Beginning May 1, all University community members purchasing goods or services will be required to use the preferred supplier contracts identified on UT’s Supply Chain website.
In a memo to University leaders and business managers, Jennifer Pastorek, senior director of supply chain, wrote that UT can receive the best value by using the purchasing power of the entire institution. Further, she wrote, UT also is working with the other Ohio universities through the Inter-University Council to leverage purchasing power at the state level.
“The University purchasing team has negotiated many preferred supplier contracts,” Pastorek wrote. “These contracted suppliers have committed to competitive terms, services and prices. Beyond pricing, the University has negotiated other benefits, including but not limited to guaranteed performance levels, return policies, free or reduced delivery costs, payment terms and volume incentives.”
Echoing President Sharon L. Gaber’s budget message to campus on Feb. 17, Pastorek emphasized the need to reduce costs in light of state of Ohio recommendations to keep the cost of higher education low.
“In the fall of 2015, the Ohio Task Force on Affordability and Efficiency in Higher Education delivered a report to Gov. John Kasich with recommendations on action steps for institutions to reduce the cost of education while maintaining quality for our students,” Pastorek wrote.
“The University has embraced these recommendations as part of our budget stabilization efforts. One of the recommendations focuses on increasing savings by requiring employees to use existing supplier contracts on campus,” she wrote.
Each year, the Board of Trustees will receive a report demonstrating UT’s commitment to lowering costs for students and increasing operational efficiencies.
