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Greetings and welcome to the Fall 2023 newsletter from your Purchasing Department—serving the University of Miami's academic and research communities. In this edition, you will find new information about mandatory re-training sessions for Corporate Cards, Workday enhancements to help streamline manual processes, how to access spend by your department so we can assist you with identifying cost savings, and additional tips and information to facilitate your business life.
We are very interested in hearing from you. If you have any questions, need assistance, or have a great idea, please contact us. Our goal is to provide exemplary customer service.
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We understand the importance of good financial reporting to help departments understand their spend. Our reports help managers stay on budget by highlighting problem areas and clarifying ways to save money. To request a report, contact Pedro Silva or Anitha Raghavendrarao.
Do you have savings initiative ideas? Please contact us.
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For assistance obtaining competitive pricing when leasing equipment, send the quote, and terms and conditions to Julia Morales, Director of Treasury. To expedite processing, attach the benchmark document to the purchase requisition. Learn more about the New Equipment Lease Process.
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When looking for a new product or supplier for laboratory supplies, please first check the VWR catalog in UMarketplace. VWR carries over 3,000,000 products. View resources.
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The Optifreight program helps departments save money on freight. Purchasing can work with our suppliers to ensure the University is being charged the appropriate shipping fees. To research a specific supplier, send an email request to Nora Armas, Purchasing Buyer, along with the supplier's name.
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Avisare's Regional Marketplace is a software platform that allows us to post bids and RFPs for our minority supplier communities. Regional Marketplace Anchor Members spend over $10 billion annually on goods and services. New RFPs are posted on the Marketplace monthly. We are committed to expanding access to these contracts to small, minority-owned businesses. The 11 Regional Marketplace Anchor Members include Broward College, Broward County, Broward County Public Schools, Broward Health, The City of Miami, FIU, Jackson Health System, Miami-Dade County, Miami Dade County Public Schools, UHealth, and the University of Miami.
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For contract pricing, before creating a requisition check out the list of University-wide agreements and major contracts:
- Bottled Water - Canteen
- Water Coolers and Jugs - Blue Triton
- Coffee - Canteen
- Catering (Coral Gables) - Compass Group ("Chartwells"/P15451009)
- Desktop Computers, Laptop Computers, and Software – Dell
- Laboratory and Medical Gasses – Airgas
- Inbound Shipping – Optifreight
- Office Supplies – Staples
- Printing for Stationery – Print Farm
- Promotional Items – Bilmor
- Research and Laboratory Supplies – VWR
- Secure Document Destruction – Shred-it
- Secure Document Storage - Iron Mountain
- Translation Services for non-Medical Documents (Parent Contracts):
For questions regarding contracts, contact Sourcing.
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UM drivers will now be responsible for paying their own citations. Drivers who are issued traffic citations, parking fines, or moving violations while operating a University of Miami affiliated vehicle will be personally responsible for paying all costs with the clerk of court listed on the citation. Drivers having unsatisfactory driving records as determined by the Department of Risk Management, may have their privileges for driving University affiliated vehicles suspended or revoked.
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End users can now view the full PO process and resources. Each step contains step specific examples, tips, tutorials, and corresponding contacts. For assistance, contact the Purchasing Help Desk.
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Prior to onboarding on a new supplier:
- Search for an existing supplier that is already active in Workday; this may include diverse suppliers.
- Purchasing Buyers can also recommend suppliers that are already Active in Workday.
- If a New Supplier Request form does need to be submitted, first gather the email, phone, and name of the rep that will be completing the supplier's profile and the company's W-9. This can prevent unknown delays in the process. Then complete the New Supplier Request Form, using the rep's information and attaching the W-9.
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Take the next step in building your purchasing skill set by learning about Purchasing processes and related tasks. The following classes and drop-in labs are now available in ULearn:
- Purchasing 101 Webinar
- Supplier Onboarding Drop-In Lab
- Purchasing Department Contracts
- Purchasing Card (PCard) Training & Refresher
- University Travel Card Program (US Bank)
- Purchase Order Policies (Coming 2024)
- Corporate Card Policies (Coming 2024)
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Before closing a PO, confirm that all invoices have been paid. If you are unable to close a purchase order, reach out to your Cost Center Manager or an employee with the Procurement Data Entry Specialist (PDES) security role for assistance. Note: POs that have not been closed by the department will appear on the fiscal year-end financial report. For assistance closing a PO, contact the Purchasing Help Desk.
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Learn when to use a Purchase Requisition, PCard, Travel Card, or Expense Reimbursement. Team members from Purchasing and Accounts Payable have revised this document and continue to add more information to assist employees with the proper payment selection. View grouped commodities, examples, and exemptions in the Payment Matrix.
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When paying with University funds, the commodity being purchased will determine the payment request process. Save time by understanding when to submit a "New Supplier Request" form for POs versus when to create a "Supplier Request" to process a non-PO payment. Despite the similar names, these processes are different. View the Processes comparison.
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Due to the success of the Town Hall meetings in 2023, we will be communicating new dates for 2024 soon. The sessions will provide valuable information to both PCard and Travel Card holders. Attendees will include representatives from Corporate Cards Office, Purchasing, and Supply Chain.
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The IT department provides the structure and oversight needed to accomplish effective integrations of technology into University operations. An IT Project Request (also known as a Demand) must be submitted by the requesting department to the respective campus IT department prior to purchasing many items. View examples.
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The Corporate Card Services office will be notified if a cardholder has been approved for a leave of absence. Please be advised that, while the cardholder is on leave, their Purchasing Card or Travel Card must be suspended. Learn more.
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Cardholder Draft Alert – Alerts have been created to inform cardholders when a transaction is in Draft mode. This will assist with completing the reconciliation process in a timely manner and avoiding the card from being suspended.
Workday Memo – The Memo Field located on the PCard Verification form is now required. This allows approvers to view the details of the transaction.
Leave of Absence Alerts – To mitigate card usage when a cardholder is out on leave, a report is now provided to the Corporate Card. Once HR has approved a Leave of Absence (LOA), the Corporate Card Services (CCS) office will be notified electronically. For confidentiality purposes, only the date range is provided. Corporate Cards will send an email to the cardholder and supervisor advising that the card will be closed 14 days prior to the leave and suggested for business continuity that the department be prepared to use an alternate card or assign another person to acquire a card. The CCS office will contact the cardholder going on leave once the notification is provided to establish the date the card will be suspended. The card will be suspended until the person returns and an email notifying CCS from the supervisor authorizing to reinstate.
Clearance Checklist Report – CCS now receives a report advising when an employee is leaving the University. This assures that all transactions are completely submitted and approved prior to the employee exiting the University. As stated in the User Agreement, if transactions are not submitted prior to leaving these charges may be considered personal and could lead to payroll deductions and/or taxable.
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Transactions generally appear in Workday within three to five business days. Please make sure all verifications or expenses are completely approved prior to 61 days or the card will be suspended until transactions are completely approved.
It is highly recommended that cardholders/submitters check Workday at least once a week, then start the reconciliation soon after to avoid possible delays with the approval process.
Account reinstatement is not automatic. A cardholder's supervisor will need to send an email approving reinstatement to pcard.ap@miami.edu or travelcard.ap@miami.edu. View the checklist.
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Stay current with the latest policies and procedures that could affect your transactions from being completed or approved by the Corporate Cards Office or Disbursements. For a quick view of the most recent communications, see What's New with PCards and What's New with Travel Cards.
For a more detailed list of commodities and authorized payment types, view the Payment Matrix. Be sure to provide merchants with the University of Miami Tax Exempt Number at the time of purchase. Failure to do so could cost the end-users time and money. Refer to the Purchasing Card and Travel Card websites for guidelines.
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This form has been updated and can only be used twice in a fiscal year. Complete this form when a receipt cannot be obtained. It is important that all receipts must be kept and attached to the reconciliation of the Corporate Card transaction.
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Corporate Card Services has launched a new UService request form for exceptions. The new form allows requesters visibility on all collaboration with UMIT/UHIT, Risk Management, Communications, and Supply Chain to implement reviewal of requests for items that need to be moved to the PO process.
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All cardholders that completed the 1-hour PCard course in ULearn before March 1, 2023, are required to complete the Purchasing Card (PCard) Refresher Training. This half-hour course has been assigned in ULearn and appears under My Transcripts. Attendees will be provided with an overview of important cardholder information such as updates surrounding compliance, policies, and procedures. This course is required every two years. If a cardholder does not complete the refresher course by January 26, 2024, the card will be suspended until the class is completed.
- Purchasing Card (PCard) Refresher Training – Register (Search keywords: PCard Refresher)
- Travel Card (TCard) Refresher Training – Coming Spring 2024
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Once the termination process is initiated in Workday the cardholder, supervisor, and Cost Center Manager will begin receiving daily email alerts. These alerts provide a list of all outstanding transactions which must be transferred to another cardholder in the department or submitted and completely approved prior to the last day of employment. For more information, view the Cardholder's User Guide or contact pcard.ap@miami.edu or travelcard.ap@miami.edu.
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Corporate Card Services is implementing a three-strike violation policy. Cardholders with three personal charges or any other form of misuse as documented in the Cardholder's User Guide will result in a cancelled card. The supervisor, Cost Center Manager (CCM), or Senior Business Manager (SBM) will receive email notification of the violations. Human Resources will be notified of the violations and upon review could lead to card suspension, cancellation, and disciplinary action. Once an account is cancelled, the cardholder cannot reapply indefinitely. For questions contact pcard.ap@miami.edu or travelcard.ap@miami.edu.
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- Should a cardholder not reconcile transactions within the standard 60 days, the card will be suspended until reconciliations are submitted and completely approved. To reinstate a card that has been suspended, the supervisor must send an email to pcard.ap@miami.edu or travelcard.ap@miami.edu requesting activation after all the past due charges have been submitted and completely approved. Should a card remain suspended for six months or more the card will be canceled.
- If a card is suspended three times due to non-reconciliation the card will be canceled.
- Personal charges are not allowed. Should a card be used for personal gain three times, the card will be canceled, and HR notified of the violations. Further disciplinary action may be warranted after review.
- The University of Miami is tax-exempt. Many purchases can be completed without having to pay sales tax. To view tax exempt instructions, visit the Controller's website.
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Concur, the University's Travel portal system, does not allow for multiple forms of payment for a round trip airline ticket. For assistance with multiple forms of payment, contact a World Travel agent at 1-888-206-6044 or UMiami@worldtravelinc.com.
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- Personal charges
- Flash drives, software, computers, and computer hardware
- Storage rentals (Real Estate Office)
- Rental equipment
- Gift cards
- Expenses submitted after 12 months.
- Incidental expenses (e.g., taxi, public transportation) without receipts, expenses cannot exceed $75 in total per trip
- Life events such as birthday parties and baby/wedding shower expenses
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It is a conflict of interest when University personnel use their positions for purposes of obtaining private gain for themselves or others, such as those with whom they have family, business, or other ties. Review the Supplier Onboarding policy.
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Departments requiring medical grade gasses for research protocols must obtain an exemption letter before creating a purchase requisition. The State of Florida requires each user ordering medical gases to have an exemption letter. Example gases include oxygen, carbon dioxide, and liquid nitrogen. To avoid any delays in obtaining the exemption letter, please submit the application four months in advance. Airgas cannot deliver gases unless they have received a copy of the exemption letter on file. To obtain an exemption letter, submit an application.
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For computer hardware and accessories, UM has competitive catalogs in UMarketplace:
- Dell
- Apple
- CDW-G
- Connection (previously PC Solutions)
- Cisco (contact UMIT/UHIT)
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To help expedite computer hardware and software orders, contact the following:
Software requires prior approval from IT – UMIT/UHIT.
Spend Categories – When creating a requisition for hardware or software, please use the correct spend category. For example, computer equipment is considered "Capital" when the cost is $5,000 or more and has a life span of over a year.
- Computer Hardware and Software Non-Capital – SC08235
- UM-Owned Movable Capital Equipment – SC09427
- Computer Accessories – SC08240
- Computer Maintenance Agreement – SC008551
- Expendable Minor Equipment – SC08226
- Licenses – SC08720
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Please be aware, there are only a handful of employees that are authorized to sign documents on behalf of the University. These include contracts, agreements, quotes, estimates, and more. For more information regarding delegation of contracting approval and signature authority, view the Purchasing Policy.
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Departments requesting a contract PO for a supplier with a TikTok account, must disclose it to their Purchasing or Sourcing Team. These University contracts will need to include additional terms and conditions to comply with the Federal interim rule. This applied to all University business, even when it is unrelated to the social media outlet.
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During the 48th Business Impact Awards on September 22, 2023, this award was presented by the Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council to a local and national corporation. The Corporation of the Year demonstrates commitment to minority purchasing, technical, and managerial assistance and support of minority programs. The University of Miami established its Business Development Program to recognize the many challenges diversity suppliers face in attempting to meet the unique business and technology requirements of the University. The idea was to connect the University, minority, and women-owned businesses, and the small-business community. Today, the Supplier Diversity Program is proud to expand on the wonderful work of the Business Development Program by renewing the University of Miami's commitment and goal of identifying quality suppliers that reflect the full diversity of this multicultural community. The Supplier Diversity Program will continue to seek out goods and services at the most reasonable price consistent with quality, delivery, and service, in addition to assisting suppliers in navigating the University's procurement process. View the video announcement.
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This form is required when goods or services have been obtained before the purchase order was fully approved in Workday. The requester needs to complete and obtain all signatures. Then provide it to the requisition submitter to attach. Purchasing will review and may request additional information. Please refer to the Unauthorized Purchases form and the Purchasing Policy.
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University Purchasing policy now requires all orders over $75,000 to have three quotes from competitive suppliers attached to the purchase requisition. Purchasing can assist in obtaining additional quotes. A formal Bid or RFP process will be initiated by Purchasing if necessary.
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Brandon Bond is our newest Assistant Buyer. He answers the main Purchasing Department phone line and will be assisting with orders under assigned commodities. Brandon reports to Annette Arriera, Senior Buyer.
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Purchasing is now scheduling departmental Q&A sessions custom to your department. To schedule a session for your department, please email Ignacio Calle.
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Prior to submitting a requisition, contact the corresponding office to obtain approval. To expedite the process, attach the approval to the requisition.
Alcohol - Sypress Davis from Risk Management
Database Rights - Tiffany-Ashley Disney from Office of Technology Transfer
Exported Goods - Bill Collins from Compliance
Facilities Repairs - John Tallon and Sonia Baquero from Facilities & Operations
Furniture and Furnishings:
UM Logos, promotional items, social media, websites, advertisement, photography/videography, and related items - Angie Villanueva from University Communications
Hardware and Software:
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