Other News (Updated 5-18-23)

University of Kentucky Purchasing Changes Name to Procurement Services

The Purchasing Division will officially change to Procurement Services as of July 1, 2023! The new name better represents the wide range of services we provide the University as a whole and the strategic nature of what we do. “Purchasing” simply implies that we acquire items, whereas “Procurement” represents more of what we do which encompasses elements of the supply chain, spend management, strategic sourcing, tracking, cost analysis, automation, etc. The list goes on and on! For more information on what and how we do what we do, feel free to reach out to us at UKPurchasing@uky.edu for more information or explore the many resources on our website.

• Central Procurement
• HealthCare Procurement
• Construction Procurement
• Procurement Automation
• Supplier Diversity
• Surplus Property
• Supply Center

Update for SAP Vendor Master/PaymentWorks Role and myUK Tab Transition (Updated 5-18-23)

During the first half of 2023, significant progress has been made to improve resources and better manage access for SAP Vendor Master Data and PaymentWorks New Vendor Onboarding. All learning resources and learning guides relating to both topics have been revamped and modernized on the Purchasing Division’s Learning and Resource Page. To arrive at the page, simply visit the website and log in at the top right using your linkblue ID and password. Navigate to the Learning and Training Resources Page; SAP Vendor Master Data and PaymentWorks updated materials can be found within Section D.

Availability of two new courses in myUK required to retain the PaymentWorks tab is currently delayed until mid-summer to allow for completion and loading of the course content into myUK Learning. We hope to complete the needed course conversions in the coming weeks which will determine the revised cutover date. Current tab users will have a minimum of six weeks to complete the coursework from the point of loading into myUK Learning to retain the PaymentWorks tab. Updates will be provided via Purchasing listserv and website updates as well as direct emails to current PaymentWorks users once the materials are loaded. Questions regarding this or any vendor or PaymentWorks inquiry can be directed to vendorhelp@l.uky.edu.

Forthcoming Changes in PaymentWorks and Vendor Master Data Access (March 2023)

As a reminder, changes related to SAP Vendor Master Data and PaymentWorks access are planned during the coming weeks. Planned for implementation during the early to mid-summer, the PaymentWorks onboarding tab in myUK will transition from its current Open Access to that of Restricted like that of SRM Shopper, Goods Confirmer, etc. Specifically, access to the PaymentWorks tab to send onboarding invitations to new vendors will require completion of coursework in myUK Learning and assignment of a role. Employees currently using the PaymentWorks tab to send new vendor onboarding invitations will be required to complete two planned courses in myUK Learning to retain the PaymentWorks tab. As a general calendar of planned transition activities:

 

• April 6 – As part of the transition, all learning and reference materials on the Purchasing website related to searching SAP Vendor Master Data and PaymentWorks have been updated and modernized, providing a more substantial knowledge base for departments to use in their vendor search and onboarding activities. A new 60-item Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page is a component of the updated reference materials portfolio. Vendor Master Data/PaymentWorks reference materials, along with other Purchasing help guides, are protected content. Upon visiting the Purchasing home page, be sure to log in at the top right to reach all protected content. You can then navigate to the Learning and Training Resources page, section D to access the materials.
• Mid-May – Estimated planned availability of two-course Learning Series in myUK Learning for current users of SAP Vendor Master Data/PaymentWorks Onboarding. Both courses must be taken and passed successfully to retain the PaymentWorks tab in myUK after the implementation date. An SAP Access Request Form is not required for current PaymentWorks tab users provided the Learning Series coursework is completed and passed before the implementation date. The date of availability in myUK Learning will be published via listserv notice and our website as the time approaches.
• Mid-July – Estimated planned cutover for the new PaymentWorks tab in myUK. Current PaymentWorks users who successfully complete and pass the two-part myUK Learning Series coursework prior to the implementation date will retain the tab. The tab will be removed for employees who have not completed and passed the two-part coursework. The implementation date will be published via listserv notice and our website as the time approaches.
• Post-implementation – An SAP Access Request must be completed for any employees newly applying for the tab/role or any previous user of the PaymentWorks tab who did not complete the two-part Learning Series coursework prior to the cutover date.

Note: Some of the new website Learning Materials have content (e.g., alternate access for active vendor searches) which will not be available until after the cutover date planned for July.

Further information and progress, along with specific dates, on this initiative will be shared via our listserv and Purchasing website news in the coming weeks. Email vendorhelp@l.uky.edu if you have questions regarding these upcoming changes.

Availability of Dell Microsoft Software e-Catalog in Ariba

A new e-catalog is available in the SRM Ariba Shopping Cart platform for Dell Microsoft Software Ordering. The new e-catalog is only available for Microsoft products sold by Dell such as Visio and Project. All orders for Microsoft Products offered by Dell are transacted on the new dedicated e-catalog rather than the existing Dell e-catalog which houses hardware products only.

To transact a Microsoft software order with Dell, contact Chip Rahde, email edward.rahde@dell.com or Scott Laming, email scott.laming@dell.com to write and provide a quote; the quote will be loaded to the new Dell Microsoft Software e-catalog automatically. The new e-catalog transacts pre-written quotes only; Microsoft products are not available for browsing and checkout directly on the e-catalog.

To arrive at the new e-catalog upon landing on the Ariba Network, select View All Suppliers from the left menu. Selecting Dell from the results page will display two e-catalogs: the traditional e-catalog for Dell hardware products and the new Dell Microsoft Software e-catalog. The resultant page for the latter provides the direct link for the new Dell Microsoft Software e-catalog. Contact srmhelp@uky.edu for internal or technical questions if needed regarding the new e-catalog.

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.

Enterprise Amazon Business Orders via myUK

As a reminder, please be sure to list comments on any Amazon Business order for items of a Restricted (soft-blocked) nature. The comments box is located on the checkout page. Acceptable comments could include or be similar to these examples:

“Verified that item not on contract”

“Checked contract supplier(s) XXX and item out of stock”

“Vendor(s) XXX has item, but price is $X.XX compared to Amazon”

“Available from contract supplier XXX, but lead time does not meet need”

“Grant funded-exact item required not on contract”

It is important to ensure that purchases remain compliant with other University contracts, especially those having exclusivity such as ODP Business Solutions and VWR. Providing the needed comments regarding purchase of soft-blocked items from Amazon will help substantiate processing and prevent approval delays.

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

Reminder TIPS: PaymentWorks Approvals and SAP Vendor Master Data Searches

For staff sending and monitoring PaymentWorks invitations for new vendor onboarding, remember that the final step in the formal onboarding process will show as “Registration Approved” within your PaymentWorks dashboard. Once you see the status of “Registration Approved” in the PaymentWorks dashboard, vendor onboarding is complete and you should find the vendor number within your SAP Vendor Master Data (SAP T-code XK03) within one-half business day. For various reasons, PaymentWorks may or may not reflect the SAP Vendor Number in its console status bar. “Registration Approved” is the final formal step; the SAP Vendor Number will be available soon from the master data for use on the appropriate procurement transaction.

As a reminder, when searching for a given vendor in the SAP Vendor Master Data, be sure to use only the UK Vendor Search tab within the SAP T-code XK03. Use of any other tab will return incorrect results. Vendors available from the UK Vendor Search tab are the currently active and available vendors for use on a procurement transaction.

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.

ODP Business Solutions E-Catalog Orders: Good Confirmations and Office Depot Bookmarks

A new e-catalog connection for ODP Business Solutions (formerly Office Depot and now the parent company) was established in SRM Ariba Network on July 21. For orders placed on the new e-catalog from July 21 - 31, the requirement to create a Goods Confirmation was erroneously in place. A correction was made beginning with orders created August 1 going forward. As a result, there is a requirement to create Goods Confirmations on orders placed between July 21 and 31. Purchasing will notify the specific Shoppers creating ODP Business Solutions orders within this period via email to provide this information.

As a reminder, when ordering office supplies on the Ariba Network, be sure to navigate to the View All Suppliers listing and select ODP Business Solutions for ordering office supplies. If you have a previous bookmark for Office Depot on the Ariba Network, you can remove the older bookmark to prevent erroneous order placements and create a new bookmark for ODP Business Solutions for convenience. Any free text Shopping Carts going forward for office supplies should utilize vendor number 410126 for ODP Business Solutions. For questions and support, contact srmhelp@uky.edu.

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.