June 15, 2020 - In This Issue:

CHANGES TO INVOICING AND PAYMENT METHODS

The repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic -- economic uncertainty, budget reductions and a hiring freeze­ -- are taking a significant toll on UCSF. Like many other UCSF departments, SCM is forced to make difficult decisions that will impact the services we provide to the University community. Immediate changes include the following areas:
  • Electronic Invoicing for BearBuy Purchase Orders: Starting today, June 15, SCM is requiring all suppliers who receive BearBuy purchase orders (PO) to submit invoices electronically through our e-invoice partner, Transcepta. Communication to suppliers started in April, when the shelter-in-place order was extended. Read more about Transcepta.
  • Payment MethodsTo cut costs, streamline the process and enable faster payment, we are requiring suppliers to receive electronic payment through ACH or Payment Plus. In-person pick up of supplier checks at our Mission Center Building (MCB) offices will be discontinued. All payments will be sent directly to the supplier.
  • Invoice and Expense Processing TimesManually processed payments, such as check request forms, BearBuy payment request forms, expense reimbursements, non-PO invoices such as subcontract invoices, will have significantly longer than normal processing times. You can help by submitting all requests well in advance to allow time for processing.
We ask for your understanding and support as we make these decisions in an incredibly fluid environment and uncertain times.
SUPPLY CHAIN UPDATES
Important Year-End Deadlines
 
The fiscal year-end is rapidly approaching and Supply Chain Management (SCM) would like to remind you of important upcoming dates when buying goods and
 services during this time.  

Please pass this message to anyone who may:
  • Need to have a purchase order issued before fiscal year-end
  • Need to have a lien removed or chartfield change before fiscal year-end 
  • Need to submit invoices or expense reports for payment before fiscal year-end
Read more
STRATEGIC PROCUREMENT
Save Time by Using New Statement of Work Template
 
As we all wrestle with the financial implications of COVID-19, Supply Chain Management (SCM) Strategic Procurement has started reviewing processes to save the campus time on procurement transactions. This month, we reviewed the BearBuy Professional Services/Independent Consultant form and found the following:
  • 60 professional service requisitions are submitted each month. 
  • On average, it takes our buying team about a week to review and process these orders (measured from the time the order is approved by the department). 
  • Orders that come in with a well-formed statement of work (SOW) and a Source Selection and Price Reasonableness Justification form take on average 7 to 10 days less to process than orders which do not have those forms properly completed.
Due to the significant time difference between complete orders and deficient orders, we are making a few changes. 
 
First, SCM is rolling out a new SOW template aimed at streamlining the processing time for your requisitions. It includes the key information required in an SOW with only a few configurations (e.g. price, project scope, etc.) required by you and your supplier. 
 
Second, we are updating our website to provide explicit instructions on when SOWs are required and have included several FAQ to help guide you in the use of the document. 
 
Last, we have trained our procurement team on the template to provide a more consistent and predictable experience when using the professional services form.
 
We are confident that these process updates will improve your experience when submitting a professional service requisition.
 
Please visit our website to read details on the new SOW template and FAQ.
BEARBUY
Using the BearBuy Payment Request Form
 
The BearBuy Payment Request Form (PRF) is meant to be used only for certain types of purchases, not for buying goods and services. The PRF should only be used for the following limited types of payments:
  • Cell phone/Phone lines
  • Donations/Contributions
  • Government fees/Visas
  • Guest lodging
  • Honoraria
  • Memberships/Subscriptions/Journal publications
  • Refunds
  • Registration fees
  • Student summer programs
  • Utilities
Buying Goods and Services

To purchase goods or services, create a BearBuy requisition and purchase order (PO) prior to making the purchase. POs help ensure authorization, financial controls, and policy compliance.  Purchasing of goods or services without using a preapproved PO is considered unauthorized per  UC policy.
 
When creating a requisition in BearBuy and a supplier appears with a red stop sign next to its name, this means the supplier is not currently accepting POs. To make a purchase through the supplier, you should:
For one-time purchase of low-risk goods and services under $5,000 from a supplier, you may opt to use a procurement card (P-Card), if you have one. Visit  Supply Chain Management's P-Card pages for more information.
BEARBUY TIP

Q: I have a purchase order (PO) that I will use to pay invoices in the future. I also have an unpaid invoice on the PO that needs to be paid using a new funding source. How do I ask for changes?
 
A: Submit a BearBuy Change Order Request to modify the funding on the PO. The new PO funding will be used to pay future invoices applied to the PO. The funding of a PO cannot be changed if the PO is already fully or over-invoiced.
 
To update a BearBuy invoice that has expired funding and has not been paid, email [email protected] to request the funding be updated. If the invoice has been paid, your department would need to complete a cost transfer to change the funding used on the payment.
CONTACT US

FOR BEARBUY technical support, how-to help or questions regarding basic purchasing, contact the IT Service Desk.
Phone: (415) 514-4100, option 2 (M-F, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
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FOR ACCOUNTS PAYABLE support, contact the Accounts Payable Helpdesk.
Phone: (415) 502-3331
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LOGISTICS
Phone: (415) 502-6245
Email:   [email protected]
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FOR GENERAL Supply Chain Management questions, please email
[email protected] or visit our website at supplychain.ucsf.edu.

© 2017 The Regents of the University of California