Amazon Business is coming to campus! (Posted April 1, 2024)

RPI Procurement Services is delighted to announce that Amazon Business will be coming to campus on Wednesday, April 10th!

• Lunch & Learn
• April 10th 12-1PM
• Shelnutt Gallery – Rensselaer Union 3rd floor 

If you are interested in joining for lunch, RSVP to Nicole Rosenberger, Associate Director of Procurement Services, NOT LATER THAN Wednesday April 3rd end of business day runyon@rpi.edu / (518) 276-6104.  You must RSVP to be in the head count for lunch. 

If you are unable to attend the Lunch & Learn but would like the opportunity to meet with Amazon Business, RPI’s account representative Bryan Leopold will be in the Shelnutt Gallery in the Rensselaer Union until 2:30PM.  Please stop by and visit… there may be some giveaways!   

If you are unable to attend the Lunch & Learn but would like an opportunity to attend virtually at a later date, Amazon Business will be holding a virtual presentation on Thursday May 9th at 1:00PM.  More details to follow for that opportunity.   

Proper Account Codes for Water Services Rentals on Requisitions/POs - February 22, 2024 

As we transition our campus drinking water service from DS Services to either Pure Water Partners (Saratoga Pure Water) or Staples, please note that rental agreements with terms lasting longer than 1 year are required to be classified as leases. The current agreements with Pure Water Partners/Saratoga Pure Water are 5 years, and the water cooler rentals with Staples span 2-3 years. As such, even though small, these should be classified as leases. We'll need you to use Account 123 in the FOAPAL string so that Accounting & Financial Reporting can capture it and ensure it gets reflected appropriately in our records. 

Please pass this along to anyone in your departments that needs this information as well. 

Procurement Services is delighted to announce newly awarded contracts for your department’s drinking water needs.  Following a competitive solicitation and a campus survey in January 2024, RPI is contracting with Saratoga Pure Water Systems and Staples as a dual award. 

To help your department decide a path forward, please review the table below.   Please contact Michaela Dupuis NO LATER THAN Thursday February 29th  with your department’s purchasing decision.  In your communication, please include:

• Department name and contact information 
• Unit location (building and room #)
• Average monthly volume of water jugs, 

Procurement will send you detailed instructions for entering a requisition for the appropriate company.  

Effective immediately, Crystal Rock / DS Services will be retired from the OSCAR Marketplace.  All immediate needs for water while new accounts are set up for Saratoga Pure Water and Staples can still be placed on demand through the WB Mason PunchOut.  Please only order 1-2 bottles at a time from WB Mason as they need to be delivered by Central Receiving and do not qualify for supplier building delivery. 

Procurement Services and E-Business are continuing to clean up old purchase orders, encumbrances, and invoices from DS Services.  Please be patient as we actively continue this cleanup. 

Any coffee product needs can continue be ordered through OSCAR Marketplace suppliers including Amazon, ODP, and WB Mason. 

DS Services Deliveries Disruption - February 8, 2024

We have been informed that DS Services of America (Crystal Rock) has suspended delivery service from our local branch due to staffing issues. 

While we work on restoring the regular delivery service, we recommend that you place orders for 5-gallon jug water through the WB Mason PunchOut catalog in OSCAR. To assist our team in Central Receiving during this time, we kindly request that you limit your jug water orders to a maximum of 2 units of 5-gallon jug water per order. This will help us manage our resources more effectively and ensure that our team can keep campus deliveries on schedule.

If you would like to cancel any DS Services purchase orders that have been placed but not received, please enter a ticket to Procurement Services to cancel the purchase order and additionally email VIPCrystal@primowater.com to notify DS Services of your order cancellation.

We understand the importance of a reliable water supply for our campus community, and we are committed to resolving this issue as swiftly as possible. 

If you have any questions, concerns, or need assistance with placing orders through the WB Mason PunchOut catalog, please do not hesitate to reach out to our procurement team. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding during this temporary disruption.

In addition, Procurement Services is finalizing a permanent long-term solution with two new water providers which will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Invoice Processing Update – January 31, 2024

In an effort to improve the speed of invoice processing, Rensselaer has implemented a new Digital Mailroom (DMR) using Artificial Intelligence (AI) application to assist with processing Invoices. The AI tool was deployed on January 17th, 2024 and is actively ‘learning’ how to identify, interpret, and feed invoices to OSCAR.  Currently, we are in the teaching phase of the transition. Accounts Payable is reviewing each invoice to ensure the AI tool is working appropriately. We appreciate your patience during this transition and ask that you wait ten (10) business days before reaching out about an invoice you have not yet received in OSCAR.   Once the learning phase is completed invoices will appear in OSCAR 5-10 minutes after being received by the DMR.

Important reminders: 

• Most suppliers are on Net30 payment terms; please be aware of the invoice due date before declaring an urgent need to receive and process your invoice.
• Suppliers are responsible for sending invoices to the DMR, not campus.  If a supplier is sending you invoices via email or through the mail, please remind them they need to send them directly to the digital mailroom.  This ensures invoices are received, processed, and paid in a timely manner.
• The same invoice being submitted for processing multiple times will result in a delay.  Suppliers should send their invoices directly to the DMR to avoid delays.

We anticipate this process will dramatically speed up and appreciate your patience while we train the tool.  If you have any questions or concerns, please submit an Accounts Payable support ticket here. 

New Invoice Processing Partner – January 11, 2024

Rensselaer has implemented an Artificial Intelligence (AI) application to assist with processing invoices more efficiently and timely. The tool is called Autonomous AP provided by our AppZen® partner.  This tool will take the place of the Digital Mailroom (the DMR).

Starting on Wednesday January 17th, all invoices must be sent to rpi@appzen.ai for processing.  Invoices sent to the DMR after this date are subject to a processing delay. 

Suppliers received a communication informing them of this change. The Billing Address on our purchase orders will be changed to reflect this new address. This change will not affect how you process invoices in OSCAR. Suppliers are responsible for sending their invoices to AppZen for processing.

Orders, Invoices, and Payments ahead of Winter Break 2023

Procurement Services will continue to process non-catalog requisitions received by Procurement Services staff in OSCAR through Friday, December 22, 2023 and will resume operations on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.

Invoices in OSCAR should be fully approved for payment by the end of the day on Tuesday, December 19, 2023 to ensure payment is scheduled before January 2, 2024 (assuming the payment due date is 1/2/24 or earlier).  Accounts Payable will process any fully approved invoices received in its queue by December 19, 2023 before the Institute closes for Winter Break. 

Central Receiving and Chemical Receiving during Winter Break 2023

The Rensselaer Stockroom & Central Receiving in the Service Building will be open 8 AM – 4 PM during the four (4) designated Winter Break days (12/26, 12/27, 12/28, and 12/29).  The Stockroom will accept deliveries during this time and will be open for necessary pickups.  Due to limited staffing during break, no deliveries will be made.

Chemical Central Receiving in Cogswell 221 will not be open at all during Winter Break.  Deliveries will be temporarily rerouted to Central Receiving in the Service Building and stored until the Institute reopens on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.   Central Receiving staff will move temperature sensitive packages to the refrigerators and freezers, as necessary, in CBIS on a daily basis during winter break.  If you expect a chemical or biological delivery during Winter Break that requires special storage, please contact Blake Cimo before 12/20/2023 to coordinate.

If you have additional questions, please email stockroom_list-request@lists.rpi.edu.

Join us for the 2023 Supplier Showcase, presented by Procurement Services - Thursday, December 7, 2023

The Alumni Sports & Recreation Center (AS&RC)

11 AM – 2 PM

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!

Professional Headshots by Something Once Photography

Silly Snaps Photo Booth, sponsored by Repeat Business

The Supplier Showcase is open to all Faculty, Staff, and Students involved in the procurement process.

For immediate questions, please contact houghs2@rpi.edu.

“On-Campus Service Approval for New Suppliers” Special Approval No Longer Active - October 4, 2023

The “On-Campus Service Approval for New Suppliers” check box on the OSCAR requisition document (shopping cart and checkout) that had been located under “Internal Notes and Attachments” has been deactivated for all new requisitions, effective October 4, 2023. This approval is no longer required. 

“FastBuy” Order Process - August 2, 2023

As part of our continuing efforts to streamline processes and support cost containment, Procurement Services has launched a “FastBuy” order process for existing Blanket Order PO suppliers, non-catalog orders for Punch-Out suppliers, and small dollar high-volume suppliers. Requisitions to FastBuy suppliers will skip Procurement Services and go straight to the supplier following financial approval.

End users will be responsible for obtaining a quote for goods and/or services or obtaining pricing from the supplier’s contract page and then entering a requisition. A valid purchase order must be issued in OSCAR prior to any goods or services being rendered.  This process ensures the appropriate financial approvals are executed on Rensselaer’s behalf prior to the purchase.

For more information, please visit the FastBuy Order Process pamphlet in the Procure To Pay Reference Materials section of the OSCAR Home page. 

Questions should go through the Finance and Administrative Support portal.

Laptop Inventory Available through DotCIO - April 4, 2023

The Mobile Computing Program has laptop inventory available for departments to purchase for faculty and staff use.  We currently have both the T14s at $1,103.50 and the P1s at $2,486.50 available. The price is discounted as approximately 7 months of the 48-month warranty has passed.  You can find the specs on rpi.edu/laptops.  If your department would like to purchase one, please submit a request at https://itssc.rpi.edu/ including quantity of each model and FOAPAL.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Research Administration Town Hall - January 30, 2023 

On Wednesday February 8th from 9am to 11am Research Administration Finance (RAF) will be hosting a Research Administration Town Hall in the CBIS Auditorium. Presentations will be made by RAF staff, Research Compliance and Legal, and Procurement/E-Business with time for questions and answers. Discussion of future monthly Research Administration Community meetings will also be introduced

BIP Supplier Information - January 26, 2023

RPI has agreements with certain suppliers to pay them within 15 days of the invoice date.  These suppliers are known as “BIP Suppliers” which stands for Buyer Initiated Payment.  BIP Suppliers are identified by a yellow star appearing next to their name:

It is critically important to process/pay invoices for BIP Suppliers ASAP so that RPI holds up to our agreed upon payment terms.

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.

Creative Services Special Approval Reminder - July 26, 2022

The Division of Strategic Communications and External Relations, through Creative Services, is responsible for the review and approval of all purchase requests for promotional products or creative services, including, but not limited to, printing, video, design, and/or photography services. The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Brand in Action guide details the Institute’s communications and marketing standards. It provides the framework for the use of consistent messaging to promulgate relevant and meaningful accomplishments, innovations, and expertise. The guide is intended to support all portfolios and people engaged in all aspects of communication regarding the Institute. All purchase requests for promotional products or creative services, including but not limited to, printing, video, design, and/or photography services must be approved by the Department of Creative Services prior to the issuance of a purchase order.

Xerox Corporation - New Account Manager - July 25, 2022
Procurement Services would like to announce that Xerox Corporation has assigned Derek Levisay, Regional Manager-Albany/Hudson Valley as our new account manager.  Derek can be reached at derek.levisay@xerox.com or at 315-720-0356. 

Suspension of Additional Cost Containment Approvals; On-Site Approval of New Suppliers Still Required - July 14, 2022

On Monday, July 18th, the additional approvals that were required for cost containment purposes on requisitions and invoices will be discontinued.  However, on-campus safety approvals for new suppliers will continue.

For all requisitions for new suppliers that will need to come on-campus, a Request for On-Campus Service Approval form will need to be completed and attached to the requisition or invoice (if approvals were not obtained at the requisition step).  This approval is required for all new suppliers coming on campus, including new independent contractors, new consultants, new service suppliers and new product-related suppliers that perform a service on the product.

The submitter of the requisition or invoice will need to also select the “On-Campus Service Approval” Special Approver box.  By selecting this box, the requisition will route to the Administration Division for approval.  The paper form no longer needs to be signed.  The proof of approval will be reflected in the workflow in the “What’s Next” section of the requisition/invoice.

All suppliers will continue to check in at Public Safety upon arrival to the Troy campus, with a Campus Clearance Pass, per the “COVID-19 Health Assessment Questionnaire & Clearance Pass – On-Campus Approval for Suppliers” (see Procurement’s website, under “Forms”).

AIRGAS UPDATE - June 21, 2022

When placing an order with Airgas please make sure the following info is in the vendor external notes:
 
Building
Room (where delivery goes)
Name of contact
Phone number (cell) of contact 
Specific info (anything the driver may need to know about this delivery)
 
Questions can be directed to Justin Cross at crossj4@rpi.edu or x3265.

OFFICE DEPOT UPDATE - May 3, 2022

Effective May 1, 2022, Office Depot is reemerging as a B2B-dedicated organization with a new name – ODP Business Solutions.  With the launch of their new brand, the punch-out will be refreshed with their new name.  The look and feel will remain the same.

3N Document Destruction BOPO Requisitions - March 31, 2022

When submitting a requisition for 3N Document Destruction, make sure your item description contains the bin size and the name of your department.  Also, you will need to list different size bins as separate line items. 
For example:
Line item #1, Pick up and replace, 68 gallon bin for Procurement Services, 1 each @ $25.00 Line item #2, Pick up and replace, 95 gallon bins for VP Institute Advancement, 3 each @ $30.00
There is no charge for dropping off empty bins.  If you need empty bins, list the size and name of the department with a $0.00 amount.
 By entering the detailed information this will expedite service and follow up emails to Procurement Services from 3N Document Destruction.  Please reach out to Justin Cross at crossj4@rpi.edu or at 3265 with any questions.   
 

New Waste & Recycling Company on Board April 1, 2022 - March 31, 2022

Advisement to the Campus Community – Rensselaer is excited to announce a newly awarded relationship with Casella.  Rensselaer is currently in the process of transitioning from County Waste to Casella.  You may see both suppliers servicing campus until the transition is complete at the end of this fiscal year (June 30, 2022).  We appreciate your patience during this large transition.  If there are any questions, comments, or concerns please enter a FIXX ticket.


Grainger - March 31, 2022

Rensselaer recently renewed a Master Agreement with Grainger.  Grainger is Rensselaer’s preferred supplier for maintenance, repair, and operations products including tools and hardware.  For additional details regarding the Grainger relationship, please visit the Procurement Services website and reference the Grainger Master Agreement page.  Note, Rensselaer has a new account manager.  For any questions or assistance please contact Jeffrey Jones 518-649-7749 (cell) jeffrey.jones@grainger.com or Nicole Rosenberger in Procurement Services at x6104 runyon@rpi.edu.    
 

Rensselaer PPE & Cleaning Suppliers Reminders - January 18, 2022

FACE COVERINGS - The central supply and distribution of the face coverings continues to be managed by the Division of Human Resources, Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management.  The current policy of Rensselaer is that face coverings will be distributed accordingly through each portfolio’s designated PPE coordinator.  Please work with your designated portfolio coordinator if you have questions.  Departments should not need to procure face coverings outside of this current policy.
NITRILE GLOVES – Rensselaer purchased nitrile gloves from three of the Institute’s preferred suppliers to make available to the Rensselaer community. You may place orders through two (2) locations on campus, the Cogswell Chemistry Stockroom (Cogswell Room 219) or the Service Building Central Stockroom (Peoples Avenue and 11th Street, adjacent to the Service Building) using each location's specific purchase request form.
Pricing is $16.70 per box of 100 gloves.  Current sizes available are S, M, and XL.  The Stockroom is no longer carrying size L.  For size L, please order through OSCAR per the standard procurement process. 
Please note there are two different request forms based on where you order your gloves.  Both forms, as well as the "Nitrile Glove Purchase Procedure Fall 2021", are available under the "Forms" page of the Procurement Services website found here.
When ordering from either location, please select quantities that are intended to cover no more than a 3-week supply for your lab.  Large orders for excessive quantities will be flagged for review and potentially canceled.  Order only what your area needs at this time.  If for any reason you need an exception for your order, please email Stockroom_list@lists.rpi.edu in advance of placing your order.
CLEANING SUPPLIES – The central supply and distribution of cleaning supplies for offices and classrooms continues to be managed by Environmental & Site Services.  For any cleaning supply needs, please enter a FIXX request.
 

Available Laptop Computers - January 13, 2022

Rensselaer has an inventory of new laptop computers that will be made available for departmental purchases through the Campus Collegiate Store for a limited time.  The laptop systems are the Mobile Computing Program specification and are available in three models, Lenovo T14s, P14s and P1.  For more information on the specifications, see https://info.rpi.edu/mobile-computing-program/laptop-choices.  As you are aware, technology continues to suffer from supply chain constraints resulting in long lead times and higher than usual costs.  These systems are currently recommended by DotCIO for most campus needs and provide very good value based on a competitive bidding process.  If you have questions about the appropriateness of these systems for your particular needs, please contact IT by submitting a support request at https://dotcio.rpi.edu/get-help.   If you are interested in purchasing one of these systems for your department, please contact Mike Halabuda m.halabuda@follett.com by February 1st.  Depending on interest and availability we may extend this deadline. 

Winter Break - Central Receiving/Chemical Receiving - December 13, 2021

The Rensselaer Stockroom in the Service Building (Central Receiving) will be open 8 AM – 4 PM during the three (3) designated Winter Break days (12/28, 12/29, and 12/30).  The Stockroom will accept deliveries during this time and will be open for necessary pickups.  Due to limited staffing during break, no deliveries will be made.
 
Chemical Central Receiving in Cogswell 221 will not be open at all during Winter Break.  Deliveries will be temporarily rerouted to the Central Receiving Stockroom in the Service Building and stored until the Institute reopens on Monday, January 3, 2022.  Chemical Receiving staff will retrieve chemical and biological packages on January 3 for campus delivery.  The Central Receiving Stockroom can accommodate temperature-controlled packages to 0 degrees Celsius.  If you expect a chemical or biological delivery during Winter Break that requires special storage, please contact Blake Cimo before 12/22/2021 to coordinate.
 
If you have additional questions, please email stockroom_list-request@lists.rpi.edu.
 
 

Office Depot - New Account Manager - November 17, 2021

Procurement Services would like to announce that Office Depot has re-assigned Sheri Huff as our Major Account Manager.  Sheri can be reached at Sheri.Huff@OfficeDepot.com or at 518.222.6923.  You can also reach out to our assigned service consultant Kathy Ahern at Kathy.Ahern@OfficeDepot.com for any ordering questions.  All other questions can be directed to the Strategic Sourcing Manager, Justin Cross at crossj4@rpi.edu. 

National Gift Card Name Changed to NGC – March 8, 2021
 
Effective immediately National Gift Card has changed their name to NGC and their supplier number to 831107610.  NGC no longer carries American Express gift cards.  Please visit their website at www.ngc-group.com for the most up to date information.   

Questions can be directed to Sarah Hough, Sourcing Agent, at houghs2@rpi.edu or 8692. 

Nitrile Gloves - January 14, 2021

Rensselaer purchased a large quantity of nitrile gloves from three of the Institute’s preferred suppliers to make available to the Rensselaer community beginning in September 2020.  If you or your department needs nitrile gloves, please purchase them from the supply on campus rather than ordering separate stock through OSCAR.

You may place orders through two (2) locations on campus, the Cogswell Chemistry Stockroom (Cogswell Room 219) or the Service Building Central Stockroom (Peoples Avenue and 11th Street, adjacent to the Service Building) using each location's specific purchase request form.

Pricing is $14.40 per box of 100 gloves.  Sizes S, M, L, and XL. 

Please note there are two different request forms based on where you order your gloves.  Both forms, as well as the "Nitrile Glove Purchase Procedure FY 2021", are available under the "Forms" page of the Procurement Services website.

When ordering from either location, please select quantities that are intended to cover no more than a 3-week supply for your lab.  Large orders for excessive quantities will be flagged for review and potentially canceled.  Order only what your area needs at this time.  If for any reason you need an exception for your order, please email Stockroom_list@lists.rpi.edu in advance of placing your order.

Reminder to provide a quantity receipt on your vPay PO’s. - September 24, 2020

If you have a vPay PO, please remember to provide a quantity receipt.  Information on how to receipt your vPayPO can be found under the Training & Reference Materials link in Oscar, vPay Reference Materials, VPayment Process Current, starting at the bottom of page 2.

Nitrile Gloves - September 16, 2020

Rensselaer has purchased a large quantity of nitrile gloves from three of the Institute’s preferred suppliers to make available to the Rensselaer community during the Fall semester 2020.  You may place orders through two (2) locations on campus, the Cogswell Chemistry Stockroom (Cogswell Room 219) or the Service Building Central Stockroom (Peoples Avenue and 11th Street, adjacent to the Service Building) using each location's specific purchase request form.

Pricing is $14.40 per box of 100 gloves.  Sizes S, M, L, and XL.

Please note there are two different request forms based on where you order your gloves.  Both forms, as well as the "Nitrile Glove Purchase Procedure Fall 2020", are available under the "Forms" page of the Procurement Services website.

When ordering from either location, please select quantities that are intended to cover no more than a 3-week supply for your lab.  Large orders for excessive quantities will be flagged for review and potentially canceled.  Order only what your area needs at this time.  If for any reason you need an exception for your order, please email Stockroom_list@lists.rpi.edu in advance of placing your order.

Rensselaer Recommended Laptops and Desktops through CDWG - August 10, 2020
 
Procurement Services and DotCIO are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative to provide recommended laptops and desktops to our faculty and staff with a streamlined procurement process through our strategic partner CDW-G.  The computer systems represent great options for most faculty and staff traditional workloads and include options from two Gartner leaders and strategic partners of Rensselaer,  Dell and Lenovo.  In addition, they include premier support services and enable our IT staff to quickly deploy and offer the most effective support services.
 
These systems can be found via the CDW-G punch-out in OSCAR on the menu to the left.  In addition, non-OSCAR users can view the systems by visiting https://www.cdwg.com/rpi.
 
Our commitment is to continue to evaluate the best partners, products and specifications for our campus and keep this portal updated.  In addition, we plan to work with CDW-G to improve the capabilities over time including maintaining inventory of our configurations to provide the fastest possible fulfillment.
 
Questions regarding ordering should be directed to Bob McGrath, Account Manager-Higher Ed at bobmcgr@cdwg.com and questions regarding selection or configurations should be directed to the IT Services and Support Center, by visiting https://support.rpi.edu.  All other questions, please reach out to Strategic Sourcing Manager, Nicole Rosenberger at runyon@rpi.edu or 6104.

CLEANING ON CAMPUS – CONTRACTED DAIGLE CLEANING SERVICES - September 14, 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a contract has been established to provide cleaning services in all Academic, Administrative and Athletic buildings.  There will be Daigle Cleaning Services staff on campus during Institute hours to ensure hand sanitizer stations and supply are full and high-touch points are cleaned/disinfected.  Daigle Cleaning Services staff will complete routine cleaning of campus buildings after normal business hours including the following spaces: classrooms, bathrooms, common spaces, elevators, hallways.  At this time, Daigle Cleaning Services will not be cleaning private offices.  We ask that you leave your trash outside of your office door, in the hallway, and it will be emptied on a daily basis.  Once base line operations are established, we will identify building/office needs and re-evaluate our plan for each area.  If there are any questions, concerns or issues please contact RPI Facilities Customer Service Center (https://info.rpi.edu/facilities-management/fixx).  For additional information, please reference the RPI Procurement Services website (https://procurement.rpi.edu/announcements/distribution-ppe-and-cleaning-supplies-updates) or contact Mike Johnson, Supervisor with the Environmental and Site Services department, at 518-276-6691 or johnsm5@rpi.edu .  Thank you for your cooperation during this service transition.

Office Depot Announces new Account Manager - August 3, 2020
 
Procurement Services would like to announce that Office Depot has realigned their territories effective immediately.  Rensselaer’s account will transition to Mark Lanty, Account Manager.  Mark Lanty has been in the Office Products industry for 28 years.  Please reach out to Mark at Mark.Lanty@OfficeDepot.com or at 315.431.9648 (office) or 315.491.7077 (cell) for any ordering questions.  All other questions can be directed to the Strategic Sourcing Managers, Linda Cook at cookl@rpi.edu or Kim Ragosta at ragosk@rpi.edu.

Face Coverings, COVID Signage and Cleaning/Disinfecting Supplies- June 25, 2020       
 
When Rensselaer’s Return to Campus is authorized, the Institute will be centrally supplying face coverings in the form of cloth face coverings, disposal medical masks, face shields, and flame-resistant masks (for individuals working in campus laboratories) for faculty, staff and students. Procurement Services has purchased a large quantity of face coverings and masks for use during the fall semester.  Individual departments should not order or purchase any face coverings independent of the central supply.  The central supply and distribution of the face coverings will be managed by the Division of Human Resources, Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management through each portfolio. The ordering of laboratory specific PPE will continue to be the responsibility of each department.
 
Rensselaer is also centrally managing an Institute-wide COVID-19 signage program through the Division of Administration.  The Administration Division will provide and install standard COVID related signage and circulation graphics where required throughout the campus. Individual departments should not order or purchase COVID-related signage. Any department with a program-specific need for customized COVID signage should contact Procurement Services. 
 
In addition, the purchase and distribution of supplies for the cleaning and disinfecting of personal workspaces and laboratories throughout the campus will be centralized through the Department of Environmental and Site Services. 
 
 

Special Approver Workflow Update - June 4, 2020

Over the next 2 weeks, E-Business, Finance, and Procurement will be making some updates to how Special Approvers are selected on the Requisition form in OSCAR.  The majority of the current check boxes are being removed and replaced by automatic workflow rules based on the FOAPAL elements selected for the requisition.  The Creative Services, Capital Review, and Services – Insurance Required special approvers will continue as check boxes.
 
Currently, when a requisition requires review by a special approver (e.g. Independent Contractor, Lab Animals, Asset Management, etc.), Requestors must manually select the appropriate check box to route the requisition to the special approver.  After the update, requisitions will automatically route to the appropriate special approver based on information already present on the requisition.  Account Code, Commodity Code, and Supplier Class will all be used as triggers for the new automatic workflow rules.
 
A spreadsheet detailing which Requisition form elements will trigger the automatic workflow rules for the various special approvers can be found here.

Package and Mail Services Reminder - April 29, 2020
 
All packages ordered through OSCAR and shipped to Troy Campus Ship To addresses continue to be available for pick up at the Rensselaer Stockroom, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Please have your PO and/or tracking number ready to provide to the staff.  If you will not be available to pick up packages you expect to receive, please email Stockroom_list@lists.rpi.edu and provide the name of the designee who can do so on your or your department’s behalf.  If you have any questions, please contact Stockroom_list@lists.rpi.edu.
 
Rensselaer Mail Services continues to operate out of the 1st floor of the J Building, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  If you are a Rensselaer employee and require Mail Services to hold your mail, please contact mailsvs-l@lists.rpi.edu. 
 
Social distancing protocols are in place at both facilities.  No appointment is necessary.  If you need assistance bringing packages to your vehicle, help will be available.

CMPS MULTI-MEDIA MARKETING UPDATE – April 8, 2020

CMPS  one of the Institute’s preferred Master Agreement and suppliers of mailing services has recently sold their business to Glenn Read Enterprises dba Allegra Marketing Print Mail Albany.  Effective immediately, CMPS’s Master Agreement is terminated.  Mailing services can still be obtained from our other Master Agreement suppliers, Sentron Associates and PJ Green.

Please direct questions to Linda Cook, Strategic Sourcing Manager at cookl@rpi.edu.

B&H Closing for Holiday- April 6, 2020

As B&H prepares to celebrate Passover, the B&H family is grateful and appreciative of your support and patience. B&H will continue to make working- and learning-at-home solutions available—as well as other technology essentials that are so important at a time like this—until their annual holiday closing.
You may continue to order through the B&H PunchOut catalog through April 7th at 7am.  Orders received after this time will not ship before April 17th, 2020.
Rensselaer‘s B&H PunchOut will continue to remain fully operational.  Please note that any orders received after April 7th at 7am will not ship before April 17th.  Items that are out of stock will also not be shipped until after the holiday closing.
Please contact Strategic Sourcing Manager, Kim Ragosta at ragosk@rpi.edu with any questions.

How To Order Adobe Products - March 25, 2020

Adobe has recently changed most of their software from perpetual to annual subscription-based licensing.  In order to accommodate this change, Rensselaer is moving all adobe products to Adobe’s Value Incentive Plan (VIP) which will be linked with your business portfolio. You can reference the document here when ordering Adobe products.

2/11/2020 - Helpful links now in Box

Effective February 10, 2020, our “Helpful Links” materials in OSCAR have migrated from the Procurement Services’ website into Box@RPI. You will need to login to your Rensselaer Box account with your RCS ID and password to access these links. Once you are logged into Box, you will be able to view and download the documents associated with our “Helpful Links”. If you do not yet have a Box account, please visit the Rensselaer IT Services and Support Center at www.itssc.rpi.edu and register for a Box@RPI account.

1/8/2020 Multi-Year Equipment Lease Procedures

Procurement Services has implemented new requisition procedures for multi-year equipment leases. When submitting a requisition for a multi-year equipment lease please follow the procedures here. These procedures are applicable whether it is a new lease or a renewal of an existing lease. As previously required, the lease Special Approver will need to be checked on the requisition, as well as, any other applicable Special Approvers. Questions can be directed to Linda Cook at cookl@rpi.edu or x2156 or Procurement_Support@rpi.edu.

12/13/2019 Important Winter Break Reminders

Orders & Deliveries
The Institute will close for winter break on Friday, December 20, 2019 and re-open on Thursday, January 2, 2020. During that time, no deliveries will be made. We have told our carriers (primarily UPS and FedEx) to hold all deliveries during this time.
Please be aware of lead-time on items from your suppliers and look to limit anything arriving during that time, especially if anything could perish.
Deliveries will resume on Thursday, January 2nd.

Payments
For any payments needed prior to winter break, approvals must be completed by close of business on Tuesday, December 17th
 

11/19/2019 DS Services & Home Depot Updates

DS Services has updated its Keurig K-cup product selection. Some products have been discontinued and new product added. The updated catalog can be accessed at: https://www.rpi.edu/dept/purchasing/DS_Services_Catalog_11-19-19.xlsx Questions can be directed to Linda Cook at cookl@rpi.edu or x2156.

Procurement Services is pleased to announce the launch of Home Depot/Supply Works in the OSCAR Marketplace. Home Depot’s PunchOut catalog is listed in the MRO/Facilities, Safety Supplies category. Contract offerings include the following categories: hardware & tools, facilities maintenance, appliances, and more! All Home Depot orders must be placed via the OSCAR Marketplace PunchOut catalog. No in-store ordering or pickup are included in this contract at this time. If you have any questions about ordering, please contact Nicole Runyon, Strategic Sourcing Manager, at runyon@rpi.edu or x6104. For any product related inquiries, please contact Home Depot / Supply Works account representative Jayson Salmon at Jayson.Salmon@supplyworks.com.

11/11/2019 BSN Sale

EMPLOYEE ONLY SALE!!!

BSN Sports, preferred athletic apparel and equipment supplier, would like to show their appreciation to Rensselaer employees and are offering a 7-day sale of 50% off Nike brand footwear and apparel through the BSN Sports website. This is for Rensselaer employees ONLY. To take advantage of this offer, please go to www.bsnsports.com and use promo code “RPI” for the discount. The sale runs 11/9/19-11/18/19. Don’t miss out!

10/30/2019 WB Mason Announcement

WB Mason Announcement Procurement Services is pleased to announce the launch of WB Mason in the OSCAR Marketplace! WB Mason’s PunchOut catalog is listed in the MRO/Facilities, Safety Supplies category. Contract offerings include the following categories: breakroom items, facilities maintenance, and miscellaneous cleaning supplies. You may notice some categories appear to have zero items listed in them and that is because those categories are currently being purchased via another exclusive supplier partnership. If you have any questions about ordering, please contact Nicole Runyon, Strategic Sourcing Manager, at runyon@rpi.edu or x6104. For any product related inquiries, please contact WB Mason account representative Andrew Ek, at Andrew.Ek@wbmason.com.

10/24/2019 4imprint Update

The 4imprint PunchOut catalog in the Rensselaer Marketplace has been enabled for a few months, this update is to provide you with how 4imprint processes our purchase orders. A collegiate team of 20 people handle the purchase orders placed through OSCAR. Once they receive our purchase order, it is picked up by a collegiate team member and the collegiate team member sends a confirmation email to the end user. This collegiate team member will be your contact throughout the process. If you do not receive a confirmation email within 24 hours please reach out to Procurement Support at Procurement_Support@rpi.edu All other questions can be directed to Linda Cook at cookl@rpi.edu

10/11/2019 Work Order Error

Effective today, Friday October 11th, the Work Order Error has been corrected. Invoices created before this date may need to be corrected. Please see Work Order Error Correction for instructions on how to resolve the error on older invoices. Invoices created after this date should not need to be corrected. If you find an invoice after the correction date, please comment to invoices@rpi.edu. Thank you. The Work Order error will generate the following error message on the invoice in Oscar Errors: Values have been overridden for the line Values have been overridden for this line: Work Order No. (Line 2) The Work Order No. field is seeking a value to be entered on the invoice. The information entered should match the Work Order No. field from the PO. In most cases, entering NA or N/A will correct the error in Oscar. If NA or N/A does not correct the errors, contact Procurement_Support.rpi.edu and they can assist.

9/6/2019 Dupli Update

Dupli Update Dupli now offers quote to punch-out functionality. All non-punch-out orders should be placed through the punch-out utilizing this process. For more information, please visit the Dupli Contract Page under Rensselaer Preferred and Marketplace Suppliers here. Questions can be directed to Linda Cook at cookl@rpi.edu

2/27/2018 vPay Requisitions:

All vPay requisitions require a formal “all-in” quote from the supplier.  A formal “all-in” quote contains line item detail, pricing, shipping and handling charges, etc.  Please note a screenshot is not an acceptable form of a formal “all-in” quote.  If you obtain shipping and handling charges from any source other than a quote, please provide documentation. Please see a copy of an acceptable "all-in" quote  here .  Your requisition will be returned if one is not provided.  For additional information on the vPay program, please see the document  here.

Important Year End Reminders:

Orders & Deliveries:
The Institution will close on Friday December 21st and re-open on Wednesday January 2nd.  During that time, no deliveries will be made.  We have told our carriers (primarily UPS and FedEx) to hold all deliveries during this time. 

Please be aware of lead times on items from your suppliers and look to limit anything arriving during that time, especially if anything could perish.

Deliveries will resume on Wednesday January 2nd.

Payments:
For any payments needed prior to the Holiday Break, approvals must be completed by close of business on Tuesday, December 18th.

Update on Transportation Services Master Agreements:

Procurement Services has awarded new 3-year Master Agreements for Transportation Services to the following preferred suppliers:

• Yankee Trails (coaches, charters)
• Northeast Shuttle (shuttle buses)
• Premiere Transportation (limo/car service)
• Durham School Services (school buses)

Please contact these suppliers for your transportation needs.  Each supplier has provided Rensselaer with the automobile insurance necessary to do business with the Institute.  If one of the preferred suppliers cannot meet your need, please contact Procurement Services to identify certified alternatives. 

For additional information, please reference the Contract Page for each supplier.  Please contact Nicole Runyon at  runyon@rpi.edu with any questions.

Web Accessibility:

Rensselaer is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities have equal access to information, programs, and activities through its information technologies, web pages, web-based applications, operating system-based applications, online instructional content, services, and resources (“electronic information technology” or “EIT”) for all its constituencies.  Rensselaer has adopted widely accepted international and national accessibility standards and guidelines in order to ensure compliance with its commitment and to federal laws and regulations.  The Institute’s Web Accessibility Policy applies to all official Institute electronic and information technology (EIT) used to conduct core Institute academic and business activities.  This includes all such webpages regardless of where hosted, by whom they were developed, nor whether they are found within the Rensselaer Internet domain name space (rpi.edu). 

It is Rensselaer’s responsibility to verify whether purchase requests for EIT meet these standards for Web Accessibility.  A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT™) is a document from a supplier that explains how that supplier’s product conforms to these standards.  If you are obtaining a quote or quotes for any product or service with an online component, please ask the supplier to provide a VPAT along with your quote.  The VPAT should be version 2.0 or newer.  Please attach the VPAT to the requisition in OSCAR along with the supplier’s quote.  We have added a Web Accessibility approval review step into the requisition workflow that will review the VPAT.
If you have any questions, please contact Procurement_Support@rpi.edu.

CDWG:

Information Technology products from over 1,000 manufacturers, including Apple.  The full CDWG PunchOut catalog is now available with e-invoicing for all OSCAR users.  For more information, please visit the CDWG Contract Page under Rensselaer Preferred and Marketplace Suppliers here

LabRepCo:

Laboratory Cold Storage equipment and solutions including refrigeration and cryogenic storage now available for shopping in LabRepCo’s hosted catalog in OSCAR.  For more information, please contact Geoff Mielke at 276-8692 or mielkg@rpi.edu.  Contract Page to follow.

Grainger Contract offerings broadened! 

More categories of MRO products now available with deeper discounts (5-35% off Contract Reference Price).

Xerox Update:
If you have Xerox equipment and need assistance,  please note that our new sales representative is: 
Stephen McConochy, Stephen.mcconochy@xerox.com, cell 315-546-5248.

CDWG coming the OSCAR Marketplace, Monday 8/27
Procurement Services announces its new contract with CDW Government (“CDWG”) as Preferred Supplier for information technology products from over 1,000 brand-name manufacturers.  The 4-year CDWG Master Agreement is a competitively bid contract awarded in collaboration with E&I Cooperative Services and offers a wealth of possibilities available for campus technology needs, including Apple product needs. 

For further information, you can access the CDWG Contract Page here or contact Kim Ragosta at ragosk@rpi.edu. 

Chemical Management System Live

As previously communicated, Rensselaer’s new Chemical Management Program will be live this Monday, 8/13.  Effective Monday, all laboratory chemicals will only be available for ordering and searching through the “Chemicals” tile in the OSCAR marketplace.  All orders placed from then on will be routed through our new Central Receiving function where each container will be labeled with a unique bar code, scanned, systemically added to inventory, then physically delivered to the respective lab or labs.  When using the system for the first time, it will prompt you to select your primary lab location.  (If you have additional lab locations, you can designate them as well.)  

For reference, the training and our quick reference guide is posted here.

If you have any immediate questions or issues related to the program, please direct them to Procurement_Support@rpi.edu

For hands-on help with orders, we have established two “workshop sessions” available next week:

• Tuesday, August 14 at 12-2pm in Cogswell 238
• Wednesday, August 15 at 12-2pm in Polymer 1301

We will communicate any updates or frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) as they become available next week.

REMINDER - Request for Printing Services:
 
All requests for printing services must go through OSCAR as a requisition, subject to review by Creative Services in accordance with Procurement Services Policies and Procedures and the Rensselaer Brand-in-Action guidelines.  A purchase order must be issued prior to printing services being performed by the supplier.  Reprints and/or rush jobs are not exceptions to this policy.  Orders through the Dupli Punch-Out do not require prior approval from Creative Services since the templates have already been approved.  Questions can be directed to Linda Cook at x2156 or cookl@rpi.edu.

Updated Procurement Policies & Procedures:
 

Procurement Services has posted its revised/updated Policies and Procedures to the main page on our website, or you can follow this link to the searchable PDF document.  We’ve added a number of new sections, specifically an Introduction, a Table of Contents, and Definitions, as well as bringing the Procurement Procedures up to date.  You will also see Sections 4 and 5 broken out into Requisitions Requiring Special Approval and Special Procurements, respectively.

These Policies and Procedures, as updated July 2018, replace the existing Purchasing Policies and Procedures.  If you have the old version bookmarked or if you use it as a reference in your department, please be sure to update your browser and materials accordingly.

Please contact procurement_support@rpi.edu with any questions.

July 27th - New Marketplace Supplier - GenScript USA

Procurement Services introduces GenScript USA as a new Marketplace Supplier as of July 27, 2018.  GenScript offers expression and synthesis services for genes, proteins, antibodies and peptides.  For further contract information, please refer to the GenScript Contract Page here.  Questions about GenScript’s contract or the PunchOut catalog can be directed to Geoff Mielke in Procurement Services.June 30th Updates:

New Promotional Products Master Agreements with Rensselaer Announced
Procurement Services is pleased to announce the award of a five-year Master Pricing Agreement for Promotional Products effective immediately.  4imprint, Inc., Adirondack Ad Specialties, Awards by Walsh’s & Creative Marketing, Broadway Marketing, The Idea Works of NY, and Wicked Smart, LLC are the Institute’s new preferred suppliers of promotional products.

The Master Pricing Agreements were competitively awarded through Procurement Services’ bid process.  The awarded suppliers are in full compliance with the Institute’s Brand in Action initiative as well as Procurement Policies.
More information including ordering procedures and supplier contact information can be found here

June 26th Updates:

Concur Profile request forms:
Beginning on Monday, June 25th requests for new Concur profiles will be submitted through a form in OSCAR. There will be three different forms:

• Faulty/Staff
• Students
• Guests

If you have folks who have been submitting the paper Concur profile forms that do not have access to OSCAR, you can submit a “New OSCAR User” request form and choose “Forms Request Only” to have an account created for them.  If you have any questions regarding this announcement please contact Travel-Expense_Support@rpi.edu

IT Security/Web Accessibility approval:
Procurement Services has implemented a new approval into the OSCAR requisition workflow for all non-catalog software and software-related commodities.  This approval will couple the IT Security review and the Web Accessibility review aspect of software-based and related procurements.  The approval will occur after Financial Approval and prior to the SSM Review.  These approvals will be reviewed and approved by a member of the DotCIO team.

The IT Security/Web Accessibility approval is an automatic step in the non-catalog requisition workflow and is driven based on commodity code.  The commodity codes subject to this approval include:
 
Software                                              20554
Books & Subscription Services            71510
Ticket Systems & Solutions                  86000
eProcurement                                       92014
IT Consulting                                        92020
Software Maintenance & Support        92045
Educational & Training Services           92400
Library Services                                     95600
Electronic Database Subscriptions        95660
Website Design and Development       96426
 
Procurement Services may add other codes to this list in the future, as necessary.  Requisitions that fall outside of the listed commodity areas may be subject to IT Security/Web Accessibility review as well.  The sourcing manager/agent assigned to your requisition will determine when such review is needed.
 
If you have any questions, please contact Procurement_Support@rpi.edu. 
 

Individual/Sole Proprietor or Single Member LLC Supplier Class in OSCAR:

Procurement Services has created a new icon in OSCAR for suppliers that have been verified as an Individual/Sole Proprietor or Single Member LLC.  The icon is in the shape of a person and is green.  If you are submitting a requisition for services to a supplier with this supplier class, the order is subject to review by Human Resources via the Independent Contractor Special Approver.  Each time you hire an Individual/Sole Proprietor or Single Member LLC, you must attach an “HR Economic Realities Test” that has been completed by the Principal Investigator or Supervisor and attached to the requisition along with evidence of the supplier’s self-employment (for example, a screen shot of a web page or copy of a business card).  This helps determine whether the individual is an Independent Contractor or Employee for IRS purposes.   In addition, a completed Independent Contractor Agreement must be attached to the requisition.  The Department completes pages 1-2 and adds the Scope of Work as Exhibit A; individual to be hired reviews and signs.  Procurement Services will execute the Independent Contractor Agreement on behalf of Rensselaer.  Both the Economic Realities Test and Independent Contractor Agreement are available on Procurement Services’ website under “Forms”.  For further explanation, please see the presentation by the Division of Human Resources and Procurement Services on Independent Contractors from the September 20, 2017 Business Manager meeting on Procurement’s website here.

June 7th, Dupli Update 
The templates on the Dupli punch out have been updated to reflect the current Rensselaer Brand.  Stock on hand can be used until depleted.   Questions can be directed to Linda Cook at  cookl@rpi.edu 
 

June 5th, CRYSTAL ROCK UPDATE
Crystal Rock has been acquired by DS Services of America, Inc.  As a result, our email address for questions and equipment requests has been changed to vipcrystal@dsservices.com.  When requesting equipment please include location number 17755398 in the request.  Our deliveries are still being made by the Halfmoon, NY operations center.  We will keep you updated on any other changes as they occur.    If you have any questions please call the sourcing manager, Linda Cook at x2156. 

Tuition Remission Forms - Now in OSCAR:

The Tuition Benefit Remission Request form has been transitioned to OSCAR.  There are two forms, one for attending courses at Rensselaer, and one for attending courses at an Institution outside of Rensselaer.  For instructions on how to use the new forms please click here.  For more information on the Tuition Remission benefit please review the Rensselaer Benefits guide here.  For any additional questions regarding the new forms please contact procurement_support@rpi.edu

Suppliers with Special Ordering Instructions:

Procurement Services has updated the list of suppliers that have special ordering instructions associated with them. Suppliers that fall into this category will have an icon that looks like a cardboard box next to their name.  For details please see the document under the “Helpful Links” section on OSCAR’s home screen titled  Special Ordering Instructions.

4/23/2018 - Lease Special Approvers

Lease Special Approver:
PLEASE NOTE:  When processing a Requisition that includes ANY type of lease, please be sure to check the “Lease” special approver checkbox.  If the lease involves Real Estate, you must also check the “Real Estate (Leases)” special approver checkbox as well.  So, if you have a requisition for a Real Estate Lease, you should be checking at least two boxes.

4/23/2018 - Invoice Updates & Special Ordering Instructions

Invoice Reminders:
If you receive an invoice that is not yours, PLEASE DO NOT REJECT it. If you know who it belongs to please forward it to that person.  If you are not sure who it belongs to, please email invoices@rpi.edu to see if we can figure out who to route it to.  Once an invoice is rejected, we cannot do anything with it. 

If you are rejecting an invoice because it is a duplicate or should not be paid, please remember to put an "R" at the beginning of the Supplier Invoice number to indicate that it is being rejected.  This will allow payment when there is a duplicate with the same Supplier Invoice number.

Suppliers with Special Ordering Instructions                                  
Procurement Services has updated the list of suppliers that have special ordering instructions associated with them. Suppliers that fall into this category will have an icon that looks like a cardboard box next to their name.  For details please see the document under the “Helpful Links” section on OSCAR’s home screen titled  Special Ordering Instructions.

3/30/2018 - Tantaquidgeon PunchOut No Longer Available

Effective March 30, 2018 the Tantaquidgeon punch-out will no longer be available.  All orders placed through March 30th will be fulfilled.  After March 30th, all orders can be placed through the standard requisition process in OSCAR.   Questions can be directed to Linda Cook, x2156 or cookl@rpi.edu
 

2/13/2018 - Office Depot Punchout Update

Office Depot has added the following Ergotron sit-stand products to the punch out catalog:

WorkFit-T Sit-Stand Desktop Workstation, Sku 347951, $389.00
WorkFit-TL- Sit-Stand Desktop Workstation, Sku 2M4240, $399.00
WorkFit Single Monitor Kit, Sku 622007, $98.50
WorkFit Dual Monitor Kit, Sku 948783, $130.25

1/29/2017 - The Lowe's Punchout Update

The Lowe's punchout site has been re-vamped!  It is now much more user friendly and utilizes the same platform as their regular website.  A major new feature is that orders will now be pulled and ready for you when you get to the store.

If you experience any issues with the Lowe's punchout, please contact Nicole Runyon and/or Jeff White 

1/26/2017 - New OSCAR User Training - Friday, January 26th
10am-12pm - 5th Floor of the Proctor's Building- 90 4th Street
If you would like to attend the New OSCAR User training session please email Procurement_Support@rpi.edu to register.  

**Please note our new email address.  For all procurement and OSCAR inquiries, please email Procurement_Support@rpi.edu we will be retiring Procurement_Support@lists.rpi.edu in the near future.**

1/10/2017 - Procurement Support Update!

Happy New Year! Please note that the Procurement Support email address has changed.  We have dropped the "lists" part of the address. Going forward please send all Procurement Support email to Procurement_Support@rpi.edu

REMINDER: Invoice forwarding
Please send any requests to have an invoice forwarded to invoices@lists.rpi.edu

Thank you!

9/28/2017 Personal Reimbursement Requests:
This Form is intended to replace the REQUEST and APPROVAL for a personal reimbursement through an email to Procurement.  It does not replace the need to actually submit for the reimbursement in CONCUR.   The Personal Reimbursement Form is to be used when all other means of procurement have been exhausted.  Please remember to provide detailed attachments when entering your Form request.  This is a required step in the reimbursement request process. The request for reimbursement should be made PRIOR to the purchase being made.  All personal reimbursement requests are subject to the Institute’s procurement policies and procedures.  Depending on the nature of the request, it may require additional review by departments other than Procurement Services (i.e. Legal, Export Control, etc.).  For additional details, please see the document found here.

9/27/2017 New Supplier Requests:
New Suppliers are defined as a supplier we have never done business with before, or have not issued payment to in the past 24 months.  All New Supplier requisitions must contain the name, phone, fax and a valid contact person along with an email address.  New Supplier requests are required to have a formal “all-in” quote attached to the requisition here.  If this information is not provided, the requisition will be returned to you for editing.  Please remember to title your requisition using the name of the New Supplier.

9/26/2017 Independent Contractors: 
The presentation by the Division of Human Resources and Procurement Services on Independent Contractors from the September 20, 2017 Business Manager meeting is now available on Procurement’s website  here .  Please feel free to use this presentation to help clarify when the Independent Contractor review process is needed.  If you have any questions on the presentation, please refer to the contact information included in the slides. 

9/26/2017: vPay Requisitions: 
All vPay requisitions require a formal “all-in” quote from the supplier.  A formal “all-in” quote contains line item detail, pricing, shipping and handling charges, etc.  Please note a screenshot is not an acceptable form of a formal “all-in” quote.  Please see a copy of an acceptable "all-in" quote  here .  Your requisition will be returned if one is not provided.  For additional information on the vPay program, please see the document  here .

9/22/2017 - New Punch-out Supplier:  roi Office Interiors:

roi Office Interiors is now enabled as a new marketplace as of Friday, September 22, 2017.  roi is a furniture distributor offering office chairs, tables, desks and other furniture solutions for offices, labs, residence areas, and more.  roi offers a variety of manufacturers, featuring Teknion as their premiere furniture brand.  For more information on roi Office Interiors, please review their contract page here and visit the punchout to browse their offered products! 

9/18/2017: UPDATE -  Change to Requisition Workflow 
Beginning on Monday, September 18th, the Requisition workflow in OSCAR will be updated to route by ORG and dollar amount instead of by the Financial Approver on the Requestor's profile. If multiple ORGs are used on a Requisition it will route to the Financial Approver assigned to each ORG for the corresponding dollar amount.  This change will eliminate the need to use “HM Split” when cost sharing is required for ORGs that you may not have access to post to today.  If you have any questions regarding this change please contact Kelli Perry.

9/5/2017: New Marketplace Supplier:
Procurement Services introduces Bio-Rad Laboratories as a new Marketplace Supplier as of September 5th, 2017.  Bio-Rad offers a wide range of instruments, software, consumables, reagents, and content for the growing fields of cell biology, gene expression, protein purification, protein quantitation, drug discovery and manufacture, food safety, and science education.  For further contract information, please refer to the Bio-Rad Contract Page here.  Questions about Bio-Rad’s contract or the punch out catalog can be directed to Geoff Mielke in Procurement Services.

9/1/2017: Independent Contractor Forms:
Please take note that the Independent Contractor Agreement available on Procurement’s website and required for all Independent Contractor requisitions has been updated and is now dated August 10, 2017.  It includes the revised set of Rensselaer’s General Terms and Conditions dated August, 2017.  If you have already submitted requisitions using the former Independent Contractor Agreement, they will be processed.  However, please use the new Agreement for all new requests as of today’s date.

8/16/20 Update: Suppliers with Special Ordering Instructions                                  
Procurement Services has created a new icon for suppliers that have special ordering instructions that the end users should be aware of prior to placing an order.  Suppliers that fall into this category will have an icon that looks like a cardboard box next to their name.  For details please see the document under the “Helpful Links” section on OSCAR’s home screen titled  Special Ordering Instructions.

7/28/2017 New Mailing Services Master Agreements with Rensselaer Announced
 Procurement Services is pleased to announce the award of a five-year Master Pricing Agreement for Mailing Services effective July 12, 2017.  Commercial Mailing & Printing Service, Inc. (CMPS), Sentron Associates Inc., and PJ Green Inc. will be the Institute’s new preferred suppliers of mailing services.

The Master Pricing Agreements were awarded under the Institute’s new Procure-to-Pay Enhancement Project that is charged with streamlining the campus-wide buying and supplier payment process and leveraging the Institute’s buying power to reduce the cost of products and services required by our departments.
Click here for more information including ordering procedures and supplier contact information.
 
If the link is not available you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser.
 
http://www.rpi.edu/dept/purchasing/oscar/contract.html

7/25/2017 UPDATE: Sigma Aldrich 
Please be advised that DEA list and schedule graded chemicals are now restricted from the Sigma Aldrich punch-out.  In order to buy these items from this supplier, a non-catalog requisition is needed.  For any questions regarding this change, please reach out to Geoff Mielke or Tiffany Bolduc.

6/16/2017 UPDATE Regarding Moveable Equipment Purchase Orders/Requisitions:
Please note that purchase orders in OSCAR will no longer fail due to mixing assets.  The mixing assets error had occurred in Banner when capitalized and non-capitalized account codes were entered on the same requisition, preventing issuance of a single purchase order containing those accounts.  Finance has removed the expenditure vs. capital equipment conflict in Banner that triggered the need to have two separate purchase orders. 
 
Capitalized and non-capitalized equipment and/or supplies can now be combined on one requisition to a supplier, effective June 9, 2017. The Asset Management Special Approver must be checked on any requisition containing capitalized equipment and/or component parts.

6/14/2017 UPDATE to Independent Contractor Agreement:
Please take note that the Independent Contractor Agreement available on Procurement’s website and required for all Independent Contractor requisitions has been updated and is now dated June 12, 2017.  It includes new language outlining intellectual property ownership as well as Rensselaer’s adherence to accessibility standards.  If you have already submitted requisitions using the former Independent Contractor Agreement, they will be processed.  However, please use the new Agreement beginning on June 14, 2017.  

6/12/2017 UPDATE to Independent Contractor Form:
Please take note that the HR Independent Contractor Test available on Procurement’s website and required for all Independent Contractor requisitions has been updated and is now entitled “HR Economic Realities Test”.  If you have already submitted requisitions using the former test, they will be processed.  However, please use the HR Economic Realities test beginning on June 13, 2017.  As a reminder, this test is to be completed by the Principal Investigator or Supervisor and helps determine whether the individual is an Independent Contractor or Employee for IRS purposes.

Reminder: Procurement Fiscal Year End Procedures

• All Fiscal 17 requisitions must be received by Procurement no later than noon on Monday, June 5th.
• OSCAR Marketplace requisitons for Fiscal 17 can continue to be placed, so long as orders are invoiced by June 30th.
• If you are placing orders for Fiscal 18 please be sure to include that information in the internal notes section of the Requisition.

If you have any questions, please contact procurement_support@lists.rpi.edu

Issue with Google Chrome Resolved:
There was an issue with using some of the punch out suppliers earlier this week when using Google Chrome.  This issue has now been resolved.  Please contact Procurement Support if you continue to have any trouble using OSCAR in Google Chrome.

5/8/2017 Update - Office Depot/Remanufactured toner initiative:

Office Depot together with Procurement Services has launched the remanufactured toner initiative to provide cost savings when purchasing toner cartridges through the punch-out.  This initiative will result in approximately a 30% savings over the national brand cartridges in the form of dollars or higher page yield and will not void your equipment warranty. 100% satisfaction guarantee!
Effective Monday, May 8, 2017 Office Depot will auto sub your OEM cartridge with an Office Depot branded cartridge. 

The punch-out will alert you that an alternative stocked product is being added to your cart.  If this does not occur, an alternative stocked product may not be available, call or email Sheri Huff at 222-6923 or sheri.huff@office depot.com to confirm.  Questions can be directed to Linda Cook, x2156 or cookl@rpi.edu

5/3/2017 Update - Contractual Documents & Insurance Requirements:
If you have any contractual documents from a supplier that require signature, they MUST be attached to a Requisition (and not as a Direct Pay) and submitted through the proper approvals in OSCAR.   In addition, any suppliers performing services for Rensselaer or providing transportation services for Rensselaer shall provide and maintain insurance to indemnify Rensselaer.  Be sure to check the “Services – Insurance Required” Special Approver on any requisition where a Supplier will be performing services or transportation services.
 
If you have any questions regarding either topic please email procurement_support@lists.rpi.edu

4/18/2017 Office Depot Update:
our Environmental Health & Safety department has identified acceptable power strips/surge protectors and portable heaters in the Office Depot punch-out that meet fire safety regulations.  They are identified on the punch-out as “Available for Purchase”.  Items that are not acceptable are identified as “Restricted Item”.  For quick reference, a shopping list titled “Environmental Health” has been created under the “My Lists” tab.  Questions can be directed to Linda Cook at cookl@rpi.edu.

Dupli Update Regarding Nametags: 
Rensselaer nametags, formerly ordered through the Rensselaer Collegiate Store, should now be ordered through the Dupli punch-out.   To order through the punch-out, click on the tab titled “Engraved Items”.   Questions can be directed to Linda Cook at cookl@rpi.edu

REMINDER regarding invoices:
Please do not reject invoices that do not belong to you.  You must comment to Invoices@lists.rpi.edu so AP can forward to the appropriate owner. When an invoice is rejected there is no way to recover it.  

New OSCAR User Request form:
Your request to add an OSCAR user can now be submitted utilizing the “OSCAR New User Request” form in the marketplace. If you have any questions please contact us at procurement_support@lists.rpi.edu.

New Punch-out Supplier:
SHI is enabled as a new marketplace supplier beginning Monday, November 28th.  SHI supplies IT software to education institutions across the United States.  As an authorized reseller for all major software publishers, SHI has forged great business relationships with the manufacturers who create products for the education market, so that they better service the needs of Higher Education customers.  For more information on SHI's please review their contract page here.

UPDATE: Forwarding Invoices
Beginning on Monday, November 21, you will no longer have the ability to forward invoices.  

The “Department Approver” step that is available on the Requisition is now also available on the invoice.  If you have been forwarding invoices to have someone else review, you should now use the “Department Approver” field to route the invoice to that person.  This is an optional workflow step.  Please contact procurement_support@lists.rpi.edu if the person you need to route the invoice to is not available as a “Department Approver”.

If you receive an invoice as the “invoice owner” that does not belong to you, please comment out to invoices@lists.rpi.edu with who the invoice should be forwarded to. 

If you are an approver and have an invoice in your “Approval” queue that you do not think you should be an approver on, please “return” the invoice to the invoice owner with a comment.  Instructions for how to return an invoice can be found here.

Creative Services review:
Please note that the "Creative Services" special approver checkbox should be selected on a Requisition for the following:

"If your project requires use of Rensselaer’s logo, approval is required by Strategic Communications & External Relations for brand review.  Attach artwork if available.  If artwork is not available at this time, annotate the reason why in the Internal Note.  You will be required to provide the final artwork before the project goes to print. This does not apply to items ordered from the Dupli punch out as the template has been pre-approved."

The description available in OSCAR for this special approver option has been updated to reflect the statement above.  If a Requisition for a project that should have been reviewed by Creative Services reaches Procurement without the proper review, it will be returned to the Requisitioner. Please contact procurement_support@lists.rpi.edu if you have any questions.