July-August, 2017

Get to Know SBOP: CAPS

The following is the third in a series of articles highlighting the four sections of the State Bureau of Procurement (SBOP).

The Consolidated Agency Purchasing Services (CAPS) Section was created to provide procurement support to various state agencies when enterprise procurement functions were partially centralized within SBOP in 2006. CAPS supports the Department of Administration (DOA) and 24 other agencies, boards and offices. CAPS is dedicated to helping agencies obtain the commodities and services necessary for day-to-day operations at a competitive price while maintaining compliance with procurement regulations and guidelines.

Agencies supported by CAPS generally have small dollar or infrequent procurement activity. CAPS professionals are available on an as-needed basis to manage procurement actions including Request for Bids (RFB), Request for Proposals (RFP), sole source waivers and purchase orders. Each CAPS agency has responsibility for its financial management. CAPS is the clearing house for releasing and approving requisitions, purchase orders and change orders for its agencies, ensuring that statutory procurement authority exists.

For more information about CAPS, contact Steve Slawny, CAPS Section Chief, at (608) 266-3209.


SBOP Hires New Deputy Director

Sara Redford accepted the position of SBOP Deputy Director in early August. Sara has been the Section Chief of the Enterprise IT Sourcing Section for the past four years. She began her public service career with the Department of Public Instruction and joined the State Bureau of Procurement in 2006 as a Purchasing Associate. Over the last two years, she has been the procurement functional lead for the STAR ERP Project and for more than a year has been leading the Strategic Sourcing and related eSupplier portal modules. Sara will also take a leading role in assisting the Information Technology Enterprise Steering Committee (ITESC) as it drives IT purchasing collaboration across executive agencies. Welcome, Sara, to your new role.


Supplier Diversity Gets New Director

The Division of Enterprise Operations welcomes Domingo Leguizamon as the new Supplier Diversity Director. Domingo comes to us from the Department of Veterans Affairs where he served as a Bureau Director in the Division of Veterans Services. Domingo previously served at the Department of Regulation and Licensing, Milwaukee County and the United States Army. Domingo will spend significant time on the road as the program actively recruits more minority, disabled veteran and women-owned businesses to become certified. Welcome, Domingo, to DOA.


RPA Automation

DOA is pleased to announce the upcoming transition to the automated Request for Purchasing Authority (RPA) system. The current RPA paper-based approval process can be lengthy and has the potential to experience delays at a number of stages. The goal in undertaking this project is to streamline the approval process, increase transparency and provide real-time feedback regarding the progress of RPAs through the approval phases.

This August, SBOP will lead the transition to the fully automated RPA process. This new process will allow for a number of benefits over the old system, including:

  • Real-time feedback – Users and approvers can track an RPA’s approval process in real-time.

  • Increased functionality – Approvers will be able to send the RPA back to a previous step or to the submitting agency if more information is needed.

  • Improved data collection – Users and approvers can access charts and graphs to compare the amount of time an RPA spends in each approval stage.

  • Improved consistency – Required information and attachments are clearly noted and users must complete all required sections before submitting an RPA for approval.

  • Ease of use – Links to the most current versions of commonly used forms are provided within the RPA website.

 For more information, please contact Mike Marean, KIT Section Chief, at (608) 267-2715.


Contract Spotlight

MRO-Electrical and Plumbing Maintenance Repair and Operating Supplies. Contract 505ENT-M18-ELCPLSUPLS-00 has a start date of July 1, 2017 with the initial term running through June 30, 2019. There are twelve suppliers with various category awards. Please contact Brooke Gullick, Procurement Specialist, at (608) 266-0817 with questions.

Non-IT Temporary Help Services (for Assignments Twelve (12) Months or Less). New Contract 505ENT-M18-TEMPHELPSV-00 is available for use by State agencies and municipalities. Contractors will provide services in three job categories: clerical, food service and light industrial. The initial term runs through June 30, 2018. Contact Marcy Schmelzer, Procurement Specialist, at (608) 266-1625 with questions.


WISBuy

WISBuy has experienced dramatic growth since its implementation in 2014. When it first began, WISBuy had a modest selection of catalogs available. Today WISBuy is proud to have 43 suppliers enabled with plans to bring on more than a dozen additional catalogs in the next few months. Additionally, WISBuy now has specialized roles for ordering medical, dental and IT supplies from enabled catalogs.

Thanks to feedback from WISBuy users, we will deliver several enhancements to the site including a shift to include more punchout catalogs, a new tool to help users locate products and an updated way to share information and resources within WISBuy’s Organization Message. Together, these enhancements will create an even better ordering experience for our WISBuy users. Feedback and questions regarding WISBuy should be directed to doawispro@wisconsin.gov or the appropriate Business Unit Administrator.