Efficiency Beyond Expectations
Before the first UC-wide microscopes agreements were delivered by UC Systemwide Procurement in early 2023, microscopes routinely required months to purchase. Every campus needed different information to create a purchase order (PO), pricing was inconsistent among campuses, and sales and delivery schedules varied. Since implementing the Carl Zeiss contract this spring, microscope purchases are going from quote to PO in two days.
Nathan Lane has been selling microscopes to UC campuses for 25 years. During a recent conversation, he lauded the Carl Zeiss microscope contract for its immediate impact on the speed to turn a quote into a purchase order. Nathan was overjoyed to share that the efficiency has gone beyond the Zeiss teams’ expectations.
Collaborative Negotiation Saves the Day
Nathan compared the experience of creating the Zeiss contract to a textbook example of a “collaborative negotiation,” a style of negotiation frequently used by Systemwide Procurement. A collaborative negotiation values long term partnership, cooperation, and the ability to agree on mutual benefit. The only downside to a collaborative negotiation is often the increased time invested in the contracting process.
Nathan relayed that at one point in the negotiations process with UC Strategic Sourcing Manager, Robert Stueber, an agreement could not be reached, and everyone thought the negotiation was over. But with an eye on mutual benefit, Bob persisted and brought everyone back to the table to successfully execute a contract that satisfied all parties. Nathan expressed the Zeiss teams’ gratitude to UC, Bob, and campus Chief Procurement Officers who made this contract possible.