Other News
New Charter Bus Services Contract Awards (August 2024)
Effective August 1, new contracts recently have been awarded for Charter Bus Services for the following:
UK-2430-24A Blue Grass Tours
UK-2430-24B Gold Shield VIP Coach
UK-2430-24C Miller Transportation
These are the contracted providers for charter bus services and should be considered as first-source providers when obtaining quotes. Each contract was competitively solicited and awarded in compliance with Model Procurement Code requirements along with complying with University’s insurance requirements. Please be sure to use one of these awarded contracts when seeking quotes for charter bus services. Units can utilize their departmental procurement card for purchases from these providers for purchases < $5000. For purchases > $5000, units may submit an SRM free text shopping cart for request of a purchase order or a one-time Single-Limit Transaction increase on their departmental procurement card.
Note: Taylor Motors, a previous contract holder for charter bus services, did not receive an award and is no longer a preferred provider for these services.
Reminder: Requesting Changes or Additional Items to Existing Purchase Orders (August 2024)
As a reminder, please be sure any time that changes are needed to an existing purchase order to communicate those changes to the respective Procurement Services buyer in order to update the purchase order. If line-item changes or other items are added to the order via direct phone or email request with suppliers, invoice postings will encounter stoppages or blocks due to mismatched line-item data. Departmental Shoppers can find the responsible Procurement Services buyer directly on the purchase order within SAP or SRM. For convenience, change requests can also be sent to srmhelp@uky.edu for assistance and support.
Purchase of Alternative Fuel Vehicles (August 2024)
For departments that may be planning purchase of one or more vehicles in the coming months, please be aware of a state mandate requiring 50% of all new purchases to be for vehicles consuming alternative fuels. It is important that the University adhere to the state guidelines to support sustainability initiatives and ensure compliance with both state and federal laws and regulations. If you have questions regarding the mandate, purchase of alternative fuel vehicles, or vehicle purchase questions in general, please contact Ken Scott at Kenneth.scott@uky.edu.
New Updated Purchasing/AP Quick Reference Guide (August 2024)
The Purchasing/AP Quick Reference Guide on the Procurement Services website has been recently updated and modernized. The newly revised resource is designed to provide more convenience and ease of use when determining the correct order method for purchase of goods or services by their commodity type. To access the newly revised resource, login at the top right of our website using your linkblue ID and password. The link for the Purchasing/AP Quick Reference Guide can be found in the top portion of the home page below the news stories section.
Reminder: ServiceNow Software and Software Subscription Pre-Approval (March 2024)
ITS Cybersecurity, in partnership with Procurement Services, has onboarded a pre-purchase vetting and approval process for all departmental software and related software subscription purchases. This pre-purchase process is automated via the ServiceNow tool and allows both areas to review needed software purchases for matters such as potential data security risks, compliance risks, license redundancy, accessibility requirements, etc. Completion and approval of the Software and Subscription Licensing Form on the ServiceNow platform is required for all software purchases regardless of dollar value or applicable purchase method.
Note: No changes are applicable to the current process for software subscription review within UK HealthCare areas.
The direct link to the form can be found here. Upon accessing you may be prompted to sign into ServiceNow using your linkblue ID and password.
Questions regarding the new process or the ServiceNow form can be directed to ITS/Procurement Services via this email.
Additional related resource: Software Acquisition Form (applies to software purchases $10,000 or over)
A dedicated topic page which includes Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can be found here.
Enterprise Amazon Business Account (Updated February 2024)
With the migration for UK HealthCare Amazon purchases completed in August 2023, all departmental purchases of needed items from Amazon should now be transacted via the Enterprise Amazon Business Account within myUK Enterprise Services.
Departmental groups are arranged on the platform providing Approvers the ability to approve/reject orders for their individual area(s) as well as access to other functionality and analytics. Business Officers can use Amazon Business Analytics to view data regarding orders placed in their area(s), create and filter reports based on business needs, and view both charts and tables. Click to learn more.
Procurement oversight is also part of the order workflow. Departmental approvers (and Procurement Services, upon request) can add additional employees to groups allowing them to create orders. Access to the Enterprise Amazon Business Account requires an employee’s linkblue email for identification; if any employee (including Approvers) is currently using their linkblue email address for another Amazon account, an account conversion is required upon the first access to enter and use the platform for any role.
Important note for employees with an existing Amazon Business Account or Amazon.com account used for work purposes: If you are an employee having an existing departmental Amazon Business Account or Amazon.com account used for work purposes under an email other than your linkblue email address, please refrain from accessing the new Enterprise platform through myUK and contact amazon@l.uky.edu for migration assistance. A customized migration can be scheduled specifically for you. It is important that the person to whom the departmental account is registered not access the new platform before migrating to ensure their existing business account or Amazon.com account can be converted and migrated successfully.
In sourcing common operational goods, remember to use the University’s conventional contracted suppliers as first choice for product purchases. This includes Ariba Network e-catalog providers such as Dell, CDW, Grainger, B & H Photo, etc. with particular attention to those having exclusive contracts with the University, such as ODP Business Solutions for purchase of office supplies and VWR for laboratory/research purchases. The University Supply Center should also be considered a first source for provision of products available through their MRO (Maintenance/Repairs/Operations) product offerings. Remember to place any relevant comments during the checkout process from myUK Amazon Business providing cost comparison information or other rationale for the purchase from Amazon over primary contract providers, when applicable. Comments here can be condensed, if needed, with examples being: “Item not on contract”, “Checked contract vendor XXX and YYY; required item out of stock”, “Item available from contract vendor XXX but lead time does not meet my needs”, “Item available from contract vendor XXX but 50% less from Amazon”, etc.
Shipments of any orders to residential address(es) are not permitted unless the employee has a full-time telecommuting status supported by appropriate documentation at the departmental level. Product purchases for any employees having a hybrid working model must be shipped to a campus address for pickup.
An array of help materials and references are available for both Amazon Approvers and Shoppers. A dedicated course is available within myUK Learning entitled FAST Amazon Business. Any employee can access and take the course via myUK Learning on demand at any time. Simply locate and book the course by title and click Start. The course takes approximately 25 minutes to complete and includes interactive quizzes. Although optional, the course is recommended for both Amazon Shoppers and Approvers.
Available Learning Resources on the Procurement Services website include Dedicated Amazon Business General Information Page, Amazon Business Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Amazon Shoppers and Approvers help materials, account conversion steps, and more. If you are looking for a one-stop shop on all myUK Enterprise Amazon Business information, Section C of our Learning and Training Resources page has links to all available resources on the Procurement website regarding Amazon Business in a single section (login required).
Online web forms are also available for inquiry use on Amazon Business General Information and Request To Be Added to Departmental Group (login required).
A dedicated help email at amazon@l.uky.edu is available for inquiries or support requests.
Amazon Business Customer Support:
Departments should contact Amazon Business Customer Support after order placement if they need assistance or have inquiries related to delivery, shipping status, returns, pricing discrepancy, etc.
Shoppers can also check order status and request help directly within the Enterprise Amazon Business Account similar to navigating order status on an Amazon.com account via the Help menu item at the top of the Amazon Business landing page.
Contact Support:
- Provides end users the option to call, email, or live chat. Please use this method of contact for anything relating to an order, transaction, charge, or shipment.
- Dedicated U.S. based Business Customer Support can be reached a number of ways including email, chat, and phone.
- Phone: (888) 281-3847
- Delivery issues/package escalation:
- Email amzl-address-info@amazon.com or
- Phone (844) 370-7615
Reminder: Use Quotes Tools on SRM Ariba e-Catalogs
Most of the SRM Ariba e-catalog suppliers provide quote functionality on their platforms. This allows suppliers to create and load larger or customized quotes, upon request, and place them onto their e-catalogs for convenient ordering. SRM Ariba Shoppers can pull quote line items from a supplier’s e-catalog to transfer all items to a Shopping Cart for ease and convenience allowing the Shopper to navigate onward to checkout. This replaces the need for Shoppers to manually enter Free Text Shopping Carts.
Remember, e-catalog orders move through automated workflows and PO creation which expedite order placement more quickly; Free Text orders require manual processing among multiple parties in the transaction stream. Orders for any Ariba Network supplier should be performed on the network regardless of whether they are for catalog standard products or customized supplier quotes.
While most quote-to-cart processes on the e-catalogs are intuitive, step-by-step help guides are available on the Purchasing Division’s Learning and Training Resources Page, Section B for each supplier. E-catalog suppliers that commonly use quotes are VWR, Office Resources Inc., Life Technologies, Dell, etc.
Reminder: Remember to Log-in When Visiting the Purchasing Website
As a reminder, some portions of the Purchasing Division website are designed for and specific to the needs of University departments and not suitable for the public domain. Sign-in using your linkblue ID and password is required to access all available materials on the website. To do this, simply sign on at the top right of the page upon arrival and then navigate to the page or resource(s) needed. You can remain continuously signed in on the Purchasing website for easy access and convenience. There is no need to log off of the website.
Reminder: Learning and Training Resources Page on the Purchasing website
The Learning and Training Resource Page on the Purchasing Division website offers a number of help resources and materials related to technical aspects of most procurement transactions. The page consists of multiple sections, each dedicated to specific procurement transactions or roles such as SRM Ariba Shopper, Free Text Shopping Carts, Approvers, Goods Confirmers, SAP Requisitioner/Goods Receiver, Amazon Shopper, etc. More than 80 learning resources are available for departmental users for reference as they navigate procurement transactions. In addition, the Purchasing Division offers the following email support resources in the event that departmental users have questions or needs beyond the materials available on the Learning and Training Resources Page.
Technical and general support for procurement transactions: srmhelp@uky.edu
myUK Enterprise Amazon Business platform: amazon@l.uky.edu
SAP Vendor Master Data and PaymentWorks Vendor Onboarding: vendorhelp@l.uky.edu.
FAST Procurement Courses in myUK
In conjunction with the FAST (Finance and Administration Specialized Training) Program, four basic and introductory procurement courses are now available in myUK Learning. Any University employee can locate, book, and take the courses to learn more information on procurement basics and how to conduct purchase transactions on behalf of their area(s). Each course is approximately 30 minutes in length and has interactive quizzes. Courses are designed to assist employees new to purchasing for their area(s) or any person who would like to strengthen their understanding of University procurement processes.
- FAST Procurement Basics
- FAST How-To-Buy Part 1
- FAST How-To-Buy Part 2
- FAST Surplus Property
An additional course, FAST Amazon Business, is also available in myUK Learning as an overview course for using the Enterprise Amazon Business Account via myUK Enterprise Services.
In addition, Purchasing maintains a basic How-to-Buy information page on our website for departments to reference.
Reminder: Employee 8XXXXX Vendor Number Setup
Just a reminder when requests are needed to setup an employee (8XXXXX) vendor number for reimbursements, departments can use a dedicated online web form on the Purchasing website. The form is easy to use and simply requires your email address, name of employee, and the employee’s HR PERNER number. If needed, there is help guide available on the page to assist with determining an employee’s PERNER number. You can also submit multiple names and PERNER numbers in one submission by separating them with commas.
Note: Employees who are serving as research participants within the University should be established and paid via the employee 8XXXXX vendor number. Those individuals should not be processed through PaymentWorks for a vendor number which is reserved for parties external to the University only.
Available PPE items from UK Supply Center
The UK Supply Center currently has a significant supply of the following items available for departmental ordering:
- Lysol Spray
- Ear loop face masks (disposable and cloth)
- Wipes
- Nitrile gloves
- Hand sanitizer
Departments can order needed items through the UK Supply Center online catalog available through their page on the Purchasing website. Departments should consider utilizing the Supply Center for these items prior to sourcing similar items from external suppliers. Questions can be directed to the Supply Center through the contact information on their page.
Online Help Form for Office Supply Orders
Departments can now submit an online form for any question(s) relating to office supplies via the link below. This may include inquiries related to special quotes, substitute items, etc. When submitted, the form contents will send to Office Depot sales representative(s) and the appropriate Category Specialist(s) in Purchasing for response(s).
Reminder: Importance of Creating Timely Goods Confirmations
As a reminder for departments, please work to ensure SRM Goods Confirmations are created in a timely manner in order to show receipt of goods and services as they arrive in their respective areas. This is particularly important for high order volume suppliers such as VWR, Fisher, CDW, and Dell. Remember that payment is not released to suppliers until end-using areas create the system documents confirming goods and services have been physically received in satisfactory condition.