"The RPI Shopping Spotlight" - Special Edition for April 2024
The Procurement team is going on the road in May and June! Check out our Special Edition here and reach out if you're interested in hosting a 60-minute session in your department.
Procurement launches "The RPI Shopping Spotlight" quarterly newsletter! February 1, 2024
Coming to an inbox near you if you're an OSCAR user! Otherwise, please click here to check out our inaugural issue of our newsletter - meant to introduce, inform, and generate a smile!
Procurement Services to host 8th Annual Supplier Showcase, Thursday, December 7th, 2023 at the Alumni Sports & Recreation Center (the Armory)
Network with Rensselaer's key suppliers and the Procurement Services team! Win exciting raffle prizes from our suppliers! Enjoy festive refreshments provided by Rensselaer Dining Services!
Come looking sharp for Professional Head Shots by Something Once Photography, and be sure to stop by our Silly Snaps Photo Booth, sponsored by Repeat Business!
The 2023 Supplier Showcase is open to all faculty, staff, and students involved in the procurement process.
Where: Rensselaer Alumni Sports and Recreation Center, 1650 15th Street, Troy NY 12180
When: Thursday, December 7, 2023, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Amazon Business Training for RPI Users Monday, March 13, 2023, 2-3 p.m.
Please join us on Monday, March 13th at 2:00 p.m. for a training session presented by Amazon Business on how to use the new Punch-Out catalog.
Topics include: an end-to-end ordering demo, simple site navigation of the Amazon Business catalog, how to be a savvy shopper (filtering, ratings, product type, manufacturer, etc.), using the Custom Quote Engine, returns process, analytics on orders and shipments, Punch-Out nuances with AB (7-day lock period, cart modification consequences and safeguards), and open Q&A.
(Josh from Amazon Business will also join the Virtual Office Hour on Tuesday, March 14 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. to answer questions.)
Bring your questions! The March 13th session will be recorded. Visit the OSCAR Home Page for the meeting link.
RPI Account with Amazon Business
We are excited to announce that on Monday, March 6, 2023, we will be launching a new and efficient process for purchasing from Amazon Business (AB). On March 6, you will be given access to our AB account through the OSCAR Marketplace where you will punch-out to AB, shop, and transfer your cart back into OSCAR for approvals so that the PO can be electronically submitted to AB, fulfilled and shipped. Also on March 6, you will receive additional communication with the steps you will need to take to join the RPI AB account. Depending on whether your RPI email address is associated with Amazon today (either on Amazon.com or AB), you will be directed differently on how to join the RPI AB account.
Access to the RPI AB account is managed through Single Sign On (SSO). Instead of you having to remember a specific password for AB, access will be granted through our existing SSO platform. If you are already authenticated through SSO, you will not need to enter in credentials, however, if you are not authenticated through SSO, you will be required to login through SSO prior to entering the AB account.
In addition to the increased efficiency that this process provides, additional benefits of RPI’s central account include:
- Free 2-Day shipping on Prime-eligible items (learn more)
- Automatic tax-exempt purchasing on items sold by Amazon.com LLC and participating 3rd party sellers
- Access to millions of additional products, available only to Business customers
- Business-specific pricing, including quantity discounts on eligible items
- Access to a specialized Amazon Business Customer Service team
More detailed emails on this to come as we get closer to launch.
Procurement and Travel and Expense Improvements - February 28, 2023
We are happy to announce that members of the Faculty Senate, Research Community, Procurement Services, and the Division of Finance have been working together to find ways to streamline procurement. These initial changes have been accepted by President Schmidt and the Cabinet and are effective 2/28/2023.
- Allow for purchasing out of pocket under $2,500 without completing the Purchasing Exception Form. Faculty and staff can now purchase needed items without pre-approval and be reimbursed through Concur, assuming policies are followed, and OSCAR options are not available/viable. Certain exceptions will apply and can be found here. It is important to remember that expense reports must be submitted within 30 days of the purchase date on the receipt.
- Increase bid threshold from $5K to $10K. Increasing the bid threshold will decrease the amount of time spent on obtaining three quotes and completing Request for Single or Sole Source Justification forms for purchases under $10,000.
- Amazon Business implementation in OSCAR. Procurement Services will be implementing Amazon Business as a Punch-Out catalog in OSCAR, with some restrictions. The punch-out is expected to be live on March 6th. A series of emails will be sent beginning March 1st explaining the details.
- Improve awareness of Punch-Out process in OSCAR. The current online buying process in OSCAR can be an effective and efficient way to purchase with product delivery in 2-4 days. Awareness and training will be provided to faculty and staff to ensure that the process runs as efficiently as possible. To schedule a training, please enter a ticket in the Finance and Administrative Support site.
Additional details on the committee’s work can be found here.
The Division of Finance is also happy to announce that the receipt limit for travel purchases is being raised from $35 to $50. For purchases under $50 relating to travel, a receipt will no longer be required. Please note this is for TRAVEL ONLY. Receipts for all other purchases will continue to be required. Other travel and expense changes will be announced in the coming months.
Procurement Services to host 7th Annual Supplier Showcase, Thursday, December 8th, 2022 at the Alumni Sports & Recreation Center (the Armory)
Network with over 60 of Rensselaer's key suppliers and the Procurement Services team! Enter to win exciting raffle prizes from our suppliers! Enjoy the finest and festive refreshments provided by Rensselaer Dining Services!
The 2022 Supplier Showcase is open to all faculty, staff, and students involved in the procurement process.
Where: Rensselaer Alumni Sports and Recreation Center, 1650 15th Street, Troy NY 12180
When: Thursday, December 8, 2022, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Central Receiving for Shipments to the Troy Campus - as of August 22, 2022
Central Receiving will continue out of the Rensselaer Stockroom, located in the Service Building off Peoples Avenue at 11th Street, for shipments to the Troy campus, including Gurley, Chasan, and Proctor's buildings. OSCAR users should continue to use their appropriate Ship To code on all requisitions. Upon request, deliveries to Central Receiving will be delivered to the Troy campus buildings by Central Receiving personnel in accordance with this posted delivery schedule. Shipments to Central Receiving remain available for pickup upon receipt of email notification. Central Receiving hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please refer to the Central Receiving and Shipping Procedures for further information.
Department of Public Safety Returns to the Public Safety Building July 20, 2022
As of Wednesday, July 20, 2022, Rensselaer Public Safety will return to the Public Safety Building. Walk-in personnel (including suppliers and contractors) can utilize the main lobby to find a Desk Officer on a 24/7 basis. The Public Safety Building is located on 15th Street between Sage Ave and Bouton Road, and it is building #36 on the RPI Campus Map. Please park in the adjacent lot and walk to the front of the Public Safety Building for check-in.
PaymentWorks: Supplier Onboarding and Registration System - March 4, 2022
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has partnered with PaymentWorks® to streamline updates to current supplier information and new supplier onboarding. This platform will enable Rensselaer’s suppliers to electronically submit and self-maintain the information needed to do business with the Institute. Rensselaer has partnered with PaymentWorks as its supplier registration system.
The use of PaymentWorks mitigates the risk associated with manually collecting supplier information by eliminating the collection of documents through fax, email, or regular mail, and provides a secure repository for all of your information. It also provides a dashboard that will allow suppliers track the status of invoices submitted to Rensselaer for payment. Suppliers submit their identity and banking information through the secure PaymentWorks website, where it is automatically verified against third-party data sources.
For PaymentWorks Support for technical questions regarding the PaymentWorks website, suppliers may contact support@paymentworks.com for assistance.
Procurement Forms Update - July 12, 2021
Several of our Procurement forms have been updated recently. When the need arises to use one of our forms, please use the most current version which can be found on our website at procurement.rpi.edu/forms or on OSCAR under Helpful Links, Procurement Forms.
3N Document Destruction Update - May 6, 2021
3N Document Destruction’s typical delivery/pick up days are Monday and Wednesday. When placing an order please make sure your office is manned accordingly. If your office will not be manned during normal business hours (8AM-5PM) you are expected to call Debbie at 3N Document Destruction (518-877-4060) to let her know what your availability is. Thank you.
Questions can be directed to Justin Cross at crossj4@rpi.edu.
Rensselaer awarded 2020 Achievement of Excellence in Procurement
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Procurement Services Department and E-Business has been awarded the prestigious 25th Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement® (AEP) for 2020 from the National Procurement Institute, Inc. (NPI). The AEP Award is earned by public and non-profit agencies that demonstrate a commitment to procurement excellence. This annual program recognizes procurement organizations that embrace innovation, professionalism, productivity, leadership and e-procurement. This is the 14th year Rensselaer has received this award.
This prestigious award is earned by those organizations that demonstrate excellence by obtaining a high score based on standardized criteria. The applicant is required to highlight new initiatives, programs, and innovative practices over and above the accomplishments of the year prior in order to display continued organizational improvement and excellence.
For 2020, there were 188 successful applicants but only 15 in higher education, including Rensselaer. Additional information about NPI and the AEP Award can be found at https://www.npiconnection.org/about/index.asp
