New UNSPSC Code for Grants	Monday, August 31, 2015
Bids with Open and Rolling Enrollment	Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Purchase Order Print Form Improvements	Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Streamlined Screen for Receiving	Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Release RPAs for Statewide Contract Purchases	Monday, September 14, 2015

This message reviews enhancements related to Purchase Order Print form improvements, Release RPAs for Statewide Contract purchases, and a streamlined screen for receiving.

This message also provides guidance related to RPAs to help buyers determine whether a purchase must be recorded in COMMBUYS and the appropriate method for recording the purchase.  

In response to feedback from several business users, the Purchase Order (PO) print form has been updated to help support accurate order fulfillment and delivery. Enhancements to the PO print form include the following:

• A field on the header of the Purchase Order that allows purchasers to provide special instructions to the vendor. This "Special Instructions" field will be included on the PO print form;
• The text box referring to duplicate invoices currently on the PO print form will be removed;
• The name, phone number, and email address of the purchaser will appear on the PO print form; and
• Formatting has been corrected so that the PO print form will not cut off information when printed.
• The ability for the Organization Administrator to customize the print form with a Department's logo. Guidelines and instructions will be made available in a job aid by October 1st.

OSD Training will be updating the COMMBUYS Requisition job aids to include information about the new "Special Instructions" field. Find these jobs aids in the COMMBUYS Resource Center.

OSD is in the process of identifying certain Statewide Contracts (SWCs) that, by the nature of some of the items and services offered, may necessitate entering purchases in COMMBUYS after the requested items have been acquired. For example, roadside assistance to replace a damaged tire under Statewide Contract VEH97 would be entered in COMMBUYS following the receipt of the service. 

As of September 14, 2015, buyers will use a new Requisition type, RPA Release, to document these SWC purchases. An "Open Market" RPA ("RPA" in COMMBUYS) will be used to record unanticipated purchasing for items either not available on SWC or available on SWCs that have not been RPA Release-enabled.

Requisition Type	Description	Business Scenario
RPA Release Requisition	Unanticipated purchases for items on SWC	Windshield replacement
RPA Release Requisition	Normal PO process to purchase items on SWC impractical due to a system or process currently in place	Re-stock of pharmaceuticals
Open Market RPA ("RPA" Requisition in COMMBUYS)	Unanticipated purchases for items not on SWC	Snow melting equipment purchased during a major snowstorm

The following Statewide Contracts (SWCs) will offer RPA Release functionality:

FAC82	Hazardous/Universal, Medical, and Electronic Waste Disposal and Emergency Response
MED38	Pharmaceutical Prime Vendor
MED44	Reference Laboratory Services
OVM08	Windshield and Glass Replacement for Vehicles
VEH97	Tires, Tubes, and Services

OSD COMMBUYS Use Policy for Purchasing Organizations will reflect these changes. SWC  User Guides for RPA Release-Enabled contracts will be updated as of September 14, 2015, and will offer RPA Release utilization guidance. Later this fall, OSD will develop information regarding the enablement of RPA Release for Departmental MBPOs. 

Please note: Agencies should make every attempt to use standard POs for mandated COMMBUYS purchases. RPAs should be used for exceptional cases such as an unanticipated event or when something is not able to be ordered using the standard PO process. Please refer to the section covering Guidance on Using Purchase Orders Instead of RPAs for additional information. RPA requisition use may be monitored to ensure users understand and are applying the policy accurately.

OSD Training has developed a new webinar, "RPA Release for Statewide Contract Purchases," to be offered on numerous dates beginning September 14th. Visit the OSD Training Schedule for Buyers to view webinar dates and links to registration. Find RPA job aids and a companion webcast in the COMMBUYS Resource Center as of 9/14.

OSD is aware that some SWC purchases to date, particularly those associated with staff augmentation, temporary help services, fuel oil, and phone bills have not been recorded in COMMBUYS, or have been recorded using an "Open Market" RPA.

Effective September 14, 2015, agencies should:

The Receiving function in COMMBUYS enables agencies to record full or partial receipt of goods and services centrally in an online system, eliminating risk associated with tracking paper records of partial deliveries and providing accounts payable with an accurate record against which to pay vendor invoices. New enhancements to the Receiving screen, available as of September 8th, will streamline the receiving process by consolidating a series of tabs onto one screen/tab.

OSD Training currently is offering webinars on the Receiving function. Consult the OSD Training Schedule for Buyers for webinar dates and registration links. In the COMMBUYS Resource Center, OSD offers several job aids related to Receiving including How to Receive in COMMBUYS and How to Complete a Partial Receipt in COMMBUYS.

OSD Training is providing webinar training for Organization Administrators (OAs) to review the September 2015 enhancements and implications for OAs. Organization Administrators should plan to attend one of these one-hour webinar sessions to ensure that their department is ready to fully implement the upcoming improvements.

On-line sessions will include:

• Readiness for PO print form improvements;
• Updating user roles for RPA Release and Receiving documents;
• Best practices on Bill-to/Ship-to address set up; and
• Updating approval paths and user profiles.

Access session dates and times, as well as registration links, through the OSD Training Schedule for Buyers.   

OSD, the Comptroller's Office, and MassIT are continuing our work to provide a highly secure web services interface that will support the passing of information and transactions between MMARS and COMMBUYS (Phase II). This is the first time that a web services interface will be used to connect to MMARS. Therefore, the agencies involved in implementing the MMARS interface agree that we need to proceed judiciously. To ensure that we have the best solution possible to protect against unauthorized access to either system, we will be taking some additional steps in the process which will push back the go-live date for Phase II. We will provide updates on the status of the web services interface, and we look forward to working with you in the next few weeks as we roll out enhancements to the current functionality within COMMBUYS.