Procurement Services
HAPPENING NOW
UD Procurement is excited to announce an upgrade to Concur Travel that will roll out the week of November 18! Some users may have already had a preview of the new version, and this update will be permanently in place starting November 19.
What to Expect: This upgrade is mostly cosmetic but includes several useful enhancements. Highlights include:
-Expanded details for airline, hotel, and car bookings
-Access to direct bookings with multiple airlines
-Options to bundle additional costs like seat selection and baggage fees
Planned Downtime: To facilitate the update, Concur Travel will be temporarily unavailable from November 19 at 3:00 p.m. ET until November 20 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Thank you for your patience as we work to improve your travel booking experience!
UD Procurement is pleased to announce the launch of the UD Master Fedex account.
In order to take advantage of significant Fedex savings, you must create a department account which is linked to the UD master account. Please follow the instructions in this document which walk you through set up with FedEx using the New Fedex Account Request Form, which will take approximately 7-10 days. Once your account is set up, this document will also supply you with information on scheduling shipments and Fedex customer service. Additional customer support and contact information can be found here.
If you already have an established Fedex account, there is no action to take at this time. All existing UD accounts with FedEx have been moved under the Omnia pricing contract.
For further questions, please reach out to Dennis DeMarino, Associate Director of Procurement (UD) at ddema@udel.edu or Del Walker, Senior Account Executive (Fedex) at dwalker@fedex.com.
Starting November 01, 2024, Procurement Services will implement new measures to enhance the check payment delivery process. As part of this change, all check pickups will require prior approval from Procurement Services. To request approval, you can add a comment to the requisition in UD Exchange, Web form, or send the request to procurement@udel.edu. Once approved, checks will be available for pickup at the Cashier's Office the next day after printing, usually on Thursdays. These changes aim to simplify our processes and ensure greater accountability.
Please be advised that the check pick-up request should be limited to urgent situations, wherein the supplier exclusively requires a hand-delivered check or in exceptional circumstances. Additionally, Accounts Payable can send supporting documentation along with the check to aid in applying the payment accurately if additional attachments are not listed on the check remittance advice.
Checks can be picked up the following day after printing at the Cashier’s Office, located at 30 Lovett Ave, Newark, DE 19716, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please ensure to have your UDID or a valid form of identification when picking up the check.
We are pleased to announce a new contract with United Airlines (including Air New Zealand, Air Canada, ANA, Lufthansa, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, and Swiss). Below are the benefits and discounts available:
Discounts
- 8% off high-tier fares
- 4% off domestic mid-tier fares
- 2% off international mid-tier fares
- Discounts for both domestic and international travel at various levels
MileagePlus Benefits
Travelers can continue earning MileagePlus benefits.
Corporate Ticket Flexibility
Name changes are allowed on tickets.
Personal Travel Discounts
Up to 10% off personal travel with Break from Business discounts.
Important Notes:
To take advantage of these United Airlines discounts, please book your tickets via Concur or by calling World Travel directly. Tickets booked through third-party vendors will not be eligible for discounts.
United will review our travel volume in six months for the potential of even better discounts, so it's critical that all bookings are made through the proper channels.
Stay tuned for updates on our ongoing negotiations with American, Southwest, and Delta.
All UD travel should be booked through World Travel (855-215-8312) or online via Concur for several important reasons:
1. Duty of Care:
Booking through World Travel/Concur allows your travel information to be shared with UD's Crisis Management company. This enables the university to locate and assist travelers during crises. If booked outside these channels, this safety measure is unavailable.
2. Negotiation Benefits:
Travel booked through World Travel/Concur helps UD negotiate discounts with airlines, hotels, and future agencies. Outside bookings don't contribute to these discounts, making it harder to achieve lower fares for future travelers.
3. Preservation of UD Assets:
Unused airline tickets booked through World Travel/Concur are considered UD assets and can be reused. However, tickets booked directly or via third-party platforms are lost to the university if unused.
Conclusion:
To ensure safety, cost savings, and asset management, all future travel reservations should be made through World Travel or Concur.
If you did not update the home address field in your Concur profile or make arrangements with the procurement team prior to March 31, 2024, your card will not be renewed in July 2024 and you'll need to request a new one. Your current card will be active until the expiration date.
As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with the University's cardholder policy, we wish to provide a gentle reminder and offer some recommendations to facilitate adherence.
In recent audit reviews, we have identified several instances of non-compliance with the University's cardholder policy. Specifically, we have observed transactions that could have been facilitated through UD Exchange (UDX), where our Procurement team has negotiated contracts with vendors, thereby securing favorable terms and discounts. We emphasize the importance of utilizing UDX as the primary avenue for procuring goods and services, reserving the use of the UD credit card for emergency or travel-related expenses only.
Furthermore, please observe the following guidelines:
- Limit card purchases for goods and services, excluding travel, to low-value departmental items, with UDX being the preferred sourcing platform.
- UDX offers streamlined and easy access to catalogs of contracted suppliers that minimizes touchpoints.
- Purchases that require advanced documentation such as insurance, service level agreements, and pricing quotes must be initiated via UDX.
- Ensure that service engagements related to IT (equipment, software, licenses, and subscriptions), capital equipment, independent contractors, entertainers, gasoline, and hazard-related purchases are not processed through the credit card but instead directed to the Procurement team.
- Strictly refrain from using the UD credit card for personal charges or initiating recurring charges.
Please be aware that failure to comply with the University’s card usage policy may result in revocation and possible disciplinary action, including termination of employment, and potentially legal consequences.
To mitigate the risk of inadvertent personal use of the card, we recommend the following practices:
- Avoid setting up recurring charges or subscription services using the UD credit card.
- Refrain from storing UD credit card details on personal accounts with online vendors, food delivery services, accommodation companies, or ride-sharing platforms.
- Create separate business accounts when using the UD credit card for online transactions, avoiding the use of personal accounts.
- If in doubt, reach out to the procurement department at procurement@udel.edu.
We appreciate your attention to these matters and your cooperation in upholding the University's policies. Should you have any questions or require further assistance, please feel free to reach out to us.
Procurement Services hosts Zoom drop-in help sessions exclusively for UD Employees. These sessions are staffed with representatives from all areas of Procurement to answer your questions and provide hands-on guidance while you share your screen.
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Wendy Craven is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. |
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Phone one-tap: |
US: +16468769923,,98444545196# or +16469313860,,98444545196# |
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Join by Telephone |
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For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location. |
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984 4454 5196 |
Please note there will not be a training in the month of October 2024.
Ever heard the words MBE, WBE, SBE, diverse business or supplier diversity, and frankly don’t know what they mean? Would you like to engage with more diverse businesses and don’t know where to start?
Yes? Then a Supplier Diversity Training Session will provide you the information you need.
You’ll learn about UD’s Supplier Diversity Program, why it’s important, how you can participate, what all those acronyms mean and how to engage small and diverse businesses!
Beginning 2/19/2024, training will be offered via Zoom on the 3rd Monday of each month from 10:00am-10:45am. There will not be a training in the month of October 2024.
If you have any questions, please contact vdaniels@udel.edu.
Zoom link https://udel.zoom.us/j/94516092227
Procurement Systems
Operating normally.
Operating normally.
Please also bookmark http://open.concur.com for outage information.
Operating normally.
Operating normally.
Did You Know?
IRS 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC tax forms for calendar year 2023 have been mailed by the University. If a supplier or individual payee has not received their 1099 by February 15th, 2024 and they were expecting one, please direct them to complete this form to create a ticket for Procurement to investigate.
UD Declining Balance Cards will expire at the end of March 2024. College/Unit business leads will be notified when the replacement cards are available for pick-up at the Cashier’s Office with photo ID. Any Declining Balance Cards that have not been used in the last 18 months will not be renewed. If a cardholder’s Declining Balance Card is not renewed due to inactivity and they have a need for one in the future, they may apply for a new card.
UD Credit Cards will expire at the end of July 2024. Replacement UD Credit Cards will be shipped directly to cardholders. Prior to March 31, 2024, the cardholder must log into Concur and update their Home Address in the Personal Settings section of their Concur Profile to the address where they would like their card delivered. Any cardholder that does not have an updated Home Address in their Concur Profile by March 31 will not receive a replacement card and will need to request a new one.
Save up to 65% on select Thermo Scientific™ laboratory equipment, including freezers, incubators, centrifuges, and more. This Promo runs through September 30. Visit fishersci.com/eureka to learn more.
The IRS rate for mileage for use of a personal vehicle while conducting business will be increased to 67 cents per mile in 2024.
Research Incentive Payments
In an effort to provide clarity for the campus community when requesting research related payments, Procurement Services has partnered with the Research Office and the Controller's Office to create a new account code (149251) named Research Incentive Payment. A Research Incentive Payment is defined as a "payment to motivate or encourage participation in research studies or sponsored activity projects by providing data/information through interaction with UD. Including but not limited to participation in surveys, interviews, and lesson planning". The existing account code (149250) has been renamed as Human Subject Payment and is only to be used to make a payment to a human subject for time and efforts in participation in clinical trial. Please review the Non-PO Payment matrix in the Purchasing & Payments Resources section of the Training & Resources page for additional details.
Have you seen a Payment Voucher placed on hold with a comment referencing an "ACH Exception"?
In some cases, Procurement must validate new or updated banking information provided by a supplier before a payment can be released. This is a measure to mitigate fraud and ensure that accurate banking information is being used. There is no further action required by the departmental end user. The process is internal to Procurement, and involves independent verification of the information at our discretion. UD departments should not reach out to their supplier contact in an attempt to provide assistance in resolving the matter, as it interferes with the independent verification process. If ACH payment information is unable to be successfully verified within 14 days, the payment method may be converted to a physical check payment to avoid further disbursement delays.
Employee Reimbursements to UD
A Cashnet form form is available for employees to reimburse UD for personal expenses they charged to their UD Credit Cards in error.
Employees now have the option to pay online via ACH using their banking information as an alternative to submitting a Cash Transmittal webform with a check or cash.
Please remember that erroneous personal charges on the UD Credit Card must first be allocated to account code L1NDTE on a Concur expense report and submitted for approval prior to using either the CashNet form or the Cash Transmittal webform to return the funds.
Additionally, making timely reimbursements to UD will prevent processing delays with future expense reports.
Do you pay awards to students or third parties?
Our new document regarding Award Processes should answer any questions you may have about making these payments. As always, please direct any concerns to procurement@udel.edu.
Do you pay undergraduate students for summer research? Are you confused about whether you onboard them as employees, pay them in UD Exchange or pay them via a Payment to Individual webform? Want to know what attachments and approvals are needed?
Together with the Research Office and Payroll we have put together a guide to help! Refer to the REU-Stipend Decision Chart to learn how to get your research students paid quickly! Please email procurement@udel.edu with any questions.
Procurement Services has approved a new process for handling of freight charges in UD Exchange.
Although we still recommend making provision for freight on the requisition, failure to do so will not hold up payment of the invoice any longer while a change request is initiated and processed. Please note that the process has not changed for webforms.
Per the University of Delaware Class I Movable Equipment Policy 5-10, Fabricated equipment is composed of material purchased for the purpose of building, constructing or assembling of Class I equipment that will be so identified upon completion. Class I equipment at the University of Delaware will include those items in which material costs alone are $5,000 or more, and will not include labor costs.
The above conditions must be met in order to utilize account codes 153100 (Parts-Equipment Fabrication) or 153101 (Equipment Fabricated-External). Account 153100 is utilized when fabricating equipment that will be utilized and capitalized by UD. Account 153101 is utilized when fabricating equipment that will be transferred to an outside entity and will not be utilized or capitalized by UD.
In order to reduce the amount of rejected requisitions, please provide an internal justification on what is being fabricated and how the above conditions will be met. If you have questions on the use of these accounts, please contact Susan Bledsoe at sbledsoe@udel.edu prior to completing the requisition for guidance.
When buying gift cards on behalf of the University, please ensure that the purchase is in accordance with University Policy 3-23 regarding gifts to external parties.
Gift cards are considered by the IRS to be taxable income for the recipient and should therefore not be purchased for University employees.
Electronic gift cards should be sent directly to the intended recipient, not the University employee purchasing the card.
The University department issuing gift cards should maintain a log recording every gift card purchased along with the gift card recipient’s first and last name, the dollar value of the gift card issued as well as the purpose for which the gift card was issued.
- The log and related information should be attached to the Concur expense report as business justification for the purchase.
Gift cards should never be given in exchange for services rendered to the University.
If the total value of all gift cards and other payments issued to an individual exceed $600 in a calendar year, this should be reported to the University’s Accounts Payable manager for tax reporting purposes.
Regarding gift card purchases on Amazon specifically: due to the potential risks involved with the purchase and issuance of gift cards, unusual gift card purchases may be investigated by Amazon’s risk prevention team which will require additional verification in order to proceed with the purchase. Please contact Procurement if you are anticipating an unusual gift card purchase on Amazon.
The University has centralized Amazon purchasing under an Amazon Business Prime Account, accessible in UD Exchange as a punchout shopping site.
Please remember, use of the Amazon Business Prime account can never be used for personal use and all purchases made from Amazon should be through the Amazon Business account.
Please refer to the Amazon help guides in the UD Exchange Punchout Supplier section of the Training & Resources page.