- A statement from Ted Johnson, Associate Controller, Chief Procurement Officer. Originally published in the Winter 2022 edition of the IPPS Quarterly

One of my main objectives for the upcoming year is to evolve our supplier relationships beyond the traditional sell/buy structure. The reality is that we haven’t historically engaged our vendors beyond supplying us with “stuff” to support our operational and research needs. While this is the standard approach throughout higher education and industry procurement, it misses the opportunity to connect supplier partners to our mission, which can serve as a key differentiator, particularly during a constrained supply chain. This came to light during COVID when we were struggling to purchase complex equipment and supplies necessary to support our robust testing program, as well as the PPE needed to keep our onsite staff safe. Connecting suppliers to the broader purpose beyond the equipment and supplies allowed them to share in our success, which served as motivation to prioritize and support UC San Diego throughout the pandemic.

As part of the supplier selection/request for proposal (RFP) process, we’ve begun to incorporate aspects beyond price into the evaluation, to ensure we’re selecting partners who truly desire to invest in the mission and culture of the University. This includes aspects such as EDI, sustainability, small business, and social responsibility, in addition to concrete investment opportunities such as scholarships, fellowships, and employment opportunities for our students. These factors should be used as key differentiators in the supplier selection process, to ensure an RFP results in the potential for a sustained partnership as opposed to a one-off purchase.

This approach is applicable to every supplier and service needed to support UC San Diego's mission and has allowed us to connect our supplier partners and the campus community in a more meaningful way. We will continue to build on this to generate outcomes that provide benefits to the campus community beyond the obvious and traditional aspects of the purchasing process.