When FIRST met Procurement

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What were your expectations before meeting your lunch mate?

MD – Looking forward to meeting a fellow Finance colleague and learning a little more about Finance outside of Procurement, plus how could I so no to a free cake and coffee?!

AK – Having been involved in the social committee previously I used to know a lot of people around the department, but since I’ve left I feel like there is a lot of new faces around, so it was good to get an opportunity to meet someone outside of my team.

What did you talk about?

MD – We talked about how long we have worked at the University and what brought us to this point in our career. We also talked a little on fitness and how we both believe it is important for your mental health as much as physical health.

AK – We also talked about what we had studied previously (both went to study Psychology at University, although I changed to Mathematics after the first day). 

Can you tell us a little about your lunch mate’s role?

MD – Ashleigh has worked at the University since 2010 in various roles and currently works in FIRST preparing the Universities 10-year forecasts and associated committee papers. She also manages the consolidation of the three year plans which are submitted by the colleges and professional service groups.

AK – Maria works as a Procurement Officer within the Estates category management team. She is primarily involved in any contracts that are £50k and above and has a portfolio of framework agreements which she manages with members of the Estates Operational team. Maria has been at the University since May 2018 but has experience in procurement in both the private and public sector.

Are there any synergies between your roles?

MD – I understand both the roles forecasting and procurement need to be compliant with legislation and follow a structured process and procedure with tight deadlines. The 10-year forecast that FIRST produce eventually filters down to procurement by means of the Estates capital plan which in turn can be used to develop annual work plans that require strategic sourcing, i.e. competitive tendering requirements.

AK – We both use the finance system and Excel a lot to do our jobs. I work with members Team Finance from Estates regularly but not specifically in Procurement, so it was interesting to hear how the forecast feeds down to that level.