Research Enterprise Newsletter - February 2009: Procurement News
As your Research Procurement Team, our mission is to help the Research Community with contract negotiations and supplier management.
Training for employees
It's important for all lab employees to attend training on the eProcurement system. Each month there's a live training session that employees can attend. This training class is a great way to introduce anyone new in the lab to Procurement and will help them understand our ordering process. Sign up for the training class.
List of justifiable reasons for immediate PO#
Sometimes there are valid reasons to request a purchase order number from Procurement. The following common reasons include:
- Custom configured item from a supplier who only accepts the configuration through their website (ex: Custom Oligo)
- Emergency repair needed on a piece of equipment
- Sending a "emergency" sample out for analysis
In all cases, a completed requisition (including authorized signatures, complete cost center, etc) must be sent to Procurement prior to release of a Purchase Order number. The requisition could be either faxed to 322-4444 or scanned and emailed to your Purchasing Agent. Once you receive the PO number, write it on the requisition and send it to Procurement Services for processing.
For any Research procurement questions or if you need assistance, please contact your appropriate Purchasing Agent or send an email to Michael Jessing.
Guy Brown contract renewal
We are pleased to announce that after an extensive RFP process that incorporated the results of the office supply staff survey, Guy Brown has been awarded a renewed contract as our Office Supplies preferred supplier. The new contract term is 3 years with the option for 2 one-year extensions.
Their new contract pricing is lower than the prior contract and has been in effect since September. This means that you can expect to realize an average reduction in price of 25% over other retail outfits. Guy Brown remains our largest certified diversity supplier. You can also look forward to improvements to their eProcurement website soon.
eProcurement is the most effective way to place orders to Guy Brown and insure Vanderbilt reaches our volume commitment, as more volume allows for more leverage and lower prices for you. You can partner with Vanderbilt in reaching our volume commitment by:
- Viewing and using the supplier's website on eProcurement
- Conveying the information to your subordinates, colleagues, others, etc.
- Let us know if there's something stopping you from using Guy Brown or eProcurement
- Let us know if the products you need are not there
- Give us your feedback at any time on their products or service
Buying Used Equipment Versus New
During these tough economic times we're looking to make our University dollars go further. Buying used equipment versus new is a great way to s-t-r-e-t-c-h your Research dollars. There are several suppliers that sell general lab equipment (freezers, incubators, shakers, etc.) and some that sell specific technology (LC/MS, etc.) Either way, the Research Procurement team can offer you several websites to visit.
Next time you're looking at buying that piece of equipment for your lab; give a used piece a look, you may just be surprised how much money you will save while getting a quality piece.
FedEx Contract- 46% discount!
Procurement Services is extremely pleased to announce the new Fed Ex 5-year contract which can be used by any department not directly related to hospital patient care for discounts of approximately 46% off what we were previously paying (discounts are method and distance related). The new contract also waives the courier pickup charge and applies to international, domestic, and ground shipping. Fed Ex drop boxes are conveniently located throughout campus. For more information on the FedEx charges, please see our list of related rate charts.
To use this contract, you must have a Vanderbilt account number set up. If you do not already have one and would like to set up a Fed Ex account, please contact Sylvia Graham in Disbursement Services (343-2942).
For more information on this contract or supplier, please contact Bob Peabody, Sourcing Officer (322-2754). For assistance with purchases related to this contract, please contact Andrew Goodman, Purchasing Agent (322-2332).
Online Departmental Invoice Reports (DIR) and Departmental PO Copies available
The Office of Procurement & Disbursement Services is pleased to announce that all Departmental Invoice Reports (DIRs) and Departmental PO copies are now available online via Vanderbilt's InfoView. The electronic versions of these reports are easily refreshed with the latest information, are accessible 24 X 7, 365 days a year, and support the Sustain VU environmental initiative.
You have received this email because you hold one of several privileges that have been enabled to view procurement and disbursement information online. You will continue to receive hard-copy versions of the DIR and Departmental POs until April 6th, 2009. At that time, the only way to access this information will be through the online reports.
To maximize the benefit of this new delivery format, it will be important for you and your Department to revise your procedures for performing transaction reviews. The responsible person(s) should compare the online DIR to their online Departmental PO copy and their packing slip(s) to verify that all charges are appropriate and all goods and services are received. And, in the event of a discrepancy, contact the Purchasing Agent assigned to that PO.
More information will be coming your way prior to the April 6th deadline. You can find out more about training and accessing the new online reports by visiting vanderbilt.edu/procurement/reporting.
