Why the Right Procurement Benchmarking is Key to Finance and Procurement Leaders

EVENT DETAILS

Timings: 10:00 - 11:00

This event is free and open to members of  SUMS Consulting, SUPC and UKUPC.

Baselining and benchmarking are foundational to any successful performance improvement programme – you must first know where you are, and then where you want to be, before you can plot a route. Recent publications like the Green Paper and the National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) ) have called for annual benchmarking to help procurement functions focus on the right activities, at the right time, to deliver the right result. So, the time to establish benchmarking as business as usual is now.

Aimed at heads of procurement and directors of finance, this online discussion panel will explore how benchmarking can help senior leaders who are looking to drive significant change or are new to their roles, focus their activity and deliver positive results. Drawing on experiences garnered from the HE-specific Procurement Maturity Assessment (PMA+) programme, and wider qualitative benchmarking, our panel will share quick wins, slow burns and advice for others seeking to undertake meaningful improvement. We’ll also look at how benchmarking in the sector should evolve to address the drive for responsible procurement practices and legislative changes.

Join sector representatives and self-confessed benchmarking advocates Linda Crotty, Cristian Martin and Martin Satchwell, as they share insights on how benchmarking can help focus activity to deliver greater impact.

Speakers:

• Linda Crotty, Procurement Specialist and Associate Consultant, SUMS
• Cristian Martin, Director of Procurement, LSE
• Martin Satchwell, Head of Procurement, De Montfort University

Benchmarking within Higher Education

The Higher Education Sector is in a uniquely fortunate position to have already established platforms of collaboration, performance measurement and benchmarking in response to reviews undertaken by Sir Ian Diamond calling for greater efficiency and effectiveness from UK HE. These platforms include the annual Procurement Value Survey (PVS) and the Procurement Maturity Assessment (PMA+) programme which is based around a framework of practice pillars that support the most effective procurement operations.

Many universities – over 100 across England and Wales - have already used the PMA/PMA+, alongside the PVS, to understand, in detail, where their procurement function sits in terms of maturity and practice. This has then provided both assurance to the institution, and a framework against which practice can be developed and optimised. While the NPPS references public sector benchmarking tools, the PMA is uniquely positioned to respond to the HE landscape in a way that other tools cannot.

As part of the event, we’ll explore how PMA compares to other tools so that you can be confident of your choice when it comes to benchmarking exercises. SUMS is looking to establish a Community of Practice for procurement and finance leads to support strategic development and will open this up to the sector shortly.

BOOKING INSTRUCTIONS

This event is FREE and open to members of SUMS Consulting, SUPC and UKUPC. Please use the 'Book Now' button above to secure your place. Joining instructions will be sent nearer to the event.

NEED HELP?

For assistance, please contact Grace Parsons - Events and Marketing Officer at sumsevents@reading.ac.uk