To: Deans, Directors and Department Chairs
From: Martha J. Pendergrass, Director, Material and Disbursement Services
The procurement function of the University is being reorganized to strategically align existing resources with the goal of improving services and increasing leverage of the University’s buying power. Effective July 24, 2009, Material and Disbursement Services will be renamed Procurement Services and will consist of four functional units — Systems and Operations, Strategy and Analysis, Purchasing, and Logistics.
Systems and Operations will house the payment function, and ensure that systems and processes continue to increase efficiency while providing the necessary functionality. This unit will take the lead with the procurement portion of ConnectCarolina and will be headed by Fahir Zulfikar, who has led the purchase order team in Disbursement Services for seven years.
Strategy and Analysis is a new group charged with capturing and analyzing data necessary to drive realization of expected ongoing procurement savings. Additionally, Strategy and Analysis will providefeedback to campus units on spending patterns within units where opportunities exist for savings.
Purchasing will merge Technology, Commodities, and Contract Services under the leadership of the current director of Purchasing Services, Bernard Law. Purchasing will proactively seek early customer involvement to ensure a service level for successful completion of RFI and RFPs.
Logistics will manage the University capital assets from acquisition to disposal, as well as provide receipt and delivery of goods from either the University’s e-Commerce partners or the University’s vendor-managed storerooms. Janet Rupert, who is currently leading the implementation of the new online surplus disposal system, will head this unit.
Our primary goal with this restructure is to better leverage the University’s spend with external suppliers while providing the highest level of quality and service to campus. Our initial efforts are to concentrate on reducing our overall cost, reviewing, evaluating, and selecting suppliers, solidifying and enhancing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships and expanding business to those suppliers providing the lowest cost.
Achieving targeted University cost savings requires full utilization of University-negotiated contracts. You are encouraged to use these contracted suppliers for all related purchases in order for your department and the University to realize the full savings potential. Your support of current and future contracts can translate into millions of dollars saved for the University.
In the coming weeks, our Web site will be updated to reflect the new organizational structure. During this transition period, if you have any questions or concerns about the reorganization or the University’s contracts, please contact Martha Pendergrass at 919-843-5048 or mjpender@unc.edu .
*This email is also being sent to University Business Managers and Finance Advisory Council Members.*