Verian

Bob Jones University Celebrates a Decade with Verian

October 8th, 2010 | Comments Off

October 8, 2010 – Charlotte, N.C. – Bob Jones University (BJU) recently took time out to celebrate a decade using Verian Technologies’ flagship purchase-to-pay automation solution, ProcureIt. In 2000, BJU rolled out ProcureIt to hundreds of users campus-wide. The university, which boasts a sprawling 210-acre campus just within the city limits of Greenville, South Carolina, allots procurement dollars to a wide range of materials including educational supplies, automotive parts, wood products, construction materials and hospital supplies.

Bob Jones University’s original goal was to have one centralized purchasing system that could be used regardless of business discipline. Meeting the demands of various university departments and systems created an archaic procurement process that took two weeks from requisition to fulfillment. All that changed after BJU installed Verian Technologies’ suite of purchase-to-pay solutions, called ProcureIt, in 2000.

“In 2000, we progressed from a hard copy paper system to ProcureIt. The Web-based purchasing automation software makes the financial approval and audit trail much more efficient,” said Steve Johnson, Purchasing Manager for Bob Jones University. “We want to thank Verian for the superior products and service they provide as we continue to help our customers get their needed services and supplies.”

With an interface that mimics online retail sites, ProcureIt allows BJU users to “shop” for products and services through online catalog of frequently-purchased items. Users place items in a virtual shopping cart that pulls from the university’s extensive warehouse system and outside vendors.

In August, Steve Johnson and his team marked the ten-year anniversary of the system launch by hosting a “ProcureIt Day,” for all users on campus. The celebration, which was also attended by senior university administrators, featured procurement trivia and a timeline of ProcureIt-related milestones. The historical numbers were astounding – in ten years, the system produced 323,655 order requests and 167,529 purchase orders.

When you drill down deeper into the vast and far-reaching benefits of ProcureIt, it’s easy to see why BJU decided to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of a software launch. Procurement cycle times went from weeks to hours, thanks to an automated workflow process that routes approval requests via email. The university estimates that ProcureIt helped reduce costs by 25 percent over the previous paper-based procurement process.

ProcureIt also allowed BJU to reduce the non-value-added labor associated with end-of-year inventory audits. With over 4,000 warehouse items in the main warehouse, the university uses cycle-counting to track usage and then automatically replenish depleted inventory on a daily basis. With ProcureIt in place, BJU’s infirmary was able to reduce end-of-year counting for auditing purposes from three people and one week to one person needing just one day to complete. The real-time visibility into inventory also allowed the infirmary to reduce what it kept on hand by 75%, saving thousands each year.

The university has benefitted greatly on the order receiving side as well, with their larger vendors using ProcureIt to receive purchase orders electronically via EDI. As a result, BJU is seeing 24-hour turn-around on orders – even as far as 100 miles away.

“The fact that Bob Jones University celebrated ten years of using our products is a huge honor,” said Tehseen Ali Dahya, President and CEO of Verian Technologies. “We’ve enjoyed working with their team and look forward to many more anniversaries with Bob Jones University.”

About Verian Technologies
Verian Technologies helps mid- and large-sized organizations reduce costs and increase efficiency with intelligent, easy-to-use solutions that automate the entire purchase-to-pay process including procurement, invoice processing, employee reimbursements and asset management — capturing all spend intelligence in a single database for analysis. Verian was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. The company’s clients include the USPS, Boeing, Macy’s, Recreational Equipment Inc (REI), Allstate Insurance, PETCO and General Nutrition Centers (GNC).

About Bob Jones University
Located at the edge of the Appalachian foothills in Greenville, S.C., Bob Jones University is the foremost fundamental Christian university, with students from every state and more than 40 countries. BJU is training leaders by building up their faith and understanding of God’s Word, and by teaching them how to live the truth in every area of life.

Media Contact
Adam C. Slick
Marketing Communications Manager
Verian Technologies
704.971.6992
aslick@verian.com