For California State University, unifying twenty-two independent campuses that serve more than 500,000 students was never simply a technology project. It was an operating model challenge on a scale few higher-education systems have ever attempted. Every campus had its own processes, its own ERP configuration, and its own governance culture. Bringing them together required a partner who could help the system rethink how work should flow, how value should be measured, and how procurement could own and operate its platforms in a way that delivers real performance.
What began as a blueprinting engagement evolved into a multi-year collaboration that reshaped the way CSU runs procurement work. The result is a modern operating model that drives stability, speed, and measurable value across one of the most complex public university systems in the country.
The transformation began with strategy. RiseNow partnered with CSU leaders to build a system-wide blueprint that defined the work, the outcomes, and the operating principles needed to support a shared procurement environment. It provided clarity on sequencing, integration requirements, and governance expectations so that every decision could be measured against a common vision for value.
That blueprint became the anchor for every milestone that followed.
When conditions shifted and timelines compressed, CSU returned to that document to stay aligned on what mattered most. With strategy in place, the system could move from planning to execution.
