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title: "Education spend management case study: How an independent school strengthened budget control, auditability, and cost savings with Fraxion"
description: "The Hotchkiss School enhances procurement efficiency and cost savings by implementing Fraxion, streamlining processes and improving transparency across purchasing activities."
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Success story · Private Education

# The Hotchkiss School achieves process efficiencies and cost savings with Fraxion

The Hotchkiss School replaced manual, paper-based purchasing and fragmented payment methods with Fraxion’s procurement and invoice automation, integrated with Microsoft Dynamics GP. With PunchOut catalogs, a tailored multi-level approval matrix, and centralized records, the School gained transparency, audit readiness, policy compliance, and cost savings—with cost reductions of up to 20% on some purchases.

[Book a customized demo](https://www.fraxion.biz/get-a-demo)

[Download case study](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/2024%20Case%20Studies/The%20Hotchkiss%20School%20Case%20Study.pdf)

![The Hotchkiss School logo](https://www.fraxion.biz/hs-fs/hubfs/Hotchkiss-wordmark-blue-1-1.png?width=255&height=80&name=Hotchkiss-wordmark-blue-1-1.png)

## The Hotchkiss School

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/Icons/book.svg)
Industry: Education | Independent School
![home](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/Icons/home.svg)
Location: Lakeville, Connecticut, USA
![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/Icons/users.svg)
Students: 599

The Hotchkiss School is an independent boarding school located in Lakeville,
Connecticut. Founded in 1891, the School provides an education of academic
distinction to 599 students in grades 9 through 12, and to a small number of
postgraduates. Students at Hotchkiss come from across the United States and
around the world. Graduates attend many of the most selective universities
and colleges.

Before implementing Fraxion, The Hotchkiss School used manual, paper-based
purchasing processes. Although Fraxion was introduced to integrate with
Microsoft Dynamics GP and streamline procurement, staff continued using paper
forms alongside the online tool, causing confusion and inconsistencies.
Additionally, various purchasing methods were in play, including corporate
purchasing cards and check request forms for one-off payments to individuals
not set up as vendors. These payments, often linked to 1099 transactions,
introduced a variety of processes for handling commitments, complicating
oversight and control of spending. Initially limited user access and
insufficient communication about Fraxion’s benefits led to
underutilization of the system.

Challenges

### Hotchkiss struggled with:

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/x%20(1)%201.svg)

Manual, email, and paper-based processes

Processes were slow, error-prone, and inefficient.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/x%20(1)%201.svg)

Multiple purchasing methods

Varied payment methods, such as corporate cards and check requests complicated
tracking and reduced spending control.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/x%20(1)%201.svg)

Lack of spend and budget control

Spend control was limited for staff purchasing and any budget overspend was only
discovered after the fact.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/x%20(1)%201.svg)

Multiple purchasing accounts and vendors

Individual department vendor selection and online accounts lacked visibility and
control and the ability to negotiate volume discounts or better terms.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/x%20(1)%201.svg)

Cumbersome manual approval process

Requests frequently missed the necessary approvers, leading to delays and
bottlenecks from constant follow-ups. Personnel unavailability further stalled
approvals, and enforcing complex process rules proved challenging.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/x%20(1)%201.svg)

Manual invoice inefficiencies and duplicate entries

Manual invoice entry into the accounting system and email-based approvals were time-
consuming, error-prone, and reliant on staff following complex manual approval
rules.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/x%20(1)%201.svg)

Manual invoice matching and missing data

Increased administrative workload, error prone, and missing data caused delays.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/x%20(1)%201.svg)

Lack of policy management

Unmonitored purchases were difficult to manage in terms of pricing and required
standards and specifications (e.g. IT purchases).

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/x%20(1)%201.svg)

Lack of transparency and audit readiness

Disorganized records made auditing time-consuming and inefficient.

Solutions

### With Fraxion, Hotchkiss has gained:

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/check%20(1)%201.svg)

School-wide procurement management and system adoption

The broad implementation was the catalyst for procurement efficiency and success.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/check%20(1)%201.svg)

Enhanced transparency and accountability

Monthly and annual system-generated reports provide detailed spending breakdowns by
department.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/check%20(1)%201.svg)

Simplicity and spend control, driven by familiarity

Fraxion’s PunchOut catalogs allow users to shop directly from preferred
vendors (Amazon Business, Staples etc.) in familiar interfaces - simplifying
requisitions and approvals, adoption, and improving spend control.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/check%20(1)%201.svg)

Vendor management and consolidation

With centralized visibility and management across departments, Hotchkiss reduced the
number of vendors to a core strategic group. This improved vendor relationships and
enabled better terms and savings through higher business volumes.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/check%20(1)%201.svg)

Robust approval process

The approval matrix, tailored to Hotchkiss’ complex needs, enables real-time
notifications and multi-level oversight, reducing delays, financial risk, and
ensuring policy compliance.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/check%20(1)%201.svg)

Invoice efficiency

Automation and centralized records have streamlined processing and approvals for
high volumes of transactions.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/check%20(1)%201.svg)

Improved endowment visibility and management

Oversight and approval workflows for endowed and special accounts.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/check%20(1)%201.svg)

Seamless ERP integration

Microsoft Dynamics GP

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/case%20studies/icons/check%20(1)%201.svg)

Cost savings

Fraxion has cut unnecessary spending by enhancing visibility into departmental
purchases particularly in high-spend areas such as IT.

## Cost savings and controlHaving Fraxion in place makes a significant difference in controlling costs. We know we wouldn’t be getting the same discounts and negotiated rates without the system. From an anecdotal level, it’s clear that costs would be higher due to less control. Without it, people could spend freely, and any budget overspend would only be discovered after the fact.

Kevin Warenda

Director of IT Services | The Hotchkiss School

Results

## The features driving efficiency and savings for The Hotchkiss School

PunchOut

“It was really popular because it mirrored the familiar online shopping
experience many users were already comfortable with, browsing on Amazon.”

“Fraxion’s PunchOut integration helped corral the Wild West of
individual accounts and payment methods, allowing us to fully benefit from the
features and cost savings of a consolidated Amazon Business account.”

**Kevin Warenda**
Director of IT Services | The Hotchkiss School

Approval matrix

“One of our key requirements is a robust approval matrix. Fraxion supports
our complex needs with multiple levels and departmental thresholds, unlike many
software products, limited to basic thresholds or locations. This setup meets
our requirements and reduces financial risk.”

**Kevin Warenda**
Director of IT Services | The Hotchkiss School

Invoice automation

“The addition of the invoice functionality made the system a
powerhouse.”

**Rob Seymour**
Purchasing Manager | The Hotchkiss School

Auditability

“One of the biggest efficiencies we’ve gained is in the audit
process. With Fraxion, all purchase records are centralized, so if an auditor
asks for approval records, we can provide them instantly.”

**Kevin Warenda**
Director of IT Services | The Hotchkiss School

Cost savings

“Having Fraxion in place makes a significant difference in controlling
costs. We know we wouldn’t be getting the same discounts and negotiated
rates without the system. From an anecdotal level, it’s clear that costs
would be higher due to less control. Without it, people could spend freely, and
any budget overspend would only be discovered after the fact.”

**Kevin Warenda**
Director of IT Services | The Hotchkiss School

“One of the primary advantages of Fraxion is its ability to provide
visibility into every transaction. This transparency allows us to seek out the
best deals for high-dollar purchases, often leading to savings. For example, we
saved $3,000 on a $15,000 machine purchase by leveraging the system’s
integrated vendor programs. We frequently see cost reductions—sometimes up
to 20%—compared to schools that may pay full price.”

**Rob Seymour**
Purchasing Manager | The Hotchkiss School

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/Icons/clock.svg)

#### Time savings

Streamlined requisitions, approvals, and invoice processing for high volumes of transactions.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/Icons/eye.svg)

#### Transparency

Detailed spending breakdowns by department and instant access to centralized
purchase records.

![](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/website%20rebrand%202026/Icons/dollar-sign.svg)

#### Cost savings

Consolidated vendors, negotiated rates, and cost reductions of up to 20% on
some purchases.

Download case study

## Read the full case study

[Download case study](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/2024%20Case%20Studies/The%20Hotchkiss%20School%20Case%20Study.pdf)

![The Hotchkiss School case study cover](https://www.fraxion.biz/hs-fs/hubfs/THS.png?width=360&name=THS.png)

## Fraxion has reduced IT spending by ensuring that essential items like computers are bought from approved vendors, meeting the School’s standards and specifications, and preventing unauthorized purchases.

Rob Seymour

Purchasing Manager | The Hotchkiss School

## Book a custom demo

Get in touch to discuss your school or organization’s requirements,
we’ll customize a demo to your needs.

[Book a demo](https://www.fraxion.biz/get-a-demo)

![Fraxion spend analysis dashboard](https://www.fraxion.biz/hubfs/Group%201707480481.webp)