Giving Time Back: How Smarter Procurement Can Support Education’s Mission

In schools and childcare centers, every dollar counts. But there’s another resource that may be just as precious: time.

In a recent conversation with Scott Luton, Ashley Hubka, SVP & GM of Walmart Business, explored the often-overlooked role procurement plays in education. From preparing for the back-to-school rush to managing staff shortages and embracing AI, Hubka’s message was consistent: Simplifying routine purchasing can give educators and administrators more time to focus on the people they serve.

And that opportunity may be substantial: according to a recent survey of more than 500 decision-makers at businesses with 10–500 employees, 37% of business leaders spend 4–7 hours each week on routine purchasing.

Different Organizations, Similar Challenges

A school district serving 30,000 students and a childcare center supporting 500 children may operate at vastly different scales, but Hubka says their procurement challenges often look surprisingly similar.

Both organizations must stretch budgets, stay stocked, support multiple users and locations, and respond quickly when needs change. When purchasing is fragmented across suppliers and systems, they face increased complexity and reduced visibility. The back-to-school season magnifies those challenges.

“Back-to-school condenses months of planning and purchasing into a very short window,” Hubka explained.

At the same time organizations are preparing classrooms, they may be hiring staff, responding to enrollment changes, stocking supplies, and getting facilities ready. Demand can change right up until the first day of school, making speed and flexibility essential. 

The Hidden Cost of Routine Purchasing

Many procurement activities seem minor in isolation: searching for products, placing recurring orders, tracking shipments, reconciling invoices, or making an emergency supply run. Add them together, however, and they consume significant staff capacity.

Hubka argues that organizations don’t necessarily need a massive procurement transformation to begin capturing that time. Consolidating purchasing, automating recurring orders, improving spend visibility, and making frequently purchased products easier to access can eliminate everyday friction. 

“The goal isn’t to overhaul procurement overnight,” she said. “It’s to eliminate repetitive tasks and make routine purchasing more efficient.”

That distinction is particularly important in education, where administrative capacity is already stretched.

Every Hour Matters, Too

Staff shortages make procurement efficiency about much more than reducing expenses. In schools and childcare centers, the people responsible for purchasing may also be supporting teachers and students, communicating with families, managing facilities, or overseeing daily operations. Every unnecessary administrative task competes with higher-value responsibilities.

“It’s not just about saving money,” Hubka said. “It’s about helping organizations operate more efficiently, reduce operational friction and give valuable time back to educators, administrators and childcare professionals.” 

That creates a different way of evaluating procurement ROI. A purchasing improvement that saves an organization several hours each week may create value well beyond its direct financial impact. It can return scarce capacity to employees and ultimately support the organization’s broader educational mission.

Technology Should Reduce the Mental Load

AI and automation could take that concept even further. Hubka sees significant potential for technology to make purchasing more proactive, helping organizations identify trends, anticipate recurring needs, automate replenishment, and better understand spending and inventory.

“The biggest opportunity is reducing the mental load of routine purchasing,” she explained.

Hubka points to tools such as subscriptions, spend analytics, multi-user accounts, and tax-exempt purchasing as examples ways to streamline workflows today. Looking ahead, AI could make product discovery and purchasing decisions even more intuitive. 

Start Small and Solve Real Problems

For education leaders wondering where to begin, Hubka recommends starting with the existing purchasing process. Map how a need is identified, who places the order, how approval occurs, and how the purchase is tracked both physically and financially. That exercise can reveal unnecessary steps, gaps in visibility, and opportunities for greater control.

It is important to note that modernization doesn’t have to happen all at once.

“The most successful modernization efforts start by solving a small challenge staff experience every day,” Hubka said. 

That could mean consolidating routine purchases, automating recurring orders, or simply providing administrators with better visibility into spending.

Procurement Becomes Strategic

Ultimately, Hubka believes procurement has evolved beyond its traditional role as a back-office function. Purchasing now influences budget control, inventory availability, staff productivity, organizational responsiveness, and the ability of schools and childcare providers to fulfill their missions. 

The biggest opportunity may therefore be surprisingly simple: Education organizations don’t just need to spend less. They need to spend less time spending.

Because when procurement becomes simpler, smarter, and more strategic, the most important return isn’t found only on a balance sheet. It’s found in the hours returned to teachers, administrators, and childcare professionals and ultimately, in the additional time they can devote to students and families.

Where to Learn More

To learn more about how Walmart Business is helping to simplify business purchasing, visit: https://business.walmart.com/. Also, we invite you to follow Ashley Hubka via LinkedIn: click here.