Rice University Streamlines eProcurement

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 05/30/08

Houston-based Rice University has selected SciQuest's electronic procurement service to support its online purchasing program. The technology automates purchases made by all users across a university and addresses the unique needs of researchers who often make individual purchases of complex materials. SciQuest also provides a dedicated marketplace of scientific suppliers.

SciQuest's system is designed to help Rice streamline and electronically route orders from users for approval. Rice also plans to use the system to consolidate the university's purchasing power and negotiate more favorable contracts, and to provide more detailed information about university spending.

"In looking for a new procurement system, we wanted technology that was simple enough for everyone on campus to use and complex enough to address the unique challenges of the research environment," said Brian Soika, director of procurement at Rice University.

Rice's system will include SciQuest's Spend Director module--a supplier enablement, catalog management and shopping platform. The company's Order Manager and Requisition Manager modules will handle back-end operations through a single integration point with suppliers. The service will be integrated with the University's SunGard Higher Education Banner Finance solution.

SciQuest solutions have been implemented in a number of institutions of higher education, including Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Clemson University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Oxford.