE
POWEROF
In Association With:
Tracey Ens Director of Procurement
LEVERAGING THE POWER OF PROCUREMENT TO THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE Embracing new digital tools, Laurier aims to remain ahead of the curve and deliver student-focused procurement solutions Written by Catherine Sturman Produced by Glen White
WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY
W
ith exchange agreements with more than 70 universities and 25 countries around the world, Laurier offers not only an intimate student experience, but global opportunity for its students. The student experience is one which continually drives Laurier to deliver essential student-focused solutions. Its excellent reputation has seen it ranked as number one in student satisfaction in Canada by the Maclean’s Ranking of Canadian Universities for the second year in a row, and second in experiential learning. Additionally, its students and alumni were ranked number one for volunteerism by LinkedIn in 2015, which is part of its core mission. But Buthow how does does procurement procurement come come into play into play across across its operations? its operations? Supporting more than 19,000 students, the procurement team has overhauled its traditional ways of working and implemented new digital tools to remain ahead of the curve. “We support the students in procurement by working with the faculties and departments, making sure they get what they need at the best possible value to facilitate teaching and research. Our students are the core of everything,� explains Director of Procurement, Tracey Ens. Joining Laurier in 2011, Ens has witnessed how the procurement function has changed, which
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“WE SUPPORT STUDENTS BY MAKING SURE THEY GET WHAT THEY NEED AND TO ADD THE BEST VALUE POSSIBLE. OUR STUDENTS ARE THE CORE OF EVERYTHING” – Tracey Ens, Director of Procurement
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WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY
Tracey Ens Director of Procurement
Tracey Ens joined Wilfrid Laurier University in 2011 and is currently the Director of Procurement after spending 10 years at the University of Waterloo as a Senior Research Buyer. Prior to entering this sector, she spent six years as a Production Controller in manufacturing. Ens recently stepped down as President of the Ontario University Procurement Management Association and currently serves as Past President. She is an active member in the Canadian Association of University Business Officers. Ens holds a Bachelor of Theology Degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Waterloo and has obtained her Certified Supply Chain Management Professional Designation in Canada and the Certified Professional in Supply Chain Designation in the United States. In her free time, she is active in sports including skiing, scuba diving, crossfit and is learning golf and tennis.
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has been revolutionised through contract value over $100,000. the use of new technologies. Nonetheless, the establishment “It’s in the last five years that of Ontario’s Broader Public Sector procurement has shown that we Accountability Act in 2010 provided deserve to be at the table. I think ample opportunity for Ens to deliver what’s really driven that entire key direction within procurement, entity is technology,” she says. whilst strengthening relationships “When I arrived, it was how with Laurier’s partners and suppliers. procurement 20 years ago used to Doubling in size has also supported be. The faculty and staff on campus the evolving role of procurement at wanted to do things Laurier. Although the right way but really the team remains didn’t know what that small, Ens states way was. Procurement that this remains OFFERS EXCHANGE were seen as rule advantageous, PROGRAMMES IN enforcers. Whilst this particularly in avoiding 25 COUNTRIES is true to a certain any duplication extent, we needed of work. Each to make sure people member remains understood the ‘why’ of what we need able to cover for one another, to do and how it could help them.” and each individual is able to make their role their own without Relationship building the need for micromanagement, The use of public funds has seen leaving them empowered. the value of transparency become Such an approach has also increasingly vital throughout influenced the university’s the transformation of Laurier’s relationships with its end procurement function. The users on campus. organisation is required to run formal “Laurier is a small campus. By process for any contract with a total taking the time to learn about people’s
LAURIER
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WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY
LAURIER’S
EXCELLENT REPUTATION HAS SEEN LAURIER RANKED #1 IN CANADA BY MACLEAN’S UNIVERSITY RANKINGS TWO YEAR IN A ROW
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roles, you can ask them to try out new ways of working,” comments Ens. “Most people will say, ‘yeah, I’ll give it a try’, because they know I’ve done X for them and this is how they can reciprocate. That’s been a huge plus, knowing that I have people on campus I can call who are willing to try things, even though it might
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“IT’S IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAT PROCUREMENT HAS SHOWN THAT WE DESERVE TO BE AT THE TABLE.
WHAT’S DRIVEN THAT ENTIRE ENTITY IS TECHNOLOGY” – Tracey Ens, Director of Procurement
not be easy while we’re working out the kinks – that’s been critical.” Technological advancements With an aim to add value across Laurier’s services, Ens notes that the right mindset remains essential, particularly when investing in new technologies.
Partnering with Jaggaer has enabled the organization to transform its procure to pay (P2P) system. Meeting with all departments individually and providing essential training to all staff has been paramount to its successful implementation and demonstrates how digital tools can further enhance its procurement operations.
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“The Jaggaer system has been incredibly instrumental in reporting data analytics and contract management,” notes Ens. “The cost savings we were able to obtain by putting in this P2P system was much better than anticipated. Jaggaer has erased a lot of our past redundancies and streamlined the whole process. “It’s also difficult to put a value on soft cost, so we also hired an external consultant, Huron Consulting. Through their consultation on campus, we were able to realize how much of a benefit it was to end users to use this system on campus and how much time was saved by using this new system. Our return on investment (ROI) went down from four years to two.”
LAURIER HOUSES OVER 19,000 STUDENTS Seamless payment services Ens is clearly passionate in delivering tailored solutions across Laurier’s procurement function. The organisation’s partnership with Bonfire Interactive is one such example, where it has eradicated all paperbased tendering processes and fully automated a number of others, whilst implementing a new credit card programme with Scotia Bank.
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WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY
“THE JAGGAER SYSTEM HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY INSTRUMENTAL IN REPORTING DATA ANALYTICS AND CONTRACT MANAGEMENT” – Tracey Ens Director of Procurement “Electronic Fund Transfers (EFT) and cheques can become an expensive way of paying vendors, so we’re also now in the midst of implementing Visa Payables Automation,” explains Ens. “Along with our Accounts Payable department, we have started a drive
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to get vendors on campus to take Visa as a method of payment and it’s been very, very successful to date. “Our suppliers have been a big part of our success. They also were willing to try things because of the relationships which have been built
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PARTNERING WITH JAGGAER HAS ENABLED LAURIER TO TRANSFORM ITS PROCURE TO PAY (P2P) SYSTEM
over the years. When it comes to credit card payments, Big Kahuna, our athletic supplier, was one of the first ones to sign on for that, as well as Telus Mobility,” she continues. “Whilst we have transformed different areas of our department, we have also overhauled the audit function for our corporate card program through partnering with Scotia Bank using VISA’s Visa Intelligence Compliance Audit tool. We have approximately 1,400 cards, and procurement has to accommodate the size of that.
“There was a need for a better audit programme, and so we hired someone who could help us transform the function to be what I consider the best university credit card audit programme in Canada.” Ongoing developments Although the procurement team at Laurier has delivered numerous benefits to its students, the industry is facing a number of uncertainties surrounding developing regulations. The establishment of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement and the
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LAURIER STUDENTS AND ALUMNI WERE RANKED NUMBER ONE FOR VOLUNTEERISM BY LINKEDIN IN 2015
TAKE A TOUR OF LAURIER’S WEBSITE FOR CURRENT STUDENTS
Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement in Canada will bring new levels of complexity to Laurier’s procurement operations, as well as Laurier’s internal governance. “It’s also interesting to watch the
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negotiations with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and it’s too early to tell exactly what the ramifications are going to be,” reflects Ens. “It’s also very early when it comes to the Comprehensive Economic
Trade Agreement with Europe to see how this factors into Canadian public-sector procurement in reality.” Nonetheless, Laurier’s procurement team will continue to navigate the procurement of goods and services its students will need, particularly around research and teaching. Encompassing complex research grant requirements for the buying of goods, coupled with a multitude of other legislative requirements, Laurier will also continue to support professors in the training of students and drive further
student engagement for the future. “Enrolment continues to increase and we’re seen not as a viable alternative, but as students’ first choice,” concludes Ens. “We have great student experience, great facilities, world-class teaching, a small campus, tonnes of student groups and intramurals, and it’s a great region of Canada to live in. “Laurier is absolutely one of the best schools in Canada. I personally think it’s the best school in Canada - who wouldn’t want to go here?”
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