IT Services is working to improve the way software, hardware and other IT assets are purchased and managed at the University of Arkansas and on other system campuses. To support this goal, a new IT contract manager position has been established, and Becky McCoy was recently hired for the job.

In her new role, McCoy (no relation to CIO Chris McCoy) is responsible for the campuswide and systemwide management of the IT contracting process, negotiation of IT purchases and contracts, and review of existing contracts for opportunities to reduce costs and increase efficiency. The contract manager's work takes place before the purchasing phase begins, and it does not change Procurement Office processes. McCoy reports to the associate director and budget officer for IT Services.

McCoy started working for the university this month after eight years as the IT contract manager at J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. Her previous work experience included contract management for Boeing equipment and vehicles. During her time at J.B. Hunt, McCoy developed extensive experience managing the complexities and varied restrictions of IT contracts, which change frequently.

McCoy centralized J.B. Hunt's IT purchasing and created an enterprise-level process for negotiating IT contracts. By managing contracts and procurement for different groups within J.B. Hunt, McCoy eventually gained their trust, she said, which was critical to implementing the new processes across the company.

"They would get a quote and then hand it off to me to finalize everything. By the time I left, 98% of all IT purchases were coming through my office," McCoy said.

McCoy is currently investigating the existing IT contracts on all University of Arkansas System campuses to evaluate how to implement immediate and future cost savings. She is charged with helping the system make licensed software more widely available while decreasing costs through more efficient practices.

"With all change, there's challenge," McCoy said. "We're crossing into new territory, so it's going to take time to define and understand what this position can do."

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