Last month we started using COUPA as our procurement software. Our business officer has been very determined to move us away from traditional paper slips and into the digital age of ordering. It’s definitely the direction we need to go!
One of the really cool features of the software is the ability to tag items with keywords such as preservation or publicity to give us a better sense of budgeting targets and actual expenses.
Everything fits into customized categories, so it will be great to look back over the year and see exactly who is buying what and when. I imagine this could lead to bulk ordering in the future along with a more streamlined inventory.
It’s great too because it gives us an ordering chain with built-in approvals. So when one of my staff requests something I get an email—I can approve or deny it—it then goes along to the next level depending on cost. If it is under a certain amount then it goes directly to purchasing—if it is over a certain amount then it moves along to the next level for approval.
Coupa is great for budgeting because it gives you real-time numbers on expenses. This is helpful for project management because you can keep track of everything in one place. It also lets people know where things are in the process. Paper slips are easy to lose and you’re always left wondering where’s my stuff. This tool lets your staff get shipping and tracking numbers and notifications of things step by step.
We went live with it in June but now it’s very real. The paper slips can be burned, it’s all digital now! I don’t normally get excited about procurement, but this tool makes it cool, almost even fun. It's very Amazon-like. I’m looking forward to seeing the details of how I allocate my funds as well as the macro level spending of our organization. If you have an opportunity to explore Coupa I highly recommend it.
See also: UCSB Davidson Library Simplifies Purchasing with Coupa
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