WFU launches Deacon Depot

October 3, 2011

Wake Forest’s Finance and Business Services has launched Deacon Depot, an online, automated procurement system.

Supporting the University’s continued focus on green and sustainable approaches, Deacon Depot improves the utilization of sustainable and diverse suppliers, as well as focuses on improving efficiencies in the overall procurement process. These efficiencies include creating a more strategic and resourceful procurement process by directing users to preferred suppliers within search results.

Through the use of electronic purchase requisitions, electronic approvals and electronic order delivery to suppliers, Deacon Depot also provides better customer service that is quick, easy and proficient.

The technology behind Deacon Depot is provided by SciQuest, a Cary, North Carolina company. SciQuest, Inc. provides e-Procurement solutions to many organizations, including many higher education institutions throughout the state of North Carolina as well as across the country. The Wake Forest partnership with SciQuest has been formed for several reasons, most notably to transform and streamline procurement, receipt and invoice processing.

Using Deacon Depot offers the capability to establish an electronic, paperless marketplace in which to process transactions. Schools throughout North Carolina and the country have successfully implemented or are currently implementing the application. Some of those schools include: the UNC System and Duke, Cornell, MIT and Notre Dame. Deacon Depot is intuitive and easy to use, much like many common internet shopping sites. This creates a “one-stop shopping” environment for all procurement needs.

Mary Cranfill, Executive Director of Procurement, said, “Deacon Depot gives Procurement better decision making ability through more accurate, timely and beneficial business intelligence. By having the campus use a managed system, we can automate many manual and paper intensive processes, mitigate risk through improved internal controls, and leverage our buying power for better discounts. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

For more information about Deacon Depot, please visit http://deacondepot.wfu.edu.