Westfield College shaves days off IT procurement time

Probrand marketplace saves team time and money

Customer

Westfield Arts College is a 4-19 special school in Dorset serving the needs of 180 children and young people with moderate to complex learning difficulties. The IT department at Westfield Arts College, led by Richard Gould, is responsible for purchasing all the necessary IT equipment for pupils and staff.

Challenge

The procurement process for IT equipment at Westfield Arts College had become a frustrating, time consuming process. The team had to approach individual suppliers on a case by case basis, and as the college often makes purchases in relatively small quantities, little and often, repeatedly going through this process was a painful experience, with negotiation required to get the best price.

Solution

Richard found a solution in Probrand, the digital marketplace for hassle-free procurement of IT products, services, and solutions. Unlike traditional resellers, Probrand connects buyers and suppliers in an open marketplace environment, so users can compare prices and stock direct from multiple suppliers, and see pricing discounts personalised to the customer’s sector, saving both time and money.

The Probrand marketplace provides Westfield College staff with exclusive pre-approved framework discounts on education sector products such as projectors, classroom printers, and USBs. With over 300,000 products from 2,500 brands updated by the minute, Probrand’s marketplace technology saves users time by conducting over 10 million automated price checks daily. Advanced search and list building features enable users to share buying lists with others, and Probrand’s digital advisers and extended specifications make complex purchases quick and simple.

The Benefits

Since using Probrand for IT procurement, Richard and his team have managed to eliminate the tedium of their previous process. From an operational perspective, the benefits have been numerous:

• Several days shaved off of procurement time each month

• Peace of mind through transparent pricing

• Comprehensive range of products available

• Flexibility to build up orders over time or purchase single items without being penalised

The Future

Westfield Arts College is the largest special school in the south west and is linked to the Teaching Alliance of Dorset Special Schools (TADSS), an alliance of five schools that caters for a wide range of pupils with special needs and disabilities. Richard is hoping the Alliance will be able to work together in future to benefit from bulk buying discounts, as more schools within TADSS start using Probrand.