A NEW ROLE AT FLINDERS-INTRODUCING OUR NEW PROCUREMENT MANAGER

I would like to take this opportunity to announce the appointment of Rob Ackland to the newly created role of Procurement Manager for the University. Our highly devolved environment allows each Major Cost Centre to deliver its core functions but, we know from best practice benchmarking that the administrative and support functions underpinning each Major Cost Centre, and I include Central Administration in this comment, are not necessarily achieving the best and most efficient procurement outcomes in what is a financially constrained environment.

Rob's here to use his extensive procurement and consulting expertise to help us all get the best possible value from every non salary dollar we spend. His experience and expertise encompasses not only procurement but also general and strategic management as well. Rob has already met with Faculty General Managers and has been engaged by several to help with procurement related projects.

Rob's role is not to centralise procurement but to assist you to get the best results from the money you spend. With that in mind however we are very much aware that our devolved environment diminishes our ability to leverage the market when we decide to purchase anything. One of Rob's roles is to work across the University to identify opportunities to "put a single face" to the market for a range of goods and services. As part of this strategy we will be forming whole of university procurement groups to improve our understanding of where the potential savings and efficiencies are to be achieved.

The Vice-Chancellor and the Executive Director of Administration are expecting staff to cooperate with Rob to help find efficiencies and to save costs in procurement.   Our aim is for Rob to focus on those areas that promise the best return for the University.

Rob can be contacted on 13306 or robert.ackland@flinders.edu.au

Daniel Flaherty,

Director, Financial Services