A vital link in the University Supply Chain

Originally formed as a networking tool for purchasing in the 1980's the NEUPG now operates as a limited company, charging member institutions a modest annual subscription, in return for which they can benefit from contracts and prices agreed centrally and at substantially better terms than they could obtain on their own. Buying through the agreement means that member institutions automatically comply with EU tender directives and save themselves time and money by not having to go through the tendering process themselves.

In 2001 the NEUPG advertised in the European Journal that it was going out to tender for the supply of desktop PCs with a total annual spend of approximately £6 million. Simon Toplass, Head of Consortium at the NEUPG advises “We looked at price and quality. We also carried out site visits to potential suppliers, looking at various aspects of each organisation , such as how tidy their premises were, how they build quality into the machines, quarantine areas, testing facilities, their suppliers and the whole supply chain management system.

We also talked to the people at Compusys that actually build the PCs to find out what they thought of the company and what they thought of the machines themselves, to make sure that they were saying the same thing as the sales people. "Compusys passed this rigorous testing process. The machines themselves were very robust and the pricing was good, but as Simon explains, this doesn't tell the whole story, "A machine is a machine at the end of the day. What really impressed us about Compusys was their dedication, and how much they really wanted our business. When you choose a new supplier you look for different things. Compusys had enthusiasm, a good management structure and we felt that their after sales service and warranty support made them stand out. The proof of the pudding is in the tasting and now, two years into the contract, everything that we thought they would be good at, they are."

Compusys were one of six companies chosen to fulfil the contract, and were awarded a three year agreement, with an option to extend by a further two years, (depending on feedback from member institutions). Four of the six suppliers were already on the NEUPG's supplier list, meaning that Compusys were the 'new kids on the block'. However, just two years later Compusys has jumped to second placed in terms of turnover.