October 24, 2017

​2017 SBOP Conference: Last Chance to Register!

We're currently at 145 registrations and 30 seats remain available for the second annual State Bureau of Procurement Conference. This year’s conference will take place on November 16, 2017 at the Alliant Energy Center’s Exposition Hall in Madison. The last day to register is Friday, November 3.

The conference agenda includes two general sessions and a variety of breakout sessions featuring topics such as One Procurement, STAR Strategic Sourcing Advanced Workshop, Public/Private Best Practices Panel, Market Research & Solicitation Development and more! For a complete list of breakout sessions and their descriptions, please view the 2017 SBOP Conference Brochure.

The conference is open to procurement professionals from the State, UW System and municipalities. The registration fee is $45 and includes lunch. For more information about the conference, including registration instructions, visit the SBOP Conference website. Contact Jessica Vieira at (608) 266-5452 with any questions about the conference.


VendorNet & eSupplier

On September 12, 2017, the eSupplier Portal for Bidders was launched and active VendorNet bidder accounts were imported into the eSupplier system. Bidders who did not respond to the communications sent by the State Bureau of Procurement or access their VendorNet profiles before the transition were not imported into the eSupplier system and will no longer receive bid notifications. Many bidder accounts became inactive and they are identified in a list on VendorNet.

We have encouraged all interested bidders to register in the new eSupplier Portal if they would like to receive bid notices from the State of Wisconsin. We also urge agency procurement and program staff to be mindful of this inactive list and to check this list in advance of posting solicitations to identify prospective bidders that may need a reminder to take action. These steps will help assure that prospective bidders learn of relevant bid opportunities and that the State optimize the competitive field available for consideration.

Copies of the communications sent to bidders, a job aid to assist in the eSupplier registration process (Bidder Portal: Registration and Sign-In Process) and the list of bidders whose accounts were inactivated can be found on VendorNet > General Procurement tab > Strategic Sourcing. For questions about this project, please doawispro@wisconsin.gov.


New PIMs Available!

As we transition to the Strategic Sourcing module, new PIMs, or Procurement Information Memorandums, have been released to address electronic procurement procedures:

  • PIM-17004, Electronic Procurement Records Retention and Systems of Records: Agencies must maintain proper documentation of procurement activities to meet internal administrative needs, legal demands and program and audit requirements. This PIM provides agencies with policy guidance on the retention of official procurement records affected by new procurement systems.

  • PIM-17005, Strategic Sourcing Naming Conventions – Templates, Library Items and Bid Factors: To ensure consistency across the enterprise, SBOP has established some standard naming conventions for use by all state agencies who will post and manage sourcing events in STAR.

Additional topics, including late bid receipt and proxy entry, will be addressed in future PIMs. You may access the PIMs through the following navigation: VendorNet > General Procurement tab > State Procurement Manual > Index of STAR Procurement Information Memorandums (PIMs). If you have any question regarding these PIMs, please contact doawispro@wisconsin.gov.


Updated Forms

Coinciding with the release of the new automated Request for Purchasing Authority (RPA) system, two forms have been updated and are currently available on VendorNet: Form DOA-3046, Request for Purchasing Authority, and DOA-3046A, Request for Purchasing Authority Checklist. These updates will reduce the amount of redundant information users are required to enter and will further streamline the RPA process. Feedback regarding any form is welcome. Please direct all inquiries and comments to Terri Hagstrom at (608) 266-5669.


Contract Spotlight

IT - NASPO Cloud Solutions Contract (All XaaS). The State of Wisconsin has signed Participating Addendums (PAs) with Unisys and VMware for the purchase of public cloud hosting and consulting services through the NASPO cooperative contract led by the State of Utah (Contract 505ENT-O18-NASPOCLOUD-00, IT - NASPO Cloud Solutions Contract (All XaaS)). Additional PA’s may be added to this contract going forward. This contract is not mandatory and provides agencies, campuses and municipalities the ability to purchase public cloud services from many providers. Questions about this contract can be addressed by Ceotrid Gilbert at (608) 267-4506.


WISBuy

New Enablements. We are pleased to announce Columbia Pipe, Fastenal, Ferguson and Grainger, four of the vendors on the Electrical & Plumbing Maintenance, Repair and Operating Supplies contract (505ENT-M18-ELCPLSUPLS-00), have been enabled in WISBuy. This contract is a mandatory enterprise contract for state agencies and the UW System and is optional for municipalities. If you have questions about this contract, please contact Brooke Gullick at (608) 266-0817. WISBuy questions can be addressed by your agency’s Business Unit Administrator or by emailing doawispro@wisconsin.gov.

WISBuy 2018 Calendar. The new year is just around the corner and WISBuy has your scheduling needs covered! For your convenience, you can download and print our free 2018 WISBuy Calendar with State holidays and payroll dates included. Jessica Vieira can be contacted with any questions at (608) 266-5452.

Holiday Shipping Schedules. Shipping schedules are often altered during this time of year. When ordering from WISBuy during the holiday season, be sure to check suppliers’ shipping schedules and plan your orders accordingly. You can email doawispro@wisconsin.gov with questions about WISBuy.