Big Ten Academic Alliance Procurement Consortium: A Strategic Force for Innovation and Collaboration

The Big Ten Academic Alliance Procurement Consortium is transforming how universities manage purchasing and procurement. By harnessing the collective strength of these world-class universities, the consortium delivers strategic benefits that drive cost savings, foster innovation, and promote inclusivity across campuses.

The Big Ten Academic Alliance Procurement Group is more than just a purchasing body; it's a team of trusted advisors with the goal to provide business intelligence and innovative procurement strategies that benefit the entire university community. By developing a consistent and comprehensive dataset for spend analytics, the group ensures that cost-saving opportunities are maximized across all campuses.

The Procurement Consortium focuses on three main goals: standardizing spend analytics across all Big Ten Academic Alliance members, sharing best practices for effective procurement, and developing a comprehensive buyer education curriculum. These initiatives have led to significant achievements, including $120 million in collaborative agreements and top-tier contracts for critical services like scientific supplies and executive search firms. The consortium’s core values—inclusivity, integrity, transformative thinking, respect, collaboration, and fairness—guide its operations, ensuring ethical and inclusive procurement practices while fostering a culture of mutual respect and innovation.

Reflecting on the power of collaboration, Tally Thrasher, Chief Procurement Officer at the University of Michigan and Chair of the group, shares: "Each Procurement leader represents a campus with its own unique challenges and opportunities, yet fundamentally, we have more in common than our differences. It is such a privilege to be among this group of exceptional procurement professionals all focused on adding the most value and impact to the Universities we serve."

The Procurement Consortium drives impact through initiatives like shared strategic contracting, the Procurement Benefit Initiative, and business diversity collaboration, all designed to deliver tangible benefits. It also offers continuous professional development and fosters collaboration among procurement experts.

Recently, the University of Michigan Procurement Team hosted a presentation on "A.I. Technology in Today’s Procurement World," which attracted over 200 staff from purchasing roles across the nation. This event provided an invaluable opportunity for peers to learn from each other, exchange ideas, and network, reinforcing the group’s commitment to professional growth and adapting to emerging technologies in procurement.

With 33 current master agreements covering $120 million, the consortium excels in key categories like scientific supplies and executive search firms. These efforts contribute to the broader success of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, which boasts an 84% graduation rate, over 12,000 doctorates awarded annually, and research expenditures exceeding $17 billion.

The Big Ten Academic Alliance Procurement Consortium exemplifies the power of collective action. By aligning procurement strategies across our world-class universities, the consortium not only drives cost savings but also fosters innovation and inclusivity. With a strategic vision and collaborative spirit, the consortium ensures that the challenges of the 21st century are met with foresight and strength, setting a new standard for procurement excellence. 

The next Big Ten Academic Alliance professional development session for the procurement community is scheduled for December 2, 2024, and will cover "Contracting Tips and Trends," offering valuable insights into evolving best practices. This will be offered to hundreds across the procurement community and anyone else they wish to invite at our nineteen institutions.