March 15, 2019

March is Procurement Month

The profession of public procurement is recognized throughout the country during the entire month of March. This period of recognition is appropriate given the important role that procurement professionals play in delivering services to the public. It has been estimated that government procurement comprises almost 30% of our Gross Domestic Product. Thus, government procurement is at the base of our infrastructure in our roadways, schools, data networks, buildings and all the related supplies and services that support the people serving the public for the common good.

When procurements are done well, the public is more confident in its government and the services being provided. A well performing procurement function assures us all that tax dollars are used optimally. Professionally executed procurements call for integrity, transparency and accountability, for both government and its contractors.

May we all continue to learn, grow and earn our taxpayers' and agencies' appreciation. Let us demonstrate our value by performing our best and earning this well-deserved recognition. Celebrate March and all year with excellent procurement work!

- Sara Redford, Director, State Bureau of Procurement

 

Work for SBOP!

The State Bureau of Procurement has an exciting opportunity available for three new people to join our team. We are looking for Procurement Specialists in three of our sections. There is one vacancy each available in Enterprise Sourcing (goods/services), IT Sourcing (telecom and IT) and Consolidated Agency Purchasing Services (CAPS). Applications are open through March 17. If you or someone you know is interested in challenging, fast-paced work in contract management and procurement, visit WiscJobs for more information.

 

Procurement Assistance for Emergencies

Procurement can be a valuable resource to help agencies obtain the goods and services needed to repair buildings, replace equipment or otherwise maintain operations following severe weather events. If your agency has been affected by the recent weather, work with your agency purchasing office or reach out to the State Bureau of Procurement at doawispro@wisconsin.gov for assistance in locating contracts available for use or for guidance with emergency procurement needs.

 

Electronic Signature System Available 

The State Bureau of Procurement has purchased an enterprise subscription to an electronic signature solution using DocuSign. This subscription is available for signing contracts, renewals and any other document in need of signature. A policy about the use of the system, PIM 19-002, has been posted (DOA State Procurement Manual > PRO-B-10, Index of PIMs > 19-002). The subscription covers agency and campus use of electronic signature. Questions about the program can be referred to the SBOP Knowledge Management, Improvement and Training (KIT) Section Chief, Dan Kramarz at (608) 267-2715. Questions from municipalities or other groups about the contract available to purchase a subscription to electronic signature solutions can be directed to the Public Cloud Services contract manager, Ceotrid Gilbert at (608) 267-4506.

 

Contract Spotlight

Water Softener Salt. The Water Softener Salt contract (505ENT-M15-WTRSFNRSLT-00) is in its final renewal period and will expire January 31, 2020. An updated price list reflecting a price increase has been posted on the contract page on VendorNet. Please contact Brooke Gullick at (608) 266-0817 with any contract questions.

Hazardous Wastes Services. The Bureau of State Risk Management is sponsoring the 2019 Wisconsin Hazardous Materials Awareness & Waste Disposal Training, which will be offered on a variety of dates and locations this spring. The training is made available through the Hazardous Wastes Services contract (505ENT-M15-HZRDSWSTSV-01). For more information about the training, including a link to register, view the training flyer on the VendorNet contract page. Questions regarding the training opportunity may be directed to Jake Lowell at (608) 261-6634 and contract questions should be directed to Jeannie McCarville at (608) 264-9590.

Body Armor. The NASPO ValuePoint Body Armor contract (505ENT-O17-BODYARMOR-00) has entered into its second renewal period which will expire 3/15/20. The State of Wisconsin has participating addendums with GH Armor Systems, Point Blank Enterprises, Safariland LLC, Survival Armor and US Armor. Please refer to the contract page on VendorNet for current product and price lists for each of the manufacturers. Contact Brooke Gullick at (608) 266-0817 with any contract questions.

CISCO. The NASPO ValuePoint contract for Data Communication Equipment and Services (505ENT-M16-DATACOMMUN-01) has been extended for an additional year to 5/31/20. Three Fulfillment Partners have been dropped from the Participating Addendum, effective immediately: One Neck IT Solutions, LLC; Paragon Development Systems; and World Wide Technology. For questions relating to this contract, contact Cort Hoel at (608) 266-1725.

Computer Equipment Order Delay. As you prepare to purchase computer equipment for the end of the fiscal year, please be aware that orders will need to be placed earlier this year due to a delay in delivery times ranging from 6-20 weeks. The delay is caused in part by a shortage of Intel PC processors, unexpected demand and the movement of some of the manufacturing facilities. The delay is affecting all PC manufacturers and is expected to be fixed by the fourth quarter of 2019 (October-December). To mitigate the impact of these delays, agencies should consider the following:

  • Order early – Any purchases for fiscal year 2019 should be made as soon as possible. If needed, vendors can provide warehouses to store the computers.

  • Reconsider the deployment schedule and timing for calendar year 2019.

  • Consider alternative products, such as AMD, but know that these alternatives may already be impacted due to others making similar decisions.

For questions regarding the affected contracts (505ENT-M17-WICOMPUTER-00 and 505ENT-O16-NASPOCOMPUT-00), please contact Susanne Matschull at (608) 266-9796.

 

Strategic Sourcing: Tips and Tricks

Event Q & A: Did you know you can download an Excel document containing the questions and answers collected and responded to within eSupplier? To do this, go to Event Q&A and click Update to view a question, then click the Document Generated box. Do this for each question you would like to include in the document. Once you have answered each of these questions, go to Download Event Documents (Main Menu > State of Wisconsin (STAR) > Strategic Sourcing > Enterprise Administration > Download Event Documents), enter your event number and click Search. Finally, select Event Q&A to create the Excel document.

In addition, checking the Post to Bidders checkbox on the Event Q&A page will create a Word document containing the questions that have been asked and answered through eSupplier and place it in the Supporting Documents section of eSupplier for any prospective bidder to read.

Styles of Bid Factors for RFPs: Many sourcing managers will choose to use a long text bid factor for questions in an RFP. While this continues to be a valid option, some users have begun preferring the attachment bid factor because it is more user-friendly for those submitting responses. When using this type, the proposer is able to format their response as they like since they are creating their document outside of the system, which often results in a response that is easier for the evaluators to read.

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.

 

WISBuy

Enablements. WISBuy is in the process of updating the suppliers available in the Medical Supplies contract (505ENT-M19-MEDICALSUP-00) showcase to reflect the changes recently made to the contract:

  • Medical Solutions has been added as a new vendor in WISBuy.

  • Medline has been removed and inactivated as a vendor in WISBuy.

  • The McKesson punchout has been removed and replaced with a link to their Supply Manager site.

  • Dental Supplies has been placed into its own showcase, separate from Medical Supplies.

  • Concordance Healthcare Solutions is anticipated to be added to WISBuy at a later date.

The Medical Supplies contract is mandatory and will continue to require a unique user role within WISBuy before users may access the showcases. For questions about the Medical Supplies contract, please reach out to John Burnett at (608) 261-6359, and for questions related to WISBuy, please contact doawispro@wisconsin.gov.