Learn takeaways from NAEP's Epic 2026 conference that apply to risk management
Creating an Effective Collaboration Between Risk and Procurement Professionals
The National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP) Epic 2026 conference, an annual gathering of our procurement-focused colleagues, underscored a defining reality for higher education: procurement and risk management are no longer transactional back‑office functions. They are increasingly central to institutional resilience, financial sustainability, and strategic decision‑making. Across keynote sessions, panel discussions, and market research briefings, a clear theme emerged—digital transformation, talent strategy, AI adoption, and cross‑campus collaboration must be pursued with purpose, governance, and measurable outcomes. The following takeaways highlight what I noted about what matters most for risk managers and procurement professionals seeking to collaborate effectively across campus.
Procurement’s Expanding Role in Institutional Risk and Value
It’s not news that higher education faces persistent headwinds: declining enrollment, volatile international student pipelines, constrained research dollars, workforce shortages, and continuous supply chain disruptions. Procurement leaders emphasized that traditional cost‑savings metrics are insufficient in this environment. Instead, procurement must deliver insight into risk mitigation, revenue comprehension, speed to market, and operational continuity.
Risk managers and procurement teams are increasingly expected to operate as advisors and partners, not just compliance enforcers. Examples shared included supporting athletics pricing strategies, assessing tariff exposure, evaluating supplier concentration risk, and helping non‑procurement stakeholders navigate complex supplier landscapes. Procurement’s ability to provide market intelligence and scenario analysis now directly supports enterprise risk management.
Digital Transformation Fails Without Clear Outcomes
A recurring warning at NAEP Epic 2026 was the high failure rate of digital transformations. Industry benchmarks show that only a small fraction of large transformations fully meet original ambitions, often due to unclear goals, weak adoption strategies, and a lack of governance. For procurement and risk leaders, the lesson is critical: technology should never be deployed without first defining the problem it solves.
Speakers cautioned against the “shiny tool” trap—implementing new platforms simply because they appear innovative. Successful institutions start by identifying where time is lost, which risks lack visibility, and what insights are missing from core workflows. Tools must be embedded into daily processes, supported by concrete ROI conversations, usage accountability, and clearly assigned ownership for tracking benefits.
AI as an Enabler—Not a Staffing Solution
Artificial intelligence (AI) featured prominently - particularly in market and vendor research - early due diligence, and supplier intelligence (think background checks). Institutions are experimenting with large language models fed by spend data, supplier profiles, contracts, demand forecasts, and market intelligence to accelerate analysis and decision‑making. Used correctly, AI can reduce bandwidth constraints, improve negotiation readiness, and surface hidden risks before contracts are executed.
However, speakers repeatedly stressed caution. AI is not a replacement for human judgment or staffing, nor should it be treated as a standalone solution. Data protection, validation processes, bias mitigation, and retraining models as new information emerges are essential governance practices. Risk managers, in particular, are well positioned to partner with procurement in establishing controls that ensure AI augments—rather than undermines—institutional risk posture.
Talent Gaps Are a Risk, Not Just an HR Issue
The “talent gap” emerged as a systemic risk across higher education procurement. Benchmark data highlighted that organizations achieving successful transformations differ sharply in how they allocate and support talent. They identify mission‑critical roles, make data‑driven talent decisions, avoid overloading leaders, and invest deliberately in future capabilities.
Procurement leaders acknowledged burnout, aging workforces, and the reality that many professionals “fell into” procurement roles without formal pipelines. Addressing this requires rethinking roles, investing in training, implementing skill assessments, and creating succession plans. For risk managers, this insight is vital: people risk—loss of expertise, overextension, and change fatigue—can be just as damaging as financial or compliance risk.
Collaboration Across Campus Is No Longer Optional
A powerful message from senior leaders was that departments often act as if they are uniquely different—when in reality, fragmentation undermines resilience. Examples included systems with multiple procurement platforms operating independently across campuses, creating unnecessary risk and inefficiency. Collaboration across campuses, departments, and even peer institutions or those in proximity was positioned as a strategic necessity.
Procurement can lead this collaboration by standardizing processes, enabling cooperative purchasing, aligning contracts with risk strategies, and helping suppliers navigate institutional complexity. Sessions on contracts versus solicitations reinforced how institutions can leverage publicly competed awards while more effectively managing risk, compliance, and flexibility.
Leading With Purpose and Energy
The opening keynote, Suneel Gupta - a bestselling author, Harvard Medical School faculty member, and healthcare entrepreneur - reframed leadership as an internal discipline as much as an operational one. Purpose, emotional congruence, and personal energy management were presented as prerequisites for sustainable performance. Leaders who create conditions where the best solutions emerge build trust and engagement during periods of constant change by elevating others, asking better questions, and not “worrying alone.”
For procurement and risk leaders, this translates into how transformation is communicated and lived day‑to‑day. Clear intent, empathy for stakeholders, and curiosity‑driven collaboration help teams adopt new tools, behaviors, and controls without resistance. Culture, as emphasized repeatedly, determines whether strategy succeeds.
Moving Forward: Procurement and Risk as Strategic Anchors
NAEP Epic 2026 made it clear that higher education cannot navigate today’s uncertainty by doing more with less—or by chasing new technology without direction. Instead, success lies in intentional digital transformation, human‑centered AI adoption, disciplined talent management, and deep collaboration across campus.
Risk managers and procurement professionals sit at the intersection of these priorities. By aligning tools with workflows, data with governance, and people with purpose, they can help institutions move beyond this moment of survival toward long‑term resilience and measurable value.
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