This past month has been a busy and exciting time for UPST! We’ve been working hard to enhance our engagement with industry peers and stakeholders while showcasing our fantastic work. Today we’re sharing a sample of some of the conferences and panels we’ve been participating in. Join us as we reflect on our recent trips and experiences in the comments and photos below. If you’d like to stay in the loop with all our updates, we invite you to follow, share, and engage with UPST on LinkedIn.
UPST Highlights Innovative Procurement Vision at Executive Track
Chief procurement officers from various industries gathered in downtown Chicago on October 22-23, 2024, for the Executive Track, an event focused on the future of procurement. Brian Girard, Director of Procurement Operations, represented UMass in a thorough panel discussion moderated by Chris Sawchuk from the Hackett Group. The discussion centered on the future of procurement and strategies and best practices leadership teams should be thinking about for 2025 and beyond. Brian shared UPST's vision for upskilling our team, which includes effectively harnessing the tech advancements that AI will bring to procurement.
Transforming Higher Education: Innovative IT Spending Strategies Revealed at EDUCAUSE Conference
Anna Zuev, Manager of Special Projects at UPST, and David Cho, Chief Procurement Officer, presented their research at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference on October 23 in San Antonio, Texas. Anna skillfully engaged with attendees eagerly lined up to learn more about cost management themes. Their presentation, "Dollars and Sense: Strategic IT Spending that Transforms Higher Education," explored SPARC Pro as a groundbreaking tool designed to optimize IT spending and identify significant cost savings across the university system. The discussion equipped participants with the knowledge to replicate similar successes and develop innovative procurement strategies at their own institutions.
Leading the Charge: UMass Shines at NAEP Regional Conference
From October 21 to 24, an incredible gathering of 75 supplier representatives and 82 higher education leaders occurred at the Sheraton castle in Framingham. They engaged in enlightening discussions on supplier diversity, sourcing strategies, travel and expenses, and much more. UMass was proudly represented by Business Associate Garret Oliver and Business and Data Analyst Akshit Mehta, who returned with valuable insights to share. UMass was even used as an example of its innovative use of AI in procurement - go, Buddy! It's inspiring to see UMass lead the charge in emphasizing diversity and innovation!
Navigating Equipment Maintenance: Insights from Industry Experts at NERLSCD
Daniel Kouns, Category Manager for Research, Science, and Medical at UPST, took part as a speaker and panelist at the Northeast Regional Laboratory Staff & Core Directors (NERLSCD) event. He enthusiastically explored maintenance service agreements for lab equipment, sharing invaluable procurement practices for selecting the right service contract. Joining him on the panel were Susanna Perkins, Core Research Director at UMass Chan; Alex Garcia from Thermo Fisher; and Michael Shoyer from Remi. Together, they inspired the audience with a compelling discussion about the essential considerations in choosing between OEMs, third-party services, and other models for complex equipment.