SUPC – supporting sustainability procurement
While sustainable procurement is no easy task, it is becoming increasingly important to higher education institutions in the UK. As a key service provider of collaborative procurement solutions to the higher education sector, SUPC is exploring ways to support members in the procurement of goods and services that provide value for money, benefit society and the economy, while also minimising damage to the environment.
Demonstrating HE Efficiency and Effectiveness
This report focuses on how universities continue to deliver value for money in a climate where income is reducing in real terms and competition is increasing, while finding recurrent savings which will enable them to make necessary investments. It includes examples from universities across the UK where universities are saving money through efficient estate management.
Using equipment.data to make research equipment more discoverable
Adrian Cox, based at the University of Southampton, is project manager for equipment.data, an EPSRC funded project in response to the need to improve visibility and utilisation of UK higher education research equipment. We sat down for a ten minute chat with Adrian to find out exactly what equipment.data is all about and how it’s creating opportunities for efficiencies among institutions UK wide.
Higher Education Estates Statistics Report 2016
UK Universities’ response to the efficiency agenda and their own income generating projects have helped them to increase their income to a record £30bn. In its annual estates management report, AUDE reveals that despite a challenging funding environment and a decrease in home students, the sector grew by £2bn in one year.
Analytics in higher education
Universities already collect vast amounts of data about their student populations, but often this is underutilised. This Universities UK report, written in partnership with Civitas Learning and Jisc, sets out the case for better use of analytics in higher education through effective implementation of appropriate technology and techniques.
Strategic sourcing in UK universities: becoming ‘intelligent customers’
Universities are beginning to discover the benefits of new business models in their dealings with suppliers, say researchers at the University of the West of England. They argue that institutions should become ‘intelligent customers’, which will involve investment in new skills, changes in culture and raising the profile of procurement and supply professionals.
Introduction to Higher Education Finance
BUFDG's free e-learning module Introduction to HE Finance includes tackling questions such as where universities' money comes from and how it is spent. It has been will made available to professionals working outside finance departments to complete the course who don't have a full BUFDG account.
Universities Scotland: Working smarter – progress report 2013
This report from Universities Scotland reviews progress against the action plan developed by the Universities Scotland Efficiencies Taskforce in 2012. It reflects on the success of the sector across four themes: procurement, shared services and business process improvement, estates management, and ICT.
Using technology to innovate: new MOOC from the Association for Learning Technology
The Association for Learning Technology (ALT) and its members organised a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) earlier in 2013 to help managers and teachers use technology in Higher Education.
An efficient solution to researchers’ identity crisis
Next week’s Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA) annual conference will include a session on how universities are implementing the ORCID researcher identifier. Ahead of the event, Jisc’s Verena Weigert explains how ORCID is enabling more effective research management.
