The University of California (UC) has selected Labviva, an AI-powered procurement platform, to enhance its life science research and procurement operations across all ten campuses. Initially deployed at UC San Diego in 2022, the platform went live at UC Merced in September 2024. This collaboration aims to streamline procurement processes for faculty, researchers, and staff, improving decision-making and aligning purchases with UC’s financial objectives.
Optimizing research procurement with flexibility across multiple locations
Labviva’s platform provides intelligent features such as product comparisons, price and shipping analysis, and supplementary information like peer-reviewed studies and molecular structure details. Meagan Torres, associate vice-chancellor and Chief Procurement Officer at UC Merced, explained that these capabilities enable UC staff to make informed purchases while meeting the system’s financial responsibilities.
“Labviva streamlines the requisition process by providing 1:1 product comparisons across vendors, price and shipping comparisons, responsive search results, and supplemental information like peer-reviewed papers and molecular structure breakdowns. This intelligent solution empowers faculty, researchers, and staff to make well-informed buying decisions, aligning campus needs with UC’s financial goals and responsibilities,” said Torres.
“Labviva uses technology to create connections and build partnerships across the entire procurement ecosystem to accelerate the pace of life science research. With real-time analytics and AI-driven product recommendations, we empower the UC system to take control of their spending, improve product selection, and gain greater insights and visibility into trends,” said Siamak Baharloo, Labviva’s CEO.
Aligning purchasing with UC’s values and goals
The platform aligns with UC’s goal of directing 25% of its addressable spending to certified small and diverse businesses by 2025. Its customizable interface allows each campus to prioritize suppliers that meet UC’s sustainability and diversity standards. Greg Muller, Senior Manager of Strategic Sourcing at UC San Diego, noted that since adopting Labviva, the campus has seen improvements in the procurement process, including enhanced search results, inventory visibility, and cost savings. The platform also supports UC’s goals of promoting small and sustainable businesses.
“Since integrating Labviva into our ecommerce platform in 2022, UC San Diego has been able to greatly enhance the shopping experience for campus end users,” said Muller. “This tool helps our shoppers find items quickly, compare prices at a glance, and easily make repeat purchases. We’ve implemented several improvements in search results, line of sight to inventory, and influenced shopping behavior to maximize cost savings. Plus, using a small business supplier like Labviva models our goals of supporting small businesses, and its functionality encourages our shoppers to use small, sustainable, and diverse suppliers.”
The agreement with Labviva covers a three-year initial term, with the option for annual renewals. UC Systemwide Procurement Associate Vice President Paul Williams described the partnership as a strategic upgrade, reflecting UC’s dedication to sourcing high-quality products and fostering partnerships with small and diverse suppliers.
“This e-procurement upgrade is indicative of our commitment to best-in-class sourcing methods, investment in the latest technology, and the cultivation of strategic supplier partnerships to source the highest-quality products and services at the best value,” said Williams.
Interesting read! It’s impressive how UC is leveraging AI to improve procurement processes. I am curious about how Labviva ensures data privacy when comparing products from various vendors. Does this platform offer data security standards specific to university environments? Thanks for shedding light on this innovative approach.