Discover and share good practice for smarter working universities

University finance: how should we judge value for money? Guardian live chat 7 February

How should universities deliver value for money and maintain their values? Read the comments on our live chat session held on the Guardian Higher Education Network on 7 February.

Procurement UK Discussion Paper – April 2013

Procurement UK, formed to drive forward the procurement agenda in higher education, publishes its initial Discussion Paper for review and comment.

Small, but perfectly formed

Alison Brownjohn, head of procurement at the University for the Creative Arts, tells Rosie Niven about working at a small, specialist institution and her transition from the private sector to a university.

Procurement revisited – selected case studies from higher education

The second phase of efficiency work in higher education led by Professor Sir Ian Diamond and coordinated by Universities UK is well under way and a report will be published next February. Watch this space for a forthcoming series of articles to highlight this work which we will be publishing over the coming weeks. In the meantime, we thought it would be interesting to re-share some of the best examples of good practice we've found - for those of you who might have missed them first time around. Today: a selection of case studies on procurement.
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Strategic sourcing: new approaches to deliver success

This conference will examine the state of play in strategic sourcing. It will demonstrate how universities can prioritise areas for change, better understand the marketplace for service providers and will offer tips for managing new relationships.
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Latest data highlights transformation in higher education procurement

New research shows improvements in procurement across England's higher education sector over the last five years have resulted in a rise in savings and efficiencies of more than 50%. The findings come in the latest survey of Efficiency Measurement Model (EMM) data carried out by North Western Universities Purchasing Consortium (NWUPC) on behalf of Procurement England Ltd (PEL), a company that brings together the four English purchasing consortia.
Students campaign against supply chain injustice

LUPC joins Electronics Watch to counter labour abuses in tech industry

The largest facilitator of electronics purchasing in the higher education sector, London Universities Purchasing Consortium, joins Electronics Watch to take action against labour abuses in the electronics industry.

Tony Newjem: adding value at Heriot-Watt

The impact of procurement departments on university's spending is well-known. But as Tony Newjem of Heriot-Watt University explains, as well as saving money they can also add value through their work across the university.

Procurement update – November 2013

A roundup of news and comment about university procurement, brought to you in partnership with HEPA the professional development service for all university staff who buy goods and services.
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Making sense of spend

Examining how money is spent is a vital activity for universities and much of this work is carried out on their behalf by the six consortia that make up Procurement England Ltd (PEL). Andy Wojciechowski of PEL explains how this work is helping the sector.