E-PROCUREMENT SYSTEM

Empowering schools with efficient online procurement

BACKGROUND

The E-Procurement system is a platform designed to simplify the procurement process for schools, replacing an outdated system that served as a supplier pool and did not meet the needs of educational institutions.
It will enable schools to purchase supplies online, streamlines procurement, increases transparency and accountability, and reduces administrative workloads for schools and suppliers.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

As the only designer on a team composed of many technology specialists and managers, I was responsible for consolidating all the requirements and presenting a clear roadmap for the system. To achieve this, I gathered stakeholder input, interviewed users, analyzed research reports, and designed the system's foundation. After user testing, I submitted a report with my observations and recommendations.

THE PROCESS

Every project has its unique set of challenges, which is why my design process is adaptable. Here's how I approached this particular project:

Phase 1

Empathize

Understand the user's needs, goals, and pain points, as well as business goals and objectives.

Stakeholder interviews
User interviews
Global education procurement analysis

Phase 2

Define

Summarize Empathize findings to develop a problem statement, challenges, and user profile.

Problem and goals definition
Personas
Experience map
User stories

Phase 3

Design

Solve user challenges and needs based on the problem statement, pain points, and needs identified.

User flow
Site architecture
Wireframes
High fidelity prototype

Phase 4

Prototype and test

Create and test interactive prototypes to gather user feedback.

User testing
Feedback
Iteration

A PROBLEM TO SOLVE

Educational institutions are currently using an outdated Ministry of Education system with limited capabilities, and its module complexity makes it difficult to use.

The inefficiency of purchasing processes in educational institutions results in higher costs, unstable supply chains, reduced funding for educational programs, and a waste of time for management and staff.

To facilitate the procurement process, including more efficient ways of finding suppliers, a procurement system is needed to manage tenders, contracts, and invoices.

Replacing outdated procurement systems in education institutions for increased efficiency and cost savings

SYSTEM BENEFITS

A new e-procurement system is designed to streamline the procurement process and improve overall efficiency, with the following objectives:

Improve cost savings

Implement a procurement process that requires less processing time, manual overhead, and paper involved in order to negotiate better contract terms and reduce contract risks.

A structured, transparent process

Streamline the procurement process, including more efficient methods of finding suppliers, managing contracts, invoices, and communication.

Transparency and documentation of supplier and staff actions

Enable full transparency of supplier and staff actions, including updates, changes, and inquiries, with the ability to communicate and document interactions.

Ensure process and supplier compliance

Assess and monitor supplier compliance with regulatory conditions and performance to ensure quality standards are met.

RESEARCH

The initial research focused on the feasibility, launch strategy, and user experience of a procurement system entering the educational market.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Feasibility

Assessing education system readiness for procurement site adoption.

Value Prop & Adoption Strategy

Design a user-centered experience strategy aligned with the value proposition to optimize adoption.

Target audience

Identify the target audience's demographics, psychographics, motivations, and frustrations.

Purchasing Analysis

To Analyze the purchasing process to identify challenges, limitations and opportunities for improvement.

Global Procurement Analysis

Gain insights into procurement processes and technologies utilized in various countries.

RESEARCH METHODS: USERS INTERVIEWS

25 Participants | Administrative manager, School principles, and School staff

The interviews were crucial in shaping the design of the system to meet the needs of users. They highlighted the importance of transparency, supplier evaluation, and communication. Analyzing their responses helped me identify common themes and issues that informed the design.

Here are a few quotes from the interviews

"Without a set purchasing procedure, we're often left unsure how to approach transactions, resulting in a lot of back-and-forth."

"We often have delays in the procurement process because we need a system that provides real-time updates and tracks our orders."

"We're not making the most of our budget because we lack the bargaining expertise and resources to find the best deals."

we often struggle to find suppliers who can provide high-quality products at affordable prices.

"Without a set purchasing procedure, we're often left unsure how to approach transactions, resulting in a lot of back-and-forth."

"Having everything in one place is essential, so that budget management, transaction management, and management and the supplier work in harmony."

PERSONAS

Megan, the school administrator

experience:

12 years of in the education system

responsibility:

Receive purchase requirements from the school staff, supervise the entire purchase process, verify compliance with the budget and regulatory requirements

Megan's message

I'm responsible for ensuring the procurement process is efficient, compliant, and well-communicated to all stakeholders.

But with so many other responsibilities on my plate, I need a tool that saves me time and streamlines the process.

Megan's goal

Megan's goals are to streamline procurement, ensure compliance with policies and regulations, maintain positive supplier relationships, and keep stakeholders informed and engaged.

Frustrations

Struggles with managing multiple tasks and ensuring timely completion
Feeling overwhelmed by the complicated and time-consuming procurement process
Excessive back-and-forth communication between parties involved in procurement,
Limited budget and resources for procurement
Slow approval times for procurement requests

Motivations

Wants to improve the procurement process to benefit the school and its students
frees up more time for her to focus on what really matters: educating her students.
Values cost-effectiveness
Strives for compliance and transparency in procurement
Seeks recognition for successful procurement outcomes

Motivations

Wants to improve the procurement process to benefit the school and its students
frees up more time for her to focus on what really matters: educating her students.
Values cost-effectiveness
Strives for compliance and transparency in procurement
Seeks recognition for successful procurement outcomes

Sara, the school principal

experience:

25 years of in the education system

responsibility:

Allocating sufficient budget and resources for procurement, and approving procurement requests and payments.

Sara's message

Sara's goal

Sara aims to reduce school procurement costs, increase savings, and ensure access to necessary resources for quality education. She wants an efficient and transparent procurement process to make informed decisions about resource allocation

Frustrations

Struggles with managing multiple tasks and ensuring timely completion
Feeling overwhelmed by the complicated and time-consuming procurement process
Excessive back-and-forth communication between parties involved in procurement,
Limited budget and resources for procurement
Slow approval times for procurement requests

"My priority is quality education for my students, but procurement can be a burden. I need a streamlined solution that saves me time and money, so I can focus on what matters most."

Experience Map

RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS

USERS PAIN POINTS

Users face various challenges related to procurement management, including a lack of Procurement training, inefficient budget utilization, and limitations of the current system.

Procurement bureaucracy interferes with pedagogy:

Administrators and management teams feel that their pedagogical role has been compromised due to the significant time and effort required for the procurement process.

Insufficient skills for procurement tasks:

Interviewees lack the necessary training for effective purchasing, including comparing prices and negotiating with suppliers, which can result in missed savings opportunities.

Budget Mismanagement

Limited training, time, or expertise in supplier agreements was a major contributing factor to a feeling of wasted funds.

Difficulties in Communication and Updates

In the absence of a standardized format for communication and updates, users were unable to maintain a clear understanding of the procurement process.

USERS NEEDS

The users require a procurement process that is streamlined and simplified, a platform that centralizes all purchasing needs, and dependable suppliers with excellent communication.

Simplifying the procurement process

The users seek to simplify the procurement process by standardizing the steps involved, such as supplier approval, gathering price quotes, communicating with the supplier, and making payments.

One answer for all needs

The administrators require a single platform that fulfills all their procurement needs, with centralized communication and price negotiation, terms, and follow-up after delivery.

Reliability/ standard character

The users demand a level of service and product quality that is ensured by the platform, as well as a reputation for quality that will enable them to select new suppliers. This will allow them to switch to the suppliers offered on the procurement site.

HI-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES

HOME DASHBOARDS

Administer Dashboard

The Administer Dashboard displays KPIs based on user research and priorities, highlighting what's at stake and requiring action. The dashboard integrates with the school's budget system, showing data on budget utilization and savings when compared to previous periods.

Quick actions are emphasized as the main CTA, allowing users to add new vendors, purchase orders, and view contract and invoice status.

School staff Dashboard

The dashboard allows the school staff to track purchase requests efficiently by providing real-time updates on request status from requisition to delivery. Integration with the Ministry of Education's internal catalog system streamlines item selection and browsing, while the dashboard also provides access to recent vendors.

The user-friendly design ensures ease of navigation for team members with varying technical expertise, making it easy to use for all.

REQUISITION MANAGEMENT

The Requisitions management screen is essential for school administrators to manage procurement requests efficiently. It allows tracking of approval status, accessing statistics, and reviewing recently entered requests, streamlining the procurement process while ensuring that requests are not delayed due to a lack of action or approval by school staff.

RFQ MANAGEMENT

The RFQ management streamlines procurement by facilitating communication between suppliers and the procurement team. The screen includes key components identified through user research, such as a tracking table, a notification area for urgent or high-value requests, and a communication log. This improves communication and collaboration between suppliers and the procurement team, increasing efficiency and transparency.

SOURCING MANAGEMENT

While the RFQ screen facilitates communication between the school and the supplier during the quoting phase, the Sourcing Management screen manages the purchasing agreement once a supplier has been selected. This includes tracking the status of purchase orders, ensuring timely delivery of goods and services, and managing any issues that may arise during the procurement process.

CREATE A NEW RFQ

RFQ RESPONSES (QUOTES) FROM VENDORS

The RFQ Responses screen displays all price offers from suppliers for a specific RFQ. It includes important information such as the supplier's details, offer compliance, price, and the option to confirm, reject, or add the offer to the pool of comparison. By selecting an offer, more details become available, and the filter option helps streamline the process.

PURCHASE ORDER

(CONTRACT WITH A VENDOR) VIEW

The purchase order screen is where school administrators can view and manage their contracts with suppliers. The screen has three tabs: General, which provides a summary of the contract details; Terms and Conditions, which outlines the agreement in detail; and History Log, which displays all the actions and events related to the purchase order from the requisition stage.