Procurement Shifts Online as a Result of Pandemic
Across all sectors, including K–12 and higher education,
procurement is making a big shift toward online, propelled in large
part by the pandemic. Some 85% of organizations report they pushed
more of their procurement to digital as a direct result fo the
pandemic, and 96% of those expect to continue doing so beyond the
pandemic, according to a report released this week.
The report, from Amazon Business, the 2021
B2B E-commerce in Evolution Report, found that, in education in
particular, more than a third (34%) now do more than half of their
procurement online. (That’s slightly below the overall average of
38%.)
Among the findings, the top priorities from survey respondents in
education diverge from other sectors. They include:
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Reducing costs;
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Supporting remote work;
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Increasing supply chain diversification;
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Improving sustainability; and
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Supporting local businesses within the community.
According to the report: “Nearly half (46%) of education buyers
said supporting remote work and learning is a top priority for 2021.
Like nearly every other sector, the education industry has
experienced fundamental changes as a result of the pandemic, and it’s
likely this trend will remain in some capacity. Schools are thinking
beyond the traditional classroom and leveraging technology to offer
more flexible, remote teaching environments— permanently. Online
purchasing has emerged as a convenient and efficient way to track and
send school supplies to teachers and students dispersed across
geographic locations.”
Further details and a link to the complete report can be found on the
Amazon
Business blog.