Queen’s University’s new electronic procurement system, launching in spring 2017, has acquired a name.

acQuire will replace the current system, which is often onerous for faculty, staff, and researchers. The user-friendly system will offer staff and faculty an integrated marketplace for all procurement activities.

Andy Green, Director, Strategic Procurement Services, says the project team found it difficult selecting one name from the many quality suggestions it received during a recent naming contest.

“In the end, we thought acQuire succinctly captures the purpose of the tool, while also allowing us to incorporate the Q, a distinctive element of the university’s existing identity,” Mr. Green says.

Several members of the Queen’s community submitted similar entries during the naming contest. Meredith Richards, Undergraduate Assistant, Department of Chemistry, was the winner of the contest and an iPad Mini as the first person to submit acQuire.

Using acQuire, staff and faculty won’t need multiple usernames and passwords to access different vendors. And similar to current online shopping experiences, users will be able to place multiple products in their virtual shopping cart and only check out once.

Other benefits of acQuire include:

• Reduced wait times between placing an order and having it filled by the supplier.
• Fast, electronic communication with suppliers.
• Effective reporting capabilities that will help Queen’s identify potential savings.

Questions about the project can be directed to eprocure@queensu.ca.