Business Affiliations

Purchasing Services actively supports and participates in supply chain related activities sponsored by the following organizations. Purchasing Services staff member involvement in organization specific activities is listed in each section.

• Procurement Strategy Council (PSC)
  The Procurement Strategy Council provides best practices research and executive education to senior procurement executives at leading global corporations. Guided continuously by member feedback, our mission is to increase the effectiveness of executives and their enterprises by identifying and communicating the best strategies in the procurement arena.

The Procurement Strategy Council is a Supply Management Industry Business Partner for Supply Chain Best Practices related initiatives.

• National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP)
  The National Association of Educational is the professional association dedicated to serving higher education by providing those with purchasing responsibility with the specialized information they must have. Its mission is to advocate the development, exchange and practice of effective and ethical procurement principles and techniques within the higher education and associated communities, through continuing education and networking.
  • NAEP DE/PA/WV regional web site
• Institute for Supply Management (ISM)
  The Institute for Supply Management is the largest supply management association in the world as well as one of the most respected. ISM's mission is to lead the supply management profession through its standards of excellence, research, promotional activities, and education. ISM's membership base includes more than 45,000 supply management professionals with a network of domestic and international affiliated associations. ISM is a not-for-profit association that provides opportunities for the promotion of the profession and the expansion of professional skills and knowledge.
  • Purchasing Management Association of Philadelphia (PMAP) regional ISM web site
• Educational & Institutional Cooperative Service (E&I)
  The Educational & Institutional Cooperative Service is a not-for-profit buying cooperative established by members of the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP) to provide goods and services to members at the best possible value. The Cooperative is owned by its membership of more than 1500 tax-exempt colleges, universities, prep schools, hospitals, medical research institutions and hospital purchasing organizations located throughout the United States.

  Ralph Maier is a member of the E&I Board of Directors and Chair of the Strategic Sourcing Committee. David Staskin is responsible for coordinating Penn's collaborative buying opportunities with E&I.

• National Association of Purchasing and Payables (NAPP)
  The National Association of Purchasing & Payables is an organization dedicated to providing Purchasing and Payables Professionals and their technical colleagues with new and innovative ideas for improving both the PO and AP functions. The NAPP seeks to improve the critical interaction between the Purchasing and Payables disciplines and is the only national organization that focuses on the entire requisition to payment and reconciliation process.
• Oracle Applications Users Group (OAUG)
  The Oracle Applications Users Group is a global association that provides Oracle users the opportunity to enhance their productivity, maximize their investment and influence the quality, usability and support of Oracle Applications. The OAUG is one of the software industry's most successful user groups, and speaks with one voice for Oracle Applications customers.

  Vira Homick is a member of the Oracle Procurement Customer Advisory Council and Chair of the Higher Education Special Interest Group Procurement Product Advisory Team.

• Oracle/PeopleSoft Higher Education User Group (HEUG)
  The Higher Education User Group provides a forum for colleges and university representatives attending OAUG conferences to network and disucss issues related to Oracle software applications and tools for meeting requirements unique to higher education. The user group is dedicated to sharing ideas and solutions among its members and working together as a strong advocate to Oracle for product enhancements critical to the higher education community.

  Vira Homick is a member of the HEUG Procurement Product Advisory Group.

• Philadelphia Area Collegiate Cooperative (PACC)
  The Philadelphia Area Collegiate Cooperative was formed as the result of an agreement among representatives of local higher education purchasing officers to utilize cooperative purchasing best practices to leverage combined buying power for our member institutions. The PACC membership includes public and private institutions located in and around the Philadelphia Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, & Chester counties) area.

Purchasing Services staff members also participate in various Penn strategic supplier "Customer Advisory Councils".