Agency RFP Suspension Lifted
Effective
January 11, 2019, Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitations from Wisconsin State
agencies may be posted to eSupplier (including RFPs suspended after November
27, 2018). Actions that may be taken on RFPs that had been previously suspended
depends upon its status.
RFPs
canceled during the suspension may be reactivated using copy functions in STAR.
Agencies can work with STAR by sending an SSO ticket. SBOP will work with STAR
to assist agencies with reactivating their canceled events as needed.
The official site for information
about Wisconsin State agency solicitations continues to be the eSupplier
Portal, with the exception of the UW System and its campuses. Questions related
to a specific RFP should be directed to the named agency RFP manager. General
questions can be referred to doawispro@wisconsin.gov.
Wisconsin eSignature Update
In
December 2018, the State Bureau of Procurement (SBOP) launched Wisconsin
eSignature for procurement using DocuSign. This tool is available to all State
and campus procurement groups to automate the collection of electronic
signatures and approvals. Several agencies have already begun to implement
Wisconsin eSignature and have found that it can improve procurement processes
by reducing the amount of time staff have to spend routing documents for
physical signatures and decreasing the amount of time it takes for approvals.
SBOP’s
Knowledge Management, Improvement and Training (KIT) section is working to
develop a robust set of resources for Wisconsin eSignature, including templates
for commonly used documents and a training guide for users and administrators.
In addition, SBOP plans to host a Wisconsin eSignature User Group that will
meet regularly to discuss best practices, share experiences and troubleshoot
any system issues. More information will be communicated as these resources are
released.
Those interested in
learning about this tool may sign up to attend the DocuSign Overview
Webinar on February 6 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. (space is limited to the
first thirty registrations). For more information about the webinar, contact
Jessica Vieira at (608) 266-5452. If your agency or campus wants to know how
this tool can be used to improve your procurement processes, contact Dan Kramarz at (608) 267-2715.
SPM Reform Project Update
The interagency
workgroup for the State Procurement Manual project has completed its regularly
scheduled meetings. Drafts are now being finalized by the State Bureau of
Procurement and will be released, with a new web page and a series of
informational training events, target Spring 2019. More information will be
shared as it becomes available. Questions about this project can be directed to
doawispro@wisconsin.gov.
New eSupplier FAQ Guide Available!
The State
Bureau of Procurement has published the eSupplier
Frequently Asked Questions Guide. In this guide, users will find
detailed registration instructions, as well as answers to questions commonly
asked by eSupplier users. Topics include WAMS registration, eSupplier
registration, NIGP codes and automatic notifications, bidder communication and
submitting a response. The guide is available on the SBOP homepage (https://doa.wi.gov/procurement)
and questions about this resource may be addressed to doawispro@wisconsin.gov.
Marketplace Recap
In December, the
State Bureau of Procurement participated in Marketplace, the Governor’s annual
conference on minority business development. Contract manager Cathy Neidner
traveled to the Milwaukee event and held many one-on-one sessions with
businesses, connecting them to information about the State bidding process,
bidder registration, and possible matches to the goods or services they offer.
Dan Kramarz hosted a booth in the expo portion of Marketplace, providing
information to businesses about registering in the eSupplier portal and
navigating VendorNet.
Strategic Sourcing: Tips and Tricks
Using
Tables: When including tables in your solicitations, it’s recommended
that you build the table within the Strategic Souring module. Attempting to
copy a table from a Word document and paste it into the module may cause the
table to appear too large when viewing it as a Word or PDF document.
Alternatively, you may create your table in Word and take a picture of it using
the Snipping tool, then paste the picture into your solicitation using the
“Insert Image from File” button. This will allow bidders to view the table, but
will not allow anyone to enter additional information into it.
Looking for
additional resources for Strategic Sourcing? STAR agencies can access a variety
of job aids, tools and resources on STARConnection
(STAR Connection > Resources > Finance and Procurement > Job Aids >
Search for “Strategic Sourcing”). If you would like to share a Strategic
Sourcing tip or trick you’ve learned, please email your ideas to Jessica Vieira.
Staffing Updates
Marcy
Schmelzer retired from the State Bureau of Procurement on December 28 after a
distinguished career of service to the Department of Administration. Marcy was
a policy expert who was relied upon to not only educate new procurement
professionals about state processes and rules, but also management on the
institutional history of our policies and procedures as they have evolved over
the years.
Amy
Schroeder also retired from state service on December 28. Amy has worked in
SBOP on two occasions in the last decade, previously in what is now the
Enterprise Sourcing Section and most recently in CAPS where she was assigned to
manage procurement activities for the Department of Military Affairs and the
Office of the State Public Defender. Amy’s subject matter expertise in public
procurement has helped many of her colleagues navigate complicated issues over
the years.
Dennis
Mattson has also retired from State service on January 16 after 34 years
employment. Dennis served as a purchasing associate for the State Bureau of
Procurement where he used his vast knowledge of State procurement to answer
inquiries for the VendorNet Help desk and assisted the IT Sourcing Section.
Brenda Derge has been
selected as the 2019 President of the Wisconsin Association for Public Procurement
(WAPP). WAPP is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the
professional growth of Wisconsin procurement staff in the public sector and is
the Wisconsin chapter of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing. In
her role as President, Brenda will be responsible for the overall leadership of
WAPP, setting priorities and organizing events for the group over the next
year.