Current state of sourcing and spending
Today, goods and services are often purchased across the University through separate agreements and varied practices that do not take full advantage of the institution's collective buying power. This initiative will shift us to procurement, contract and payment practices that are managed more consistently and strategically. Over time, the intent is to reduce one-off arrangements, improve contract discipline, tighten P-Card expectations and create better visibility into where non-personnel dollars can be redirected to advance WMU's mission.
Benefits
For the University
- Better value from institutional purchasing by consolidating spend, strengthening vendor management, and improving contract review and negotiation practices.
- Greater ability to reduce avoidable non-personnel spending and redirect resources to core institutional priorities, helping advance our mission.
- Better visibility into University spending patterns, compliance and continuous improvement with stronger reporting, monitoring and key performance indicators.
For colleges and departments
- Easier access over time to streamlined purchasing pathways, preferred vendors and more standardized products and services through strategic sourcing and eProcurement.
- Fewer one-off purchasing arrangements and clearer guidance on contracts, payment methods and sourcing decisions, making routine purchasing easier.
- More predictable expectations for purchasing controls, including tighter P-Card standards and broader use of coordinated buying processes.
For affected teammates
- Clearer, more efficient processes for requesting purchases, managing contracts and selecting appropriate payment methods.
- Better support as eProcurement becomes a core feature of the University's purchasing model, including catalog-based buying and approval workflows.
- Greater consistency across units in how purchasing decisions are made and how compliance expectations are communicated and reinforced.
Planning approach
Leadership: Jan Van Der Kley, vice president for business and finance, and Patrick Kozdron, senior director, supply chain and auxiliary services.
This work will proceed through a structured, phased approach rather than an abrupt shift. Three parallel strategies will advance simultaneously: addressing spending over $5,000, reducing avoidable P-Card expenditures, and implementing an eProcurement system to improve visibility, standardization and compliance. The University will develop a more coordinated operating model in which central procurement provides strategic sourcing guidance, manages contracts and vendor relationships, establishes policies and procedures, and works in closer partnership with units as purchasing needs arise.
Timeline and phases
Communication and Operations Shift: July – October 2026
Training and change-management support will be provided; input will be gathered from campus partners; spend will be analyzed by vendor, category and department; P-Card spending patterns will be studied; duplicative spending will be assessed; vendor-management practices will be established; and an action plan will be developed.
Contract and payment practice management: November 2026 – February 2027
Multiple contracts for similar services will be identified; improved contract guidance will be designed to ensure favorable terms; expiring contracts will be inventoried; payment options will be improved; reliance on P-Cards will be reduced; and vendor catalogs will support a managed purchasing environment.
Full implementation: March 2027 – June 2027
An eProcurement system may be selected and implemented; training and campus rollout will begin; monitoring and compliance reporting will begin; and key performance indicators will be tracked to inform continuous improvement.
Update
The Strategic Sourcing Team has completed collection of fiscal year 2024-25 and 2025-26 spending data and is conducting detailed analyses across major spending categories, including p-card activity. The team is developing category-specific action plans and summary reports that will be shared with departments through future information sessions. Those conversations will focus on opportunities for cost savings and avoidance, process improvements and better use of University contracts. The team has also begun engaging some high-volume vendors to take advantage of existing curated catalogs, allowing Western to realize near-term savings while work continues toward selecting and implementing an eProcurement system.
WMU has executed a Statement of Work with Huron to provide advisory services as the University validates future-state procurement technology needs and conducts a competitive process to select a platform that supports expanded, modernized end-to-end procurement capabilities. Huron is on campus this week (Sept. 8-9) to facilitate focused discussions with WMU stakeholders and help identify and prioritize future functional, technical, integration, reporting, data, security, control, operating and user-experience needs. The goal is to complete the competitive evaluation process and select a procurement technology platform within the next six weeks.
Strategic Sourcing and the Office of General Counsel have also begun discussing the contract review process and the University’s current contract management system, COLT. Strategic Sourcing is taking a more active role in reviewing business terms, assessing financial impacts and engaging in additional vendor negotiations. As part of the procurement technology review, COLT also will be evaluated for alignment with future procurement needs and capabilities.
Connect with Administrative Redesign leadership
Other Administrative Redesign initiatives
Financial and administrative operations
A campuswide assessment is underway to identify where shared services could ease routine finance and HR work.
IT redesign
Campus technology teams are coming together under unified leadership to strengthen security and simplify support.
MarCom organizational design
Marketing and communications functions are consolidating into one team to sharpen WMU's competitive edge.
Space utilization
Classroom scheduling and investment decisions are shifting to match how space is actually used.