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Jericho, N.Y., Nov 8, 2024 – E&I Cooperative Services (E&I) the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative focused exclusively on education, is pleased to announce that along with its partner GEP, a leading provider of procurement and supply chain solutions, it has been awarded the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Excellence in Procurement and Supply Award in the ‘Procurement Consultancy Project of the Year’ category. This recognition celebrates the outstanding collaboration between E&I and GEP in transforming cooperative procurement services for educational institutions nationwide.
E&I partnered with GEP to evolve its procurement services to better meet the growing needs of its member institutions. The partnership led to developing a new, streamlined sourcing operating model that successfully cut sourcing cycle times in half and reduced RFP response times by 33%. GEP and E&I also co-executed 12 major sourcing projects, leading to 41 new contracts, with 40% awarded to diverse suppliers.
“The collaboration with GEP has elevated our procurement services to an entirely new level,” said Andrew Brennan, Senior Vice President of Sourcing at E&I. “GEP’s expertise and innovative approach have enabled the Cooperative to deliver unprecedented efficiency and value to our members. The CIPS award underscores the success and impact of this partnership.”
The partnership with GEP was instrumental in enhancing E&I’s existing procurement services by refining operational processes and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. GEP implemented targeted training sessions that empowered E&I staff to leverage advanced procurement strategies and tools effectively. This initiative brought together various stakeholders within E&I, promoting cross-functional collaboration and aligning team efforts with clear objectives. Additionally, GEP helped establish robust performance metrics and reporting frameworks that improved accountability and transparency in all sourcing activities.
“This recognition is a testament to the leadership and substantial impact of E&I Cooperative Services on educational procurement nationwide,” said Neha Shah, president and cofounder, GEP. “We’re especially proud and inspired by E&I’s success at helping so many U.S. educational institutions contract diverse suppliers. E&I really shows how procurement professionals can achieve extraordinary organizational results by supporting women-and minority-owned businesses.”
The CIPS Excellence in Procurement & Supply Awards celebrate excellence, innovation, and the remarkable organizations or individuals that have made a significant impact on the profession and beyond.
For more information about the GEP-E&I partnership and the award-winning collaboration, please visit the CIPS Excellence in Procurement & Supply Awards winners page under Procurement Consultancy Project of the Year.
About E&I Cooperative Services
E&I Cooperative Services (E&I) is the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving higher education and K-12 institutions. E&I delivers unsurpassed value and an exceptional experience to its members through a broad portfolio of competitively solicited contracts with industry-leading suppliers and innovative sourcing solutions. The Cooperative empowers its members to make informed, analytics-driven decisions to capture more spending and optimize their education dollars. In addition, E&I offers strategic spend assessments, eProcurement solutions, supplier diversity programs, virtual and in-person education, and webinars and podcasts that advance the industry. For more information, please visit www.eandi.org.
About GEP
GEP delivers transformative AI-driven procurement and supply chain software, services and consulting solutions that help global enterprises become more agile and resilient, operate more efficiently and effectively, gain competitive advantage, boost profitability and increase shareholder value. Headquartered in Clark, New Jersey, GEP has offices and operations centers across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. www.gep.com
Media Contacts
Nicole Katz
Sr. Manager, Marketing Content & Communications
E&I Cooperative Services
631.630.8294 | nkatz@eandi.org
Derek Creevey
Director, PR
GEP
646.276.4579 | derek.creevey@gep.com
