Case study highlights
- Automated workflow saves time and money
- Mitigated the compliance risk across all campuses
- More consistency in internal processes
Challenge
University administration involves requisitions for purchasing everything from teaching resources and library books to new laboratory equipment. For most of James Cook University’s history, employees have managed such requests using paper requisition forms - a process that involved scanning requisition forms into a local server before manually entering the details of approved requests into a separate supply chain management program.
To improve its processes, James Cook University recently adopted a mobile-first solution. This involved automating its requisition processes and enabling purchase requests to be managed online instead of on paper. Employees can now manage approvals and requisitions on their mobile devices at any time and in any place.
As Glen McGregor, Manager, Financial Systems and Process Improvement at James Cook University emphasises, a university is, essentially, a service-driven organisation.
“The financial and administrative complexities of running the university have only multiplied as we’ve grown, both through the addition of new campuses abroad and the enrolment of higher numbers of students,” Mr McGregor says.
With more than 2,000 employees on five different sites, we knew that we needed a more efficient solution so staff could focus on more meaningful activities. Mr McGregor believed that the university would benefit from expanding its existing TechnologyOne software to embrace its mobile solution.
“It’s difficult to change old habits,” he says. “We’d been using paper forms for such a long time that I was wary of implementing a new solution, even if it promised to deliver long term strategic benefits”
Solution
A TechnologyOne customer for 23 years, James Cook University (JCU) recently implemented TechnologyOne’s MyRequisitions module on its new Ci Anywhere platform. Employees can now manage approvals and requisitions on their mobile devices at any time and in any place.
Outcome
A TechnologyOne customer for 23 years, James Cook University (JCU) recently implemented TechnologyOne’s MyRequisitions module on its new Ci Anywhere platform. Employees can now manage approvals and requisitions on their mobile devices at any time and in any place.
Since the implementation of the Ci Anywhere software, the procurement team have more time to focus on strategic procurement advice to staff and students.
Customer's Perspective
JCU has been focused on optimising the Procure to Pay function to not only meet best practice but to become industry leaders.
To achieve this goal, JCU encouraged a culture of innovative solutions among staff and students in conjunction with redesigning policies and procedures and utilised new and emerging technologies such as Technology One’s MyRequisition Ci Anywhere solution.
“Our previous requisitions process was lengthy, cost valuable time and occasionally resulted in data duplication and inaccuracies,” says Mr McGregor.
“We knew that our staff needed a more efficient solution so they could focus on more meaningful activities.
“It has also provided us with more structure, more rigour and, in turn, more consistency in our internal processes.”
Spotlight
Embracing Ci Anywhere has simplified the overall workflow used to manage approvals at the university.
Requisitions can be submitted by individual users via PC, tablet or smart phone. A centralised procurement team then reviews them to check that the correct policies have been used (for example, matching each purchase order to the right number of quotes). This has significantly mitigated the compliance risk across all five of our campuses.
“With Ci Anywhere, employees and students can make external and internal purchases even if they aren’t on campus, using a smartphone, tablet or PC,” says Mr McGregor. “Once a requisition is submitted, it’s sent to the most appropriate approver via an automated workflow.”
With TechnologyOne’s software, approvers can also accept or reject requisitions via email. If a requisition is approved, a PDF of the relevant purchase order is automatically sent to the corresponding supplier.
“It’s been challenging to quantify how much time we’ve saved with the new system, because it was very difficult to measure before,” says Mr McGregor. “However, since the implementation of the Ci Anywhere software, the procurement team have more time to focus on strategic procurement advice to staff and students.”
About James Cook University
Founded in 1961, James Cook University is the second oldest university in Queensland, Australia. The university has currently ranked among the top 300 (or top two per cent) of universities worldwide. With more than 20,000 students enrolled at any one time, the university maintains campuses and satellite schools in Brisbane, Cairns, Mackay, Mt Isa and Townsville, as well as Singapore and Thursday Island.
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