YPurchasing
Introduction
YPurchasing is a group purchasing organization dedicated to providing savings programs to YMCAs across the United States. The organization works with suppliers and vendors to secure the best possible pricing, quality products, and services to directly impact each YMCA’s mission.
YPurchasing currently serves over 240 active YMCA members, leveraging their collective spend volume, knowledge, and expertise to create a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
With over 80 contracts and vendors in place, YPurchasing was looking to add additional cost savings opportunities in the food category and partnered with Una (and our former sister company, Culinary Consultants Purchasing Alliance) to make it happen.
Read on to learn more about their success with Una’s food cost reduction programs.
Supporting a greater mission
Fraternities and sororities, together referred to as “Greek Life,” are undergraduate organizations associated with colleges and universities. Greek chapters support students academically, and provide a way for them to further develop social and leadership skills. Each year, approximately 750,000 students across the nation join a fraternity or sorority and participate in Greek life.
It’s this way of life that Campus Cooks has been supporting since it’s inception. They’re experts in delivering professional staffing and foodservice experiences, taking care of everything behind the scenes so each chapter can get the most out of everything Greek life has to offer. Their set of core values, referred to as their “ALPHA,” translate seamlessly to the Greek space. These beliefs are personified by their employees’ commitment and passion for great service and even greater experiences.
Along with developing menus and providing daily meals, Campus Cooks chefs and staff members are pros when it comes to servicing larger recruitment nights, fundraising events, and socials. Campus Cooks is also committed to sourcing sustainable food options from local vendors whenever possible, and is dedicated to providing safe and healthy food options at all times.
Challenges
Before YPurchasing, procurement throughout the various YMCA locations was inconsistent. Each Y was responsible for sourcing and purchasing their own fitness equipment, selecting which maintenance providers to use, and deciding where to buy things like mats, linens and uniforms.
Not only where the Ys left to source everything themselves, they were also subject to higher prices due to lack of buying power and the resources it takes to truly negotiate contracts and pricing.
YPurchasing was formed and had great success leveraging the purchasing power of YMCAs around the country to establish a healthy portfolio of contracts. The Ys now had access to a vendor network and contracts to help them save more money, time, and effort.
When it came to food costs, however, YPurchasing knew they needed an extra boost to help bring the most value and savings to their members. The cost of food has fluctuated dramatically over the years, and keeping quality products in stock at reasonable prices was crucial. Ongoing supply chain disruptions were also concerning. Forming a partnership with Una helped YPurchasing combat these challenges.
Why partner with Una?
YPurchasing is a group purchasing organization so the leadership team already understood the concept and power of a GPO. Combining their already impressive buying power with Una’s catapulted YPurchasing into another realm of cost savings when it came to food and food distribution. This translated into additional savings opportunities for their YMCA members.
Like YPurchasing, Una works to negotiate discounted pricing directly with leading suppliers that operate within the food distribution industry. With diverse and comprehensive contracts already in place, YPurchasing members were able to immediately start saving on food costs regardless of their volume size or location.
What’s more, YPurchasing members could access Una’s contracts free-of-charge with zero long-term commitments, and with no product limitations.
The trusted partnership between Una and YPurchasing meant that YMCAs around the country would see an additional 10-15% savings on food costs, and allowed YPurchasing to focus on growing and providing value to their members.
Food Market Basket
discovery process prior to joining Una. We have the ability to cross reference multiple national distributors and pre-negotiated contracts to find the best solutions for your organization.
In addition to cost analyses, Una members have access to quarterly pinpoint reports to identify other savings opportunities, price protections, and resources to help circumvent supply chain disruptions and product shortages.
Una's process
Una’s mission is work alongside our members to increase their organization’s profitability. We’re dedicated to this mission whether we’re working with a partner like YPurchasing or with individual businesses looking to join and save more money, time, and effort. We accomplish this by following the same process for each category, including food.
Check out our process below:
Discovery Call
The first step to savings is a discovery call with a Sourcing Advisor. This where you can ask questions, define what success looks like, and set a timeline for the connection process.
Cost Analysis
We refer to this step as Una’s time to shine and where we can show real value. Your real spend data is sent directly to our supplier base to compare costs and identify savings.
Supplier Connection
Next, we work quickly to get you connected so you can start saving as a GPO member right away.
Campus Cooks has been aligned with Una for several years now. They continue to see value in the relationship thanks in part to Una’s commitment to providing comprehensive savings solutions and superior service.
With Una working in the background to ensure our food vendors are meeting their needs, Campus Cooks can remain focused on what’s most important: supporting the vision of the Greek chapters they serve.
Additional Resources
Find more GPO case studies here.
Ready to become the next success story?
Whether you’re needing help with a single category or are looking for ways to implement a cohesive procurement strategy, the Una team is here to help.
Membership is always free and there are never any purchasing requirements or exclusivities.
Get started with a no-obligation discovery call to learn more.