Raising the Bar in Procurement Excellence

Meet the Winner of Forum 2024’s Procurement Excellence Showcase 

At Forum 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina, NIGP hosted its first-ever Procurement Excellence Showcase, a relaxed and welcoming event celebrating procurement achievements. This unique opportunity allowed professionals to present examples of procurement excellence (case studies, programs, or initiatives) through posters, sparking one-on-one conversations, networking, and in-depth discussions with fellow attendees. 

Forum attendees also had the chance to vote for their favorite presentations and the winner was Ashley Scutt, Purchasing Director, Livingston County with her poster presentation Achieving Procurement Excellence: The Procurement Collaboration and Education Cycle. 

Read on as she shares more about the work and insights from her winning presentation. 

As a new procurement professional, it became evident that procurement improvements were needed within our organization, and I needed to address ambiguities in processes and guidelines that made procurement frustrating for our end users. The question was, how?

The answer was right in front of me; involve our end users. Not only educate them, but ask them what they need, ask them what they think, ask them what they like and dislike. Ask the tough questions.  

This approach was not just about the technical aspects of procurement; it was about people — our team. We achieved the highest results when we included our end users in our process improvements.  

This led to the creation of our Procurement Collaboration and Education Cycle which became the foundation of the Purchasing Department. Every change we rolled out, we lead with education to first explain the “why” and always followed up with a survey or assessment to ensure our effectiveness.  

This cycle is never ending. We continually assess our end-users to ensure we are meeting their needs and to help identify areas of improvement. This team-centered approach has enhanced our performance, improved communication, and strengthened relationships. Perhaps most importantly, it has boosted morale, creating a workplace environment where people feel valued and empowered to contribute.   

The results have been beyond our expectations. The improvements in our performance are evident, but what stands out most is the enhanced satisfaction of our customers. This is reflected in the positive feedback we’ve received through county surveys and ongoing customer service assessments. These improvements are not just numbers on a page; they represent real, meaningful progress in our mission to serve our end-users effectively. 

Excellence isn't always about reinventing the wheel. Sometimes the best thing you can do is return to the basics. Great things in business are rarely done by one person, they are done by a team of people.  

View all the Abstract submissions from the Forum 2024 NIGP Procurement Excellence Showcase  

Do you have a story of Procurement Excellence to share? Stayed tuned for more information on how to participate in the NIGP Procurement Excellence Showcase at Forum 2025 in Denver, Colorado.