BearBuy Updates

April 2014

Dear BearBuy Users,

We would like to inform you of a few important updates. Please review the topics below and follow the links or scroll down for more information on each topic.

This month's BearBuy News:

BFS Purchase Order Closure Update - FINAL NOTICE
New!! Catering in BearBuy
20-30 Webinar Training Series
Upcoming In-Class Trainings
Life Technologies Delivery Delay: April 18-20
"Did you know?" Useful BearBuy Tips

If you have any questions, please contact the Help Desk at

510-664-9000 (options 1,2,1) or BearBuyHelp@berkeley.edu for immediate assistance.

Thank you for your continued support,

Vanessa Wong

Director of Operations and Technology

UCSF and UC Berkeley Campus Procurement

1. BFS Purchase Order Closure Update - FINAL NOTICE

By May 15, 2014 remaining BFS POs will be closed, with the exception of Real Estate Services POs.

To View POs for Closure

On the BearBuy webpage , scroll to the BFS PO Closure section. Navigate to the link for the list of remaining active Purchase Orders to identify the POs in your unit that are affected.

Referencing BFS POs Reminder

If remaining activity is needed on the PO, a BearBuy PO must be created. When creating the BearBuy PO, the BFS PO number MUST BE referenced on the BearBuy PO through the Requisition Summary tab. If you do not provide the BFS PO number, it will be difficult for Disbursements to match any subsequent invoices to the appropriate PO and payment to the supplier may be delayed.

Go to Requisition>Summary
In the General section, click the edit button
Enter the BFS PO number in the Dept Ref No. and click Save

Special Handling for Subaward POs

To replace a BFS sub-award PO with a BearBuy sub-award PO, Requisition Creators should obtain the following information from their Research Administrators: existing BFS PO number, sub-award number, and encumbrance amount.

Requisition Creators should ensure that Research Administrators communicate the new BearBuy sub-award PO number to the sub-award recipient for future billing.

BFS PO Closure Assistance

If you need any assistance or guidance with creating new BearBuy POs or the BFS PO closure update, please contact the Help Desk Mon-Fri 8AM to 5PM, (510) 664-9000, Option 1, Option 2, Option 1 or at bearbuyhelp@berkeley.edu.

2. New!! Catering In BearBuy

In early May, Procurement and Accounts Payable will launch a new catalog for ordering, approving and paying for catering and entertainment within BearBuy. The catalog will include:

Over 30 local restaurants and caterers
Searching by cuisine
Automatic payment for matching invoices under $1,000.00

There will be a Town Hall in April to show case the catalog and business processes. Seating is limited so please register to attend the town hall and learn more about this new functionality.

April 29, 10:00-11:30 a.m.: University Hall, Room 150 Please Register Here.

In addition, training materials will be available on the BearBuy website under Training Courses and Instructional Resources in late April.

America To Go will be on campus holding tasting events for departments in April and May. Tastings are great opportunities for faculty and staff to try new caterers, see their presentation, sample their food and often meet caterer representatives in a low risk environment. America To Go staff are also on hand to answer any questions and provide more information about the program. If you would like to attend or host a tasting event for your department, please contact Carolyn Greer at carolyn.greer@americatogo.com.

3. 20-30 Webinar Training Series

Operations & Technology will be launching a 20-30 BearBuy Webinar Training Series. The goal of the 20-30 series is to provide greater insight on BearBuy process and procedures based on system functionality. Each webinar session is tailored to provide a short in depth review of a specific topic/issue. Each session is scheduled for 30 minutes (15 for concepts and functionality overview and 15 for questions).

Below are the upcoming sessions and their unique webinar sign up. All sessions are scheduled on Wednesdays, from 1:30 to 2:00 pm.

After The Fact Form vs Payment Request Form: The Purpose and Usage of Each

Wednesday, April 30 from 1:30-2:00 p.m.

This webinar will go over the purpose of each form. We'll review each forms unique workflow and recommend when to use which form.

To register for this webinar, click here!

Top 3 Change Order Errors and How to Avoid Them

Wednesday, May 14, 1:30-2:00 p.m.

This webinar will look at the top 3 change order errors seen on campus. We'll review the cause of each error, how to resolve the errors and how to prevent them for occurring again!

To register for this webinar, click here!

How to resolve a Match Exception

Wednesday, May 28th, 1:30-2:00 p.m.

This webinar will go over the basic fundamental questions that need to be asked when resolving a match exception. We'll also recommend which steps to take first (communication, research, etc) to best resolve a match exception quickly and effectively!

To register for this webinar, click here !

4. Upcoming In-Class Trainings

Tuesday, April 22 BEESS965-140422 BearBuy Requisition Creator
Thursday, April 24 BEESS966-140424 BearBuy Authorizer and Requisition Approver

5. Life Technologies Delivery Delays: April 18-20

Life Technologies will be upgrading their ordering systems beginning April 17 at 5:00 p.m. through April 20. Orders can be placed during this period, but the orders will be pending until the Life Technologies system is active-no later than Monday, April 21. Please expect delays for orders placed between April 17 (5:00 p.m.) - April 20.

If you need your products between April 18 and April 22, please place your orders before April 16 to minimize disruption to your product delivery (normal delivery turn-around applies)
Order confirmations may not be sent until the Life Technologies ordering system is active again

6. "Did you know?" Useful BearBuy Tips

Useful BearBuy Tip: Fulfillment and Remittance Address

Q: What is the difference between a fulfillment address and a remittance address for a supplier?

A: A fulfillment address (also called an order address) is the supplier specified address that will fulfill the order. Some suppliers have more than one fulfillment address. A Shopper or REQ Creator can edit the fulfillment address if more than one exists for a supplier. When processing transactions in BearBuy, Shoppers and REQ Creators will be able to view and edit fulfillment addresses for a supplier.

Example: Changing a fulfillment address for a supplier on a Non-Catalog Form.

A remittance address is where payment for the supplier invoice is sent. Accounts Payable will select from the supplier's remittance addresses when creating the voucher to ensure the payment is sent to the address listed on the supplier invoice. Only Voucher Preparers are able to view and edit the remittance addresses when entering the voucher.