Included in this issue:
 
--Prepare for Biennium Close—
 
--News from Procurement Services—
… Transition of small purchases (under $3300) to eCommerce
… Four new catalogs in eProcurement
… eCommerce continues to upgrade –
… New webpage for invoices over $10,000
 
--News from Creative Communications—
… Mailing Services in Line for Hybrid Trucks
… Record Breaking Volumes in Mail Preparation
… Enhancing Art and Data File Storage

--In other news --
 … Travel Flies to New Heights with the Release of eTravel!
  … New Reporting Tools for MyFD
  … Provisional F&A Rates Begin July 1, 2009
  … Non Research ARRA Reporting
  … Introducing: Free Recycled Envelopes on Friday!
 … Records Management Training to come!

 
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Prepare for Biennium Close
 
Are you ready for the biennium close?
Please check out our Biennium Close web page at http://www.washington.edu/admin/finserv/payables/bienniumclose.html and the new June Newsletters for more information about:

• a new, online Biennium Close Awareness eLearning tool
• MyFD's Biennium Close Calendar  and a new, interactive demonstration
• MyFD's Special Biennium Close edition of their eNewsletter
• Additional information about Grant & Contract Accounting’s deadline for CTI, ISD and JVs
• GCA will not be able to set up new budgets or make changes to existing budgets on July 6 & 7.

Please contact Procurement Customer Service at pcshelp@u.washington.edu  or 543-4500 with any questions.

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News from Procurement Services
Transition of small purchases (under $3300)
Effective July 1, 2009 all purchase orders created under the Washington State Direct Buy Limit of $3300 will require justification in the PAS system to note why the items or services could not be purchased through eProcurement or a department Procurement Card.  Read more at http://www.washington.edu/admin/finserv/directbuy.html

Please contact Procurement Customer Service at pcshelp@u.washington.edu  or 543-4500 with any questions.

eProcurement is pleased to announce four new catalogs –

•  Clark Security our new maintenance and repair operations punch-out catalog, which offers mechanical locking hardware, access control and key systems.
• Fermentas our newest Life Science hosted catalog, which offers molecular biologicals and services to the international research community
• Arnold Dental our new Dental hosted catalog, which offers dental equipment and supplies
• Bank & Office Interiors (B&OI) is the largest, full-service, office furniture retailer in the region. The new punchout site features special quotes as well as standard items in the furniture commodity.


Suppliers on the horizon in the Life Science category are ISC BioExpress, ABI, and EMD.  For more information please visit www.washington.edu/admin/stores/eprocurement/ <http://www.washington.edu/admin/stores/eprocurement/>  or contact Procurement Customer Services at pcshelp@u  <mailto:pcshelp@u.washington.edu?subject=Question%20from%20the%20website> or by phone at 206.543.4500.
 
eCommerce continues to upgrade –
eCommerce is excited to announce the upcoming implementation of electronic invoicing, the fix for the splitting orders in eProcurement.  In early August eProcurement will be rolling out electronic invoicing, which will not only stop the splitting of orders, but will give campus full visibility to supplier invoices.
 
In addition to eProcurement enhancements, the UW ProCurement Card has a couple of significant enhancements coming in the middle of August. Use tax is reversing its functionality. The column will be labeled “ADD USE TAX”. A checked box will add use tax to the transaction. The other improvement is with the Cost Accounting string in PaymentNet. Cost accounting categories will be changed to replicate the sequence in MyFinancial Desktop; Task/Option/Project. We are planning on holding information forums in mid July so stay tuned for more information soon.
 
For more information, contact David Wright (6-7076), Laurie Hunt (5-3566) or contact Procurement Customer Service at pcshelp@u.washington.edu.  
 
Do you have an open invoice over $10,000 waiting for your approval?
Invoices $10,000 and greater require an authorized department approval before payment can be released.  See if you have a pending invoice at www.washington.edu/admin/finserv/payables/bienniumNonRIP.html <http://www.washington.edu/admin/finserv/payables/bienniumNonRIP.html>

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News from Creative Communications….
 

Mailing Services in Line for Hybrid Trucks
Pending a grant award to UW Fleet Services, campus mail will soon be delivered in hybrid box trucks that use less energy and reduce noise and air pollution. Joles Tahara, Manager of Program Operations and Ann Eskridge, Assistant Director of Transportation Services at Motor Pool are seeking the grant that will allow these “green” trucks to be purchased for the same cost now being paid for gas powered vehicles. If successful, Mailing Services will be the first department on campus to have the hybrid trucks.  
For more information, contact Steven Roberts, 206-616-9011, stevenr@washington.edu
 
Record Breaking Volumes in Mail Preparation
New votes of confidence and the opportunity to save money have brought unprecedented business surge to Creative Communications’ Mail Preparation, who sort and address mail to be placed in the mail stream in a manner that will provide optimal money savings to the University. Both the UW Alumni Association and UW Extension switched from using outside providers for their high profile mailings. As a result, more than 180,000 UWAA membership solicitation and renewal packets have been processed (including personalized data from Creative Communication’s digital press) and more than 680,000 UW Extension catalogs.
For more information, contact Sam Somphet, 206-626-2688, ssomphet@u.washington.edu


Enhancing Art and Data File Storage
On July 17th, Creative Communications will be revising the process customers use to submit their important art and data files to Creative Communications for production.   In the past, client files have been stored and maintained on a secure File Transfer Protocol (FTP) site. The new system will allow the same security along with greater ease in tracking files and associating them with specific service requests. Ongoing communications are being sent to customers preparing them for the transition.  
 
For more information contact Heather Prenevost at heatherp@washington.edu or 206-543-1663.

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In other News….
Travel Flies to New Heights with the Release of eTravel!
Currently the Travel Office is in the process of a controlled roll out of the new online travel reimbursement system, eTravel, which went live in February 2009. There are already 45 departments using the system with another 15 ready to start by mid-July.  We anticipate complete campus roll out by early 2010.
 
Reimbursements appear in your traveler’s hands as well as on your budgets faster than they ever have before. Interested in gaining access or getting a demonstration/training? Email the Travel Office at traveluw@u.washington.edu. We’ll get you started.

New Reporting Tools –
Finance and Facilities (F2) Decision Support Center has published new reporting tools to augment MyFinancial.desktop functionality. This includes:

• Budget Balance Reports by Category
•  Budget Balance by Organization,
• Budget Index Reports by Org Code and
• the ability to choose specific fields that display on the report.

Requests for access to the reporting portal should be sent to:  dmc-support@washington.edu Additional info about these reports can be found at: www.washington.edu/provost/oim/dmc/reports.html#Financial <http://www.washington.edu/provost/oim/dmc/reports.html#Financial>

Non-Research ARRA Reporting
The University expects to receive a significant amount of ARRA funds directly from the federal government related to research.  In addition, the University may receive ARRA funds indirectly through various state agencies (capital, etc.).  These funds will likely have the same stringent reporting requirements as those research funds received directly from the federal government.  A team is currently creating a process to ensure that all non-research funds are uniquely identified and reported on properly.  If your department is anticipating receipt of such funds (i.e. the funds that will not pass through the Office of Sponsored Programs process), please contact Jeff Follman at jfollman@u.washington.edu or 543-3708.  In addition, updates and guidance related to all ARRA funds can be found at the following website:  http://www.washington.edu/research/gca/recovery/
 
Provisional F&A Rates Begin July 1, 2009
On July 1st, 2009, our current Facilities and Administrative (F&A) rate agreement expires.  Although the rate agreement expires, the rates that were most recently in effect will continue until the University negotiates new F&A rates.  Rates that are in effect between rate agreements are referred to as "Provisional Rates."  We anticipate negotiating new rates sometime late next summer.
 
If you have questions, please contact Cristi Chapman at cristic@u.washington.edu or 206 543-9985
 
Introducing: Free Recycled Envelopes on Friday!
Boxes of free recycled envelopes will be placed on the large meeting table in Accounts Payable (3917 University Way NE, 2nd floor) between 8:00am and 5:00pm on Fridays. Campus customers are invited to stop by and choose the size and quantity they would like to take.

Records Management Training to come!
Records Management Services is pleased to announce an upcoming records management training session. If you are interested in receiving information about the training, please make sure you have subscribed to our list serv at http://mailman2.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/recmgmtinfo. The training announcement will be sent out June 29th.
 

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