1. BENEFITS OF CREATING AN ONLINE MARKETPLACE

2. Co-founder EqualLevel Inc.
Panel Members
Chris Passarge
COO
Lakota
Todd Adkins
Budget Supervisor
Akron
Adam Zink
Assistant Treasurer
Lakota
Orville A Bailey
Co-founder EqualLevel Inc.

3. Agenda Road to the Marketplace Rollout Plan Marketplace profiles
Benefits
Transparency –Real-time Reporting & Tracking
What’s Next?

5. Lakota’s Road to the Marketplace
In 2012, the business operations department dedicated one employee to consolidate and centralize purchasing where possible
Worked with vendors to utilize online ordering platforms to promote contract items and curtail non-contract spend
Most large/national vendors had online ordering platforms that could also support a separate page for contracted items
Most smaller or local companies did not have the capacity to support their own online ordering platform

6. Lakota’s Road to the Marketplace
Though we had several major vendors provide online ordering solutions, there were still many efficiencies in the process
In 2016, Lakota assessed the procurement process through a LEAN lens (Kaizen)
Identified multiple processes based on the vendor’s online ordering process
Online ordering still required manual entry of the orders into the district’s financial platform (State software)

7. The Marketplace as Lakota’s Solution
Looked at several platforms over the past few years but none were able to integrate with State software or the cost to integrate were prohibitive
Equal Level was able to integrate with State software at a reasonable cost
The Marketplace has been in place for several months and continues to grow

8. Akron’s Road to the Marketplace
Learned about Marketplace from Berea Schools
Observed Marketplace in action at Berea Schools
Discussions with Equal Level
Discussions with Ohio Schools Council
Signed Contract
Single Sign On

9. Roll-Out Plan Akron: Created Instruction Manuals Pilot Group
Trained all Financial Secretaries/Accounts Clerks
Provided Demo to Principals
Offered Demos at Each School

10. Roll-Out Plan Akron: Trained Health Aides
Trained Non-Public Secretaries
Added Shipping Terms as Messages for Each Supplier
Continue to Add New Suppliers

12. Current Marketplace Profiles
Metrics
Akron
Lakota
Financial System
Munis
USAS Web
Go live date
Ongoing
Ongoing_
soft rollout
No. of shoppers
893
355
No. of suppliers 49 21
Warehouse store
Yes No
Fiscal YTD orders
1,490
519

13. Benefits of the Marketplace
User friendly drives high adoption and low training req.
Eliminate the double entry from the vendor online ordering system and State software
Able to add smaller and local vendors to the marketplace
Teachers and staff able to place orders through the marketplace
Online approval and tracking process
Inventory control improvement
Comparison shop multiple contracts and vendors to generate additional savings

14. Benefits cont. – Treasurer’s Office
Soft cost related to placing orders
Elimination of Employee Reimbursements
Reporting and Tracking Capabilities
Streamline Ordering Process
Real-time Approval / Ordering
Reduction of Blanket Purchase Orders
Audit Trail
Allows staff to see whole cost of orders

15. Benefits – Controlled Use of Amazon
Akron has 583 Purchase Orders in FY 2018 as of 3/22/2018 ($154,849)
Every User Must Create Business Account
U.S. Communities Contract
Free Business Prime Shipping (free 2-day shipping on eligible Prime Items)
Free Standard Shipping on Eligible Orders Over $25

16. Real-time Reporting Capabilities
Orders by Suppliers
Orders by Items
Orders by Users
Orders by Month
Charts
Exports

17. Tracking Capabilities
Transferred Carts
Punch Out Carts
Orders

18. Demonstration

19. What’s next? Savings Advisor_ currently in Beta
EqualLevel is able to provide K12 employees with a Savings Advisor that automatically finds savings while you shop. Powered by artificial intelligence, the Savings Advisor uses advanced machine learning algorithms and a growing product information database to create a digital shopping concierge. Whether searching in the marketplace, or returning with items from a punchout site, the technology identifies lower prices for your purchase, suggests substitute items, and purchasing can weight social factors to help identifying the best value contract for your purchase.