Life Without Barriers & Woolworths at Work – partnership beyond procurement

Amazingly, we've now saved around one week's worth of work out of a month by not having to manually reconcile and enter the invoices

Life Without Barriers (LWB) is a national not-for-profit organisation based in Newcastle. They support people with disabilities, families facing challenges, children in out-of-home care, older people, and those requiring mental health, aged care, and immigration services. As Paul Cairns, a Director at LWB, explains, the organisation’s purpose is “partnering with people to change lives for the better.”

Fulfilling this mission requires efficient operations and a focus on delivering exceptional care. This case study explores how LWB’s partnership with Enterprise+ Woolworths at Work has evolved beyond a simple procurement arrangement to become a valuable support system—enabling LWB to streamline processes, reduce administrative burden, and ultimately dedicate more time to the people they serve.

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The challenge

Managing the diverse needs of a large and complex organisation like LWB – with over 290 cost centres – presents significant logistical challenges. Procuring goods for residential houses, including food, cleaning products and stationery, traditionally involved complex administrative tasks, manual invoice processing, and time-consuming reconciliation.

Further complexity comes from the need to meet the diverse dietary and medical requirements of residents.

Lauri Cox, House Manager at LWB, says “We’re very diverse here in our house. We’ve got a lot of different tastes. I don’t think we have the same item twice on the menu. The only thing that’s consistent is our barbecue on the weekend.”

These cumbersome processes diverted valuable time and resources away from LWB’s core mission of providing care and support.

The solution

LWB partnered with Enterprise+ Woolworths at Work to address these challenges. The platform offers a convenient, centralised system for ordering and managing groceries and other essential supplies. This partnership has delivered several key benefits:

1. Reduced administrative burden

Woolworths at Work’s streamlined platform has automated previously manual processes, such as invoice processing and reconciliation.

House Managers like Lauri Cox can now focus more on resident care rather than paperwork, creating a more enjoyable and efficient experience. The platform also simplifies the management of cost centres by automating grocery charging.

To have the convenience of buying in one shop means that I can fill the pantry up and the office at the same time

2. Increased efficiency and convenience

The centralised platform allows LWB staff to order everything they need in one place – from fresh food and groceries to office supplies, stationery, kitchen essentials and more – streaming procurement and saving valuable time.

This convenience also supports the diverse dietary needs of residents, with a wide range of products available to suit different tastes and medical requirements.

“We’re very diverse here in our house. We’ve got a lot of different tastes. I don’t think we have the same item twice on the menu,” she adds.

3. Shared values and genuine partnership

Beyond practical benefits, the partnership is grounded in shared values and a strong sense of collaboration.

“This is really beyond just a procurement relationship. There’s engagement from the Woolworths at Work team around the work that we do, and the service and support we deliver,” notes Paul Cairns.

This shared commitment strengthens the relationship and contributes meaningfully to LWB’s mission. The sentiment that “They care, and that’s what’s really important to us” underscores the value LWB places on authentic partnerships.

We are a complex organisation with over 290 cost centres to charge groceries to, and being able to automate that has been a real game changer

Results

The partnership between LWB and Woolworths at Work has delivered tangible and meaningful results:

• Significant time savings: Automation has freed up time—saving approximately one week’s worth of work per month—which can now be redirected to frontline care.
• Improved efficiency: Streamlined processes and a centralised system have reduced complexity, making it easier to manage diverse needs and dietary requirements.
• Enhanced focus on care: With less time spent on administrative tasks, LWB staff can dedicate more attention to the people they support.
• Stronger partnership: Shared values and genuine engagement from Woolworths at Work have fostered a partnership that goes far beyond procurement.

Conclusion

The collaboration between Life Without Barriers and Woolworths at Work demonstrates the power of a strategic partnership built on shared values, innovation, and care.

“Woolworths at Work has made life at Life Without Barriers a whole lot easier,”
 concludes Annis-Brown.

By leveraging the automation and convenience offered by Woolworths at Work, LWB has been able to streamline operations, reduce administrative burden, and, most importantly, enhance the lives of the people they support. This case study is a powerful example of how thoughtful collaboration can go beyond the shopping basket to become a vital contributor to an organisation’s core mission.

Life Without Barriers and Woolworths at Work have been procurement partners for a number of years. From the outset, the Woolworths at Work team showed a genuine interest in everything we do here at Life Without Barriers