From Fragmented to Future-Ready
How 3N Consulting Transformed a College's Procurement into a Model of Efficiency, Compliance, and Savings
The Situation
A leading college faced growing challenges in its procurement function — fragmented processes, outdated policies, and limited automation. Despite strong institutional values, the college lacked a unified structure to manage over $30 million in annual purchasing efficiently and compliantly.
Stakeholder feedback revealed:
- 35% rated procurement efficiency as below average or very inefficient
- 82% believed policies and procedures required revision
- 45% of purchases bypassed purchase orders, heightening compliance risk
- Nearly half of the stakeholders surveyed reported little or no procurement training
The college sought a consulting partner capable of evaluating readiness for change and designing a realistic transformation roadmap grounded in policy compliance and operational data.
3N Approach and Solution — Guided by O-RAM
3N deployed its Organizational Readiness Assessment Methodology (O-RAM) to evaluate institutional capacity, identify change barriers, and structure a transformation that could succeed within the existing culture and resources.
O-RAM Readiness Dimensions Applied
| Dimension | Focus | Key Findings |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership Alignment | Executive buy-in and strategic goals | Clear mission alignment with student success but limited cross-departmental governance. |
| Governance & Controls | Policy maturity and compliance | 39 policy areas assessed; 25 lacked definition, exposing audit risks. |
| People & Capability | Organizational structure and training | Roles overlapped; 41% had no formal procurement training. |
| Technology & Systems | System automation and analytics | ERP underutilized; manual workarounds caused delays and inconsistency. |
| Process & Performance | Efficiency, accountability, and measurement | Fragmented workflows and absence of standard KPIs. |
3N analyzed annual average spend in various dimensions and identified critical inefficiencies across operational spend, non-strategic sourcing, and commodity categories.
Transformation Framework and Execution
1. Diagnostic Analysis
- Reviewed 33.5 months of spend and procurement transactions
- Conducted 30 stakeholder interviews and 34 surveys
- Identified over $1.8M in split-purchase activity and $609K in mis-grouped spend
2. Organizational Readiness Mapping
Each department was evaluated across the five O-RAM pillars to determine maturity, adoption risk, and support requirements.
3. Targeted Recommendations
3N created a roadmap that included:
- Centralized procurement structure phased in over 24 months
- Implementation of an eProcurement system (Jaggaer or PeopleSoft SRM)
- 132 automated controls within ERP workflows
- A complete rewrite of policies for COMAR compliance
4. Change Enablement and Capability Building
3N embedded training, communication, and performance metrics to ensure readiness and sustainability.
Results Delivered
Through 3N Consulting's Organizational Readiness Assessment Methodology (O-RAM), the college achieved a profound shift from fragmented processes to a fully aligned, data-driven procurement function.
Procurement Maturity Advancement
The initiative advanced procurement maturity from Level 1 (Ad Hoc) to Level 3 (Standardized) with a clear path toward Level 5 (Center of Excellence).
Key Metrics and Achievements
- Financial Impact: Identified $1.2 – $3.7 million in annual savings through vendor consolidation, automation, and policy modernization
- Policy Compliance: Established 39 COMAR-aligned policies and a comprehensive eProcurement roadmap for end-to-end digital integration
- Operational Excellence: Improved days cash on hand, operating margin, net tuition per FTE, purchase-order cycle time, and compliance with state and college regulations
- Staff Engagement: Staff and stakeholder engagement rose sharply as transparency, training, and accountability became embedded in daily operations
Reinvesting in Student Success
Crucially, the realized savings are being reinvested to expand student opportunity—lowering tuition costs and growing the work-study program by over 40 percent, providing more paid, hands-on learning experiences.
Scaling the Impact
Building on this momentum, 3N partnered with the college to scale its Procurement Center of Excellence into a fee-based shared-services model for peer institutions. The initiative is projected to generate six-figure annual revenue and achieve self-funding within 12 months, while offering students ongoing real-world employment pathways.
For 3N Consulting, this engagement has evolved into a multi-year strategic partnership and a replicable transformation model for other institutions—demonstrating measurable, sustainable impact for both the client and the firm.
3N Consulting's Organizational Readiness Assessment Methodology (O-RAM) ensures every engagement translates vision into achievable transformation. Through rigorous analysis, stakeholder partnership, and disciplined execution, 3N consistently delivers exceptional, sustainable results — on time and with measurable impact.
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