2019 Statewide Procurement Conference
Registration Now Open
We are
pleased to announce that registration for the fourth annual Wisconsin Statewide
Procurement Conference is now open! The conference will be held on Thursday,
November 7 at the Alliant Energy Center’s Exhibition Hall in Madison,
Wisconsin. This year’s theme, “Procurement in Partnership,” will be highlighted
throughout the event and attendees will have the opportunity to network with
colleagues, attend interesting workshops and be the first to hear the winners
of the 2019 Procurement Innovation Awards!
The discounted Early
Registration rate of $30 is available through October 4; Late Registration
($45) is available from October 5 through October 18, or until space is filled.
For full conference details, including conference agenda, workshop descriptions
and registration instructions, see the 2019 Procurement Conference Brochure and
the Procurement
Conference website. Contact Jessica Vieira at (608) 266-5452 with questions
about the conference.
New State Procurement Manual is LIVE!
On August
15, 2019, the new, revised State Procurement
Manual was posted! The effective date of the new Manual is September
16, 2019 and the State Bureau of Procurement is hosting several training
sessions to help agencies and campuses manage the change over the next month.
The new Manual features 73 official policies (down from 141 active policies in
prior Manual), new forms, tools and website. While the number of policies in
the new Manual has decreased, nothing has changed as it relates to our core
principles: the importance of ethics, impartiality, and the traditionally high
standards of Wisconsin public procurement to promote competition, integrity,
consistency and openness. In the coming days, the Bureau will publish special
editions of the newsletter with information related to the changes contained in
the new Manual. We appreciate the work and patience of the agencies and
campuses as we worked together toward completing this project!
Training Opportunities
Strategic
Sourcing Classes Offered in September. The next round of in-person
STAR Strategic Sourcing classes has been scheduled for Friday, September
20 at the Department of Administration building in downtown Madison.
Before
being granted access to use the Strategic Sourcing module in PeopleSoft, users
are required to complete three classes: one computer-based introductory course
and two instructor-led classes. Interested students should sign up for all
three classes by searching for “PRO308” in ELM. Because
of the prerequisites, students should register for the classes in the
following order:
PRO308: Introduction to Strategic Sourcing (eLearning)
PRO308: Strategic Sourcing – Creating an RFB and RFP (September 20, 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)
PRO308: Strategic Sourcing – Score and Award (September 20, 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
The
instructor-led classes provide students with hands-on experience using the
Strategic Sourcing module and are taught by SBOP staff who regularly use the
system themselves. Space is extremely limited – sign up soon! If you have
questions about the classes, please contact Jessica Vieira at (608) 266-5452.
Supplier Forms Changes
Supplier
Maintenance Forms must now be downloaded from the STAR “My Support Requests”
Forms Library. Individuals without access to STAR or without the necessary
security roles required to make a request within STAR will need to contact
their agency’s requestor. These forms were previously available through the State
Controller’s Office website and include the Change Direct Deposit
(DOA-6456), Supplier Address Change (DOA-6457), Change of Supplier Name
(DOA-6458), Supplier Tax Number Change (DOA-6459) and New Supplier Information
(DOA-6460) forms.
Contract Spotlight
Electrical
and Plumbing Maintenance, Repair and Operating Supplies (MRO). The Electrical & Plumbing Maintenance,
Repair & Operating Supplies (MRO) contract (505ENT-M18-ELCPLSUPLS-00)
entered its first renewal period beginning July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.
In addition, Viking Electric will issue a price increase effective September
11, 2019 in response to increases in the cost of raw materials and recently
enacted tariffs. Please contact Jim
Oleson at (608) 266-1625 with any contract
questions.
Managed
Fleet Vehicle Maintenance Services and Accident Management. The Managed Fleet Vehicle Maintenance
Services and Accident Management contract (505ENT-M15-VEHICMAINT-01)
has been extended through December 31, 2019 to allow time for completion of
solicitation RFB #28318 and resulting contract. Please contact Leann McGowan at (608) 266-8024 with
any contract questions.
Data
Entry Services. The Data Entry
Services contract (505ENT-M18-DATAENTRYS-00)
has entered its final renewal period beginning July 1, 2019 through June 30,
2020. Please contact Andrew Shuck
at (608) 266-1558 with any contract questions.
Hazardous
Wastes Services. The
Hazardous Wastes Services contract (505ENT-M15-HZRDSWSTSV-01)
has been extended through September 30, 2019 and may be extended an additional
three months, for a final expiration of December 31, 2019. Please contact Jeannie McCarville at (608) 264-9590 with any
contract questions.
Solid
Waste and Recycling Services for the South Central Wisconsin Area. The Solid Waste and Recycling Services for
the South Central Wisconsin Area contract (505ENT-M16-SLDWSTRMVL-00)
has entered the final renewal period beginning July 1, 2019 through June 30,
2020. Please contact Jeannie
McCarville at (608) 264-9590 with any contract questions.
Propane/LP
Gas - Statewide. The State Bureau of Procurement recently
finalized a Request for Bid process to award a contract for Propane/LP Gas - Statewide (505ENT-M20-PROPANESVC-00)
to eight suppliers. The initial term of the contract is July 1, 2019 through
June 30, 2021 with yearly options to renew through June 30, 2024. Please
contact Jeannie McCarville at (608) 264-9590 with any
contract questions.
Model
Year 2019 or Newer Passenger, Law Enforcement & Light Duty Trucks. The
Model Year 2020 Vehicle Procurement Memo was sent out on June 14, 2019. To be
added to the distribution list, please contact Leann McGowan at (608) 266-8024.
Lamp,
Ballast, Mercury Containing Equipment and Battery Recycling and PCB Disposal
Services. The Lamp,
Ballast, Mercury Containing Equipment and Battery Recycling and PCB Disposal
Services contract (505ENT-M15-LMPBLLSTR-01)
has been extended through September 30, 2019. Please contact Jeannie McCarville at (608) 264-9590 with any
contract questions.
Be Aware of Fraud
Procurement
is an area that has been the target of fraudsters. To prevent fraud, SBOP has
some tips for you to be aware of:
If you receive a large shipment that you did not order, you should be concerned this could be fraud.
Contact the Contractor Account Rep for any returns to make sure the return is not part of a fraud attempt. The vendor’s contract information will be listed on the contract (you can search for the applicable contract on VendorNet). You may also contact the contract manager with any concerns.
If you are contacted by email, pay close attention to the email address. Fraudsters will try to closely mimic an email address, but you should be able to spot the difference. For example, the CDW-G address is "@cdwg.com", but the fraudsters may use "@CDW-llc.com".
Check the shipping label for the return. Fraudulent return labels typically do not include the company name in the Ship To Address.
Be suspicious of messages marked Rush or Urgent Response Required. Often fraudsters create a sense of urgency in order to get you to make a poor decision. This may be noted in the email’s subject line, within an emailed message or it may be communicated during a phone conversation.
Pay attention to the language and grammar used in emails, especially if it is requesting a return of merchandise. Often fraudulent messages include typos, spelling errors or are written in all capital letters.
Look closely at the email’s signature block. Legitimate vendors often include a link to the company’s website, a company logo and/or a toll-free phone number.
The
Department of Administration takes a proactive approach and works with law
enforcement to prevent, detect and investigate fraud attempts. If you
experience similar issues or have any questions related to vendor contracts,
please contact (608) 266-2605 or doawispro@wisconsin.gov.
Strategic Sourcing: Tips and Tricks
Bidder
Email Addresses: When sending Bidder Communications, such as clarification
letters through the Strategic Sourcing module, pay close attention to the email
addresses used by the bidders. It’s possible that the email address the bidder
provided on the Bidder Required Form was different than the one they used to
register with (which is the one that would automatically populate through the
system). If the email addresses do not match, you can add the address provided
on the Bidder Required Form by selecting the “Add Email” link in the “Bidders”
box on the upper right side of the window. This function will allow you to add
any email, not just an email that is attached to a Bidder ID.
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
Improved
WISBuy Catalog Organization. WISBuy users have noticed an
updated look to the catalog display since mid-July. Instead of organizing
catalogs based on contract number, they are now grouped with other catalogs
that sell similar items. For example, users can now find the Office Supplies
tab containing catalogs for paper, pens, toner, headsets and general office
supplies. For questions related to this improvement, please reach out to Ann Hommer at (608) 261-7014.
New
Remanufactured Toner Supplier. Shoppers have another catalog to choose from when
shopping for remanufactured toner: The Office Pal. While their WISBuy punchout
is being built and tested, shoppers can link to The Office Pal’s website from
their sticker in WISBuy. Since this link will take shoppers outside of WISBuy,
users will need to create an account with the supplier until the punchout is
finalized. Please contact Ann Hommer
at (608) 261-7014 with questions about WISBuy.
Staffing Updates
Travis
Messerschmidt joined SBOP July 8 as a Procurement Specialist in the Enterprise
IT Sourcing Section. Travis comes to DOA most recently from Trachte Building
Systems where he worked as a Delivery & Site Coordinator. In his role at
Trachte, Travis negotiated with various suppliers to coordinate delivery of
buildings to substations. This coordination involved analyzing historical data,
negotiation with suppliers and examining estimates to ensure completeness and
accuracy. Travis has a degree in Business Administration from the University of
Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Nathan
Wardinski joined SBOP July 22 as a Knowledge Management Specialist in the
Knowledge Management, Improvement and Training (KIT) Section. Nathan comes to
DOA most recently from the Department of Corrections as a Communication
Operator and at Madison College as a Writing Instructor. He also volunteers to
produce a weekly radio program for the Association of Minnesota Public
Educational Radio Stations. Nathan will have two main focuses in KIT: assisting
with the development of eLearning modules and establishing a knowledge
management framework for SBOP. Nathan received his Bachelor of Arts from the
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and his Master of Fine Arts from Minnesota
State Mankato.
Cathy
Neidner accepted the position of Consolidated Agency Purchasing Services (CAPS)
Section Chief in the State Bureau of Procurement beginning Monday, August 5.
Cathy has nearly eight years of public procurement experience with the Bureau
and over thirteen years of experience with procurement in private industry. In
her time with the Bureau, Cathy grew in her role as a Procurement Specialist
managing some of our highest spend contracts (e.g., office supplies,
furniture), improving category management strategies and continually looking
for better ways to serve the customers of her contracts. Cathy has become a
leader in the Bureau for some of our most important work, writing Governor’s
case letters for waivers, serving as a trainer for our classes and most
recently as a lead worker for the Enterprise Sourcing section. Cathy also has
significant experience as a procurement practitioner, running many RFPs and
bids for some of our most complex categories. She is a consistent volunteer for
special projects, leading the Division through its readiness efforts during the
initial STAR implementation, becoming a trainer for various procurement modules
of STAR, and many other important Bureau initiatives. When we recruited for the
next CAPS section chief, who also serves as the delegated purchasing director
for DOA and all CAPS agencies, we sought someone with a depth of procurement
knowledge who will uphold the longstanding values of CAPS as a
customer-oriented, problem-solving service provider. It is her experience and
dedication to continual improvement, superb customer service, training and
strategic communication that made Cathy a standout candidate for this position.
We have every confidence that Cathy will bring the value and leadership needed
to fill this role.