Guide to Una Membership
Wondering what’s involved in joining a group purchasing organization (GPO) like Una?
You don’t have to jump through multiple hoops to get connected to impressive savings.
In fact, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Step 1: The Discovery Call
After getting in touch via the chatbot or by filling out a form on Una.com, an Una Sourcing Advisor will reach out via email or phone, introduce themselves, and schedule a discovery call.
The discovery call is your first step to savings. This is the opportunity to get to know each other, define what success looks like for you and your procurement team, and establish a timeline for connecting you to savings.
We like to think of this call as a two-way interview, because it’s a great chance for both parties to decide if there’s potential for a good fit. Our Sourcing Advisor will ask about any procurement goals and challenges we may be able to help you with, and answer any questions you may have about how membership works.
And remember, membership is always free, with zero purchasing requirements or obligations.
Explore Una’s supplier portfolio and use the Complete Guide to Group Purchasing as a refesher on how GPOs work.
Step 2: Free Spend Analysis
This is our chance to impress you! Una’s expert Sourcing Advisors will conduct a spend analysis to quickly identify opportunities to reduce your indirect spend. On average, our members are able to reduce spend in these categories by an average of 18%-22% each year.
This part of the process usually takes about a week or so, depending on whether your data is organized and ready to share.
Rest assured, Una follows strict policies and processes regarding the privacy and security of your data.
Take a look at what a sample cost analysis might look like for the food and shipping categories:
Step 3: Connect to Suppliers
After the spend analysis, we’ll provide recommendations and work quickly to get you connected to the contracts of your choosing.
When you are ready to move forward, our team simply requests that the relevant suppliers connect you to our pre-negotiated contracts. Depending on the supplier, this waiting period can last a few days to a couple of weeks.
Even with a GPO contract in place, you will own a direct relationship with all suppliers. When connecting to an Una contract or agreement, you are simply letting that supplier know you are wanting the Una benefits and discounted pricing.
Member Experience
Now that you’re connected to savings, here is what you can expect regarding the resources and level of support you’ll receive from the Member Experience team to help you succeed. They will work to ensure you are capitalizing on the additional value Una has to offer.
Here's what you can expect:
A Member Experience team member will introduce themselves as your point-of- contact and answer any questions you have about membership.
Member Experience can work through additional categories of spend with you and find suppliers who will meet your needs.
The ME team will remain steadfast in supporting and empowering members to save more money, time, and effort.
How to Save More...
The Member Experience team’s top priority is to ensure a positive experience for every Una member during the onboarding process and beyond. The team also serves as the main resource for member benefits, supplier contracts, and additional savings opportunities.
Save more money
Member Experience conducts regular check-ins with members to ensure they have everything they need to be successful.
By keeping a pulse on the needs of each member, the amount they’re spending, and which contracts are being utilized, Member Experience is able to identify other savings opportunities and present them to make sure members aren’t leaving money on the table.
Save more time and effort
Year-end spending reports are available so members have a clear view of what they’re purchasing and when, and which supplier contracts are being utilized. Member Experience also becomes your touchpoint for all things customer service and support when working with our suppliers.
If an issue arises, the ME team can communicate directly with suppliers on your behalf and escalate when needed, cutting down on the time it takes to resolve a problem.
Save more everything
Partnering with Una allows members to focus on strengthening other strategic relationships outside of the GPO space. Utilize Member Experience to get answers to questions, navigate contract terms and explore different categories.
With Una as your GPO, the possibilities are endless.
