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As we approach one year of the campus working remotely, we want to acknowledge your partnership in working with us to bring Oracle Procurement & Payables and Concur Travel & Expense from their initial minimally viable product state at launch to what we have today. While we realize that there is still more work to be done, your efforts have made progress possible. You have been so generous with your time in attending Office Hours, training sessions, Hypercare meetings, Hot Topics sessions, and IPPS Advisory Committee meetings, which has allowed us to work with you directly to address pressing issues. Invitations to join your departmental meetings have provided us with perspective, empathy, and an overall better understanding of how to effectively involve you, our clients, in this process and how to communicate change. The level of collaboration in sharing reports and internal guides and the trust you have given us to facilitate candid conversations have been invaluable to prioritizing enhancements.
As we’ve worked to resolve posting discrepancies, reevaluate buyer and invoice tolerance thresholds, launch punchouts, improve search results, integrate Payment Compass, and update search criteria in Concur, we hear you when you say that more visibility is better. In addition to the Known Issues Blink page, the Budget & Finance Weekly Digest, and our quarterly newsletters, we will also be providing visibility into invoice holds and our enhancement trackers for Oracle Procurement and Concur. This will give you real-time insight into the issues we are aware of and proposed solutions. We are also working vigorously with many of you to ensure your departments have the appropriate access to view the transactional information and supporting documentation you need to support your department’s research.
In the coming year, we will be working directly with Oracle and Concur to continually improve the user experience in both Oracle Procurement & Payables and Concur Travel & Expense.
Thank you for working with us as we continue to innovate and develop these tools to match the excellence of our institution.
- Heather Vinograd, Director, Payables, Travel, & Campus Partnerships
- Todd Adams, Director, Strategic Procurement
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New Wire Request Form IPPS Banking Services is excited to announce the launch of the new, fully online Wire Request form for payments to foreign suppliers (non-travel related). Departments can now input their requests directly into the online form instead of requesting a PDF!
Upgrading to an online form gives campus full visibility of wire request status to foreign suppliers (non-travel related) and streamlines the approval process for enhanced turnaround time. To ensure the request is routed properly for approval, departments are now required to input their Financial Unit Approver name directly into the request form. All of the other required fields remain the same. Completed, online requests are automatically routed to the Financial Unit Approver's Services & Support approval queue to be approved or rejected.
The Wire Request form (non-travel related) can be accessed securely using your Single Sign-On (SSO) within the Services & Support Budget & Finance portal. From the portal homepage click on Get Help & Request Service. You will be prompted to enter your SSO if you are not already logged on . From the Get Help menu, scroll down to Invoices & Payables and click on Wire Request (non-travel related) to open the form.
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Maximize Your Concur Experience with Mobile AppsUC San Diego employees are eligible for free access to both TripIt Pro (a $50 value) and Concur for Mobile!
TripIt Pro is the world’s leading itinerary management app – making it a snap to monitor, track, and share your travel plans so that you’re always in the know while on the go. Concur for Mobile is a simple and secure tool that lets you manage your expenses, travel, and invoices right from the palm of your hand. Both apps are only available via Concur’s App Center, located on your Concur home page.
To learn more about how these apps can work for you, sign up for one of our Concur Travel & Expense Live Training Courses. Search “Concur” in the UC Learning Center to browse the full schedule.
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| Procurement Card Cardholder Agreement Update
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Revised Cardholder Agreement Available for Immediate UseThe Procurement Card Team added new, required fields to the Procurement Card (P-Card) Cardholder Agreement to include the cardholder’s email, phone number, and UCPath employee ID. We have also included a line for the Department Administrator Name, signature, and email address. When requesting a new card via Concur be sure to submit the latest version of the Cardholder Agreement form and fill out all of the required fields to avoid delays in processing your request*.
Pro Tip: To ensure you are always using the most up-to-date version of the Cardholder Agreement form, download it from the 'Commonly Requested Forms' list published on the Procurement Card Blink page each time you submit a new cardholder request. If your department has stored copies of old agreement forms, we recommend deleting them from your devices.
* Please note that any missing information on the Cardholder Agreement form will cause the new card request to be sent back to complete any missing information.
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| IPPS In Support of Return to Learn
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 | Photo by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Communications
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Bringing COVID-19 Self-Test Kit Vending Machines to Campus
To expedite the launch of COVID-19 self-test kit vending machines on campus in time for the start of winter quarter, IPPS Procurement and Logistics teams worked together to identify an appropriate vending machine supplier, strategically work through contract negotiations (resulting in 14% savings off the original quote), scout and secure campus locations, and pivot Logistics resources to manage the program post launch.
To ensure the campus community has 24/7 access to free and easy COVID-19 testing, a team of 30 Logistics staff members manages the vending machine program 7 days a week. The team prepares over 2000 self-test kits each day and refills the 14 machines located across campus twice a day. The same team collects the test samples from drop boxes and delivers them to labs for processing 3 times a day. Leveraging UC San Diego’s robust supply chain operations in this way has contributed to the fast turnaround time for test results.
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 | Photo by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Communications
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In addition to maintaining the COVID-19 self-test kit vending machine program, the Logistics team also manages the collection of wastewater samples in support of Return to Learn. The crew was trained to safely collect the hazardous material from the wastewater machines and transport the samples to labs for testing. To ensure sampling happens 24/7, 365 days a year, Logistics onboarded 30 additional staff members, retrofitted 70 wastewater machines to be deployed, and added 8 golf carts and 5 vehicles to their distribution fleet.
Fun Fact: A 60 Minutes crew followed the Logistics team around campus to capture footage of the wastewater program and self-test kit vending machines for a segment about COVID-19 variants. The episode (S53 E26) aired on March 14th.
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| Consolidated Student Mail Strategy Brings Smart Lockers to Campus
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With an anticipated 7% yearly increase in student package volume over the next four years, IPPS Logistics, in collaboration with Procurement and IT Services, is evolving the current Student Mail experience to account for this growth.
Earlier this year Logistics Student Mail piloted 229 contactless smart locker banks and opened a new parcel center, The Trove, at Price Center West. The centralized parcel center and new locker system are part of a broader strategy to implement a consolidated Student Mail solution that transforms the student mail process into a holistic operation with advanced technology, increased safety, and expanded services levels.
The immediate success* of the smart lockers gave the team proof of concept to begin work on the next phase: extending the locker system to more locations to provide 24/7 access 365 days a year for parcel pickup. The future phases of consolidated Student Mail will expand service offerings and transform The Trove into a campus headquarters for all things Logistics. The team is already implementing plans to move the Mailing Center from the Campus Services Complex to The Trove at Price Center to share space and resources with Student Mail. Follow @UCSD_IPPS for updates.
*Although Student housing capacity is at 65% during COVID, Student Mail has experienced a 95% increase in package volume compared to last year and continues to see record-breaking package volume at the rate of 9K+ per month. The pilot locker bank with only 229 lockers accessible 30 hours/week accommodates current peak volume at a package turn rate of 2x per day!
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Got PPE? IPPS Logistics and Oracle Procurement maintain a fully-stocked PPE Store. Most items can be purchased via Oracle for delivery within 2 business days. Shoppers can search 'COVIDPPE' in Oracle to pull up a full list of available PPE items, add what they need to their cart, and checkout. It's that easy. Visit the PPE Store Blink page for details and guidance.
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Search 'COVIDPPE' in Oracle to pull up a full list of available PPE items.
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| Small Business Development Office
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Small Business First Program As part of UC San Diego's continued commitment to increase performance opportunities in our Supply Chain-led activities, we are planning to implement the UC-wide Small Business First program at UC San Diego.
Small Business First is a ‘set-aside’ program that increases contracting and procurement opportunities for certified Small Businesses (SB) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE) by using a streamlined quotation process.
Small Business First calls for all UC contracts and purchases between $10,000 and $250,000 to be awarded to an SB or DVBE, wherever applicable. To make an award, only one quote is required for purchases between $10,000 to $100,000, and only two quotes are required for purchases between $100,000 and $250,000.
More information about the Small Business First program can be found on the Small Business Development Office website. For questions please contact our team via Services & Support (Buying Goods & Services -> Small Business Development -> Small Business First Program General Support).
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Carbon Neutral Last MileIPPS Logistics is transforming its distribution fleet to be 100% electric. You may have spotted a few of the new electric vehicles around campus. Special thanks to University Communications and Public Affairs for designing the Carbon Neutral Last Mile campaign logo. Logistics' electric vehicles are the first to sport the new UCSD-branded artwork in support of campus sustainability initiatives.
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| Surplus Sales Items Featured in Netflix Series
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Fun FactThe crew from the new Netflix series ‘Selena’ purchased items from Surplus Sales to use as props and set dressing for the show. They picked up lamps, artwork, and a ton of AV equipment. Many of the items have been used as ‘hero props’ (props used by the actors) in key scenes – including the microphone used by Selena (played by Christian Serratos) during the famous performance of Como La Flor in the first episode. The show was shot primarily in Baja California. UCSD Surplus Sales provided a safe, cost-effective, and convenient way for the Selena crew to source props for the series. Go behind the scenes at Surplus Sales (video).
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| Campus Partnership Program
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Get Your Quote TodayUC San Diego employees can save up to 22% from MetLife Auto & Home by either calling 1-866-700-3113 or getting an online quote. Employee payroll deduction is an option for MetLife insurance products. For questions about the MetLife partnership, please contact the Campus Partnership Program team: cpp@ucsd.edu.
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Airbnb ExperiencesLooking for unique ways to host your next team building, celebration, or recognition event virtually? Consider the UC San Diego campus partner, Airbnb, and their Online Experiences
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Kathy MeadowsIt is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear friend and former colleague, Kathy Meadows. Kathy worked at UC San Diego for 43 years, spending all of it in procurement. For those that remember IFIS buyer and ship-to codes, you probably chatted with Kathy over the phone. She was affectionately known as the IFIS queen in procurement. Over the years she managed various systems and processes, but at the center of everything she did were her campus clients.
Her wit, wisdom, and style garnered many fans throughout campus and her retirement back in 2014 was felt by all. Several of her colleagues stayed in touch and were able to keep her spirits high in retirement. Kathy will be missed by many in procurement, but her impact on the organization continues to live on.
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Integrated Procure-to-Pay Solutions and Client Care in Support of World-Class Education and Research.
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