To future-proof their procurement operations and enhance financial stewardship, Guide Dogs selected Coupa, the world-leading spend management platform. The chosen suite of modules—including Sourcing, CLMS, Procurement & Invoicing, Supplier Management, Spend Guard, Virtual Card, and Invoice Smash—would enable the charity to drive efficiency, increase visibility, and optimise procurement decisions while maintaining strong governance.
As their implementation partner, Barkers took a structured and collaborative approach to ensure Guide Dogs maximised the value of their investment. The project began with a series of strategic Discovery Workshops, designed to align stakeholders on system capabilities and define a configuration that best supported Guide Dogs’ operational and financial objectives. By fostering cross-functional engagement and informed decision-making, Barkers ensured that the system was tailored to the charity’s unique needs.
Barkers then managed the end-to-end system configuration and deployment within the agreed timelines, balancing technical precision with user-centric design. Comprehensive validation through Playback Sessions and User Acceptance Testing ensured that key stakeholders not only understood the system but were also confident in its functionality and potential to transform procurement processes.
A critical success factor in the implementation was knowledge transfer and change management. Barkers adopted a ‘Train the Trainer’ model, empowering internal system administrators to become Super Users. This approach embedded expertise within Guide Dogs, equipping them to drive adoption and long-term system success across the organisation.
Throughout the project, rigorous project governance was maintained through structured reporting and milestone tracking, with weekly progress updates ensuring visibility and alignment at every stage. By combining industry-leading technology with expert-led implementation, Barkers enabled Guide Dogs to transition seamlessly to a future-ready procurement solution—ensuring greater efficiency, stronger compliance, and a procurement function fully aligned with the charity’s mission.
