The Challenge
Before implementing Vroozi, Lycée Français de New York relied entirely on manual procurement processes. The school's business office was burdened with paper-based purchase orders, invoices, and payment requests that were difficult to track and manage. This manual approach lacked the structured workflows needed for proper approval chains and made it challenging to maintain visibility over spending.
As a bilingual institution serving students from 60 nationalities, LFNY needed a system that could effectively manage spending across their diverse international educational environment. The school needed a comprehensive solution that would centralize procurement operations, automate accounts payable processes, and establish reliable workflows for approvals. They looked to bring all purchase orders, invoice processing, payment requests, reimbursements, and 3-way matching under one unified system to eliminate paper and improve operational efficiency while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
The Solution
Lycée Français de New York implemented Vroozi's procurement platform in summer 2019, just months before the COVID-19 pandemic would dramatically change their operational landscape. The solution included:
- Centralized platform for managing purchase orders, invoices, and payment requests
- Digital workflows for approval processes
- Integration with the school's financial systems
- Punchout catalogs for streamlined ordering from suppliers
- Remote access capabilities for all users
- Automated accounts payable processes
- Multilingual interface supporting both English and French users
- Real-time visibility into departmental spending
The implementation focused on creating a paperless environment while ensuring proper controls remained in place for the school's procurement needs, ultimately supporting their educational mission with more efficient operational processes.
The Results
The timing of the Vroozi implementation proved fortuitous for Lycée Français de New York. When the pandemic forced the school to shut down on March 13, 2020, the platform became what Controller Vitaly Margolin called "a life savior."
"We went to a remote mode, and we were able to process orders online and have them shipped to our faculty and staff homes as everyone was working and teaching remotely," says Margolin. "I feel we did not skip a beat because of Vroozi. The platform played an essential role in keeping our operations intact. It helped us in the business office to be in the driver's seat with the order processing."
Operational Continuity During Crisis
- Maintained procurement operations seamlessly during pandemic shutdown
- Enabled remote ordering with direct shipping to staff homes
- Provided business office with continued control over procurement processes
Improved User Experience
- Employees report positive experiences with the platform
- Punchout catalogs reduce requisition time significantly
- Requesters gain direct access to their orders with tracking capabilities
- Faculty cite the intuitive design as key to their willingness to adopt the new system
Supplier Collaboration
- Successfully created a punchout catalog with a French publisher
- Suppliers reported positive experiences with Vroozi's digital catalog team
- Enhanced relationships with key vendors
Integration Benefits
- Described by Margolin as "a game changer" that delivers efficiency
- Captures more data fields for comprehensive reporting
- Continuous improvement in master data integration
Looking ahead, Lycée Français de New York is expanding their use of the payment request module, creating more punchout catalogs, and establishing a better Professional Development reimbursement process. The school also actively participates in testing new Vroozi features, including Buy Route functionality and intelligence capabilities.
"We started looking for a solution to automate our purchasing and A/P in 2018," reflects Margolin. "How little did we know how critical and valuable Vroozi would become for our School during the pandemic? The before and after impact of Vroozi is quite considerable."
