Building a custom procurement and expense management system to save Uncommon Schools $100K annually
An expanding education network faced mounting software sprawl and inefficient procurement processes that strained financial controls.
About
Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit organization that operates a network of urban public schools serving predominantly low-income communities. The organization focuses on delivering a rigorous, college-preparatory education designed to improve long-term academic and life outcomes for its students. Over time, it has expanded across multiple cities and earned recognition for strong academic performance. In addition to operating schools, the organization emphasizes educator development and the sharing of effective instructional practices.
Over $100,000
in annual savings from reduced software licensing
Eliminated
most direct user access to accounting systems
Centralized
purchasing and expense workflows across multiple campuses
Challenge
As a network of charter schools operating under a shared back-office model, the organization sought to reduce operating costs and improve financial efficiency across multiple campuses. As a non-profit, optimizing spend while maintaining strong financial controls was a critical priority.
As a result:
- Dozens of licenses were required for basic purchasing tasks
- Financial oversight was fragmented
- Procurement workflows were inefficient and overly dependent on direct access to the accounting system
Approach
We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the organization’s:
- Financial policies and approval workflows
- Purchasing and procurement procedures
- Existing accounting and infrastructure software
- License utilization and cost drivers
This analysis identified that most licenses were unnecessary if purchasing and expense workflows could be decoupled from direct access to the accounting system.
Solution
Based on our findings, we designed and implemented a custom, web-based purchasing, invoicing, and expense management system.
The solution allowed staff to:
- Submit and approve purchases and expenses through a centralized web interface.
- Maintain full financial controls and audit trails.
- Integrate with the existing accounting system without requiring direct user logins.
By removing the need for most users to access the accounting platform directly, Uncommon Schools was able to significantly reduce its software licensing footprint.
Key Highlights & Impact
- Eliminated dependency on direct accounting software access
- Reduced the number of required accounting, VPN, and network licenses
- Improved back-office visibility into purchasing and procurement
- Streamlined approval workflows and reduced manual processes
- Enabled more efficient use of capital through better spending oversight
Platforms
- Node.js
- Custom web-based procurement and expense management system
- Integrated with existing centralized accounting software
Capabilities
- Invoicing: ability to submit an invoice, code it properly for the accounting software, and put it through an approval workflow. All actions are logged and audited for end-of-year audit procedures.
- Reporting: ability for management to see a 10,000 ft view of which departments are submitting what type of purchases.
- Settings: a user-friendly administrative area so that users can set permissions on a department or user level.
