Strategic Sourcing | Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Strategic Sourcing, a function of Procurement

Procurement is the extensive process of acquiring external goods or services to support ongoing work that is vital to WPI’s teaching and research missions.

Procurement involves identifying prospective suppliers, establishing business and payment terms, drafting and negotiating contracts, and the actual purchasing and payment for those goods or services. Within procurement, Strategic Sourcing can identify various supply options and assess the cost-benefit of each of those options, taking into consideration WPI’s overarching mission and business objectives.

The Role of Strategic Sourcing

Strategic Sourcing collaborates with stakeholders across campus to identify and pursue cost savings opportunities. Through the competitive bidding process (request for quote/RFQ or request for purchase/RFP) and strategic management of key supplier partners, buying power is maximized in support of project budgets and the overall financial health of WPI.

Strategic Sourcing assists departments by:

Identifying and recommending suppliers in sourcing initiatives to ensure alignment with university priorities.
Providing information about Strategic Suppliers, existing University-wide agreements, Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO) contracts, the RFQ/RFP process, and supplier diversity.
Leading formal RFQ/RFP processes in managed categories and/or for complex, high spend engagements or providing guidance to departments on smaller initiatives.
Negotiating supplier contracts for favorable business terms and pricing.
Managing preferred supplier relationships for continuous improvement.
Collaborating on project purchases to help find the best suppliers to maximize project budgets.
Leveraging data-driven insights to uncover and optimize cost-saving opportunities.

Assistance with Quotes and RFx

If your purchase is over $10k, please refer to Quote Kit - Prepare, then Compare.

The kit provides instructions, tools, and an RFx template to help you prepare and request quotes, ensuring that suppliers receive consistent information, and that WPI collects all necessary documentation for competitive sourcing and audit readiness.

To request assistance with an RFQ/RFP project, provide Strategic Sourcing the information in steps 1, 2, and 3 of the Quote Kit. Strategic Sourcing will oversee the bid event - issuing the RFx, managing supplier communication, and assisting in evaluating quotes or proposals. The roles and responsibilities matrix below details the expectations for requesters and stakeholders.