Funded by: UCISA, April - July 2007

The Project

As part of an initiative by the UCISA procurement group to improve the effectiveness of engagement with suppliers of IT systems and services, Netskills was asked to design materials and deliver a pilot workshop.

Project Aims

The workshop aimed to raise awareness with suppliers on the nature of higher education, and the purchasing processes within institutions. This stemmed from the experiences of IT managers and procurement departments that often companies did not fully grasp the complexity of the higher education environment, and the differences from other sectors.

Outputs

The pilot workshop held in London was attended by a range of companies, both those new to the sector, and those with experience in supplying a range of higher education institutions. Also present were a representative of the London Universities Purchasing Consortium (LUPC), and the Executive Secretary and Business Manager of UCISA.

Workshop Topics

• Understanding the Higher Education community – how it is different and why it is important
• How is HE structured, managed and financed?
• Driving factors for IT related spending
• Purchasing contracts and framework agreements
• Key questions to ask about customer institutions
• Engaging the right person – at the right time

Future Plans

Feedback from the pilot workshop was very positive, and has led to further workshops being planned, both public and onsite for individual companies.