In This IssueSubscribe to OSD’s New YouTube Channel

Training for Buyers

Praise for the Second Annual State Fall Fleet Event

Statewide Contract Updates

What are RPA Release Requisitions and When is Their Use Appropriate?

Confine Vendor Bid Notifications to those with Related UNSPSCs

Training for Business

OSD’s Supplier Diversity Office Named Community Partner of the Year

Official Newsletter of the Operational Services Division

November 2017

Subscribe to OSD’s New YouTube ChannelThe Operational Services Division (OSD) is excited to announce we have revived our training webcasts and have launched a new YouTube channel. Subscribe to our new content at youtube.com/Mass_OSD!

With the convenience of watching at your desk, get a brief refresher on How to Search for Contracts in COMMBUYS or an Overview of Statewide Contracts.

If you are a public purchaser, check out the new Buyer Training playlist, which includes the following webcasts:

• COMMBUYS Basic Navigation• How to Post a Construction Bid in COMMBUYS• Introduction to RPA Release Enabled Contracts• Recording Requests for Payment Authorization in COMMBUYS: Policy and Procedure• Selecting Commodity Codes (UNSPSC) for Bid Solicitations• Small Business Purchasing Program Overview

For businesses, the Vendor Training playlist is extensive, including the following webcasts:• Basic COMMBUYS Navigation for the Seller Role• How to Create a Quote in COMMBUYS (Locate and Respond to Bid Solicitations)• How to Search for Bid Solicitations in COMMBUYS• How to Withdraw, Reopen, and Resubmit Quotes in COMMBUYS• Managing a Vendor Profile in COMMBUYS (for Seller Administrators)• Overview of COMMBUYS Registration Including SBPP Application• Selecting Commodity Codes in COMMBUYS• Small Business Purchasing Program Overview• Supplier Diversity Program Policy and Form for Purchase of Service (POS) Providers• How to Locate a Purchase Order (PO) • Supplier Diversity Program Overview

In addition to the training webcasts, view recaps of the experiences of our 2017 Summer Interns: Austin, Matt, Mattie, Shinhui, and Tommy.

What types of videos would be helpful for you to see on our channel? Let us know by emailing OSDsocialmedia@state.ma.us!

BuytheWay

Essentials of State ProcurementNovember 20 (Boston)

COMMBUYS Organization AdministratorDecember 4 (Boston)

COMMBUYS PunchOut & Line Item Catalog OrderingDecember 5 (Webinar)

COMMBUYS Purchasing December 6 (Boston)

COMMBUYS RPA Release and RPA Release Enabled Contracts

December 6 (Webinar)

COMMBUYS Procurement December 7 (Boston)

How to Use Master Blanket Purchase Orders

December 11 (Webinar)

Essentials of State ProcurementDecember 12 (Boston)

How to Create a Departmental Master Blanket Purchase OrderDecember 13 (Boston)

UNSPSC For BuyersDecember 14 (Webinar)

Introduction to Statewide Contracts and COMMBUYS

December 18 (Boston)

COMMBUYS Procurement January 9 (Boston)

Essentials of State ProcurementJanuary 10 (Boston)

COMMBUYS Purchasing January 11 (Boston)

Introduction to Statewide Contracts and COMMBUYS

January 18 (Boston)

Click here to see the full calendar.

Training for Buyers

Feedback from buyers attending the Second Annual State Fall Fleet Event in Sturbridge on November 7 was overwhelmingly positive, pointing to informative breakout sessions and productive time spent with Statewide Contractors. Kathy Reilly, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operational Services, kicked off the day by welcoming fleet decision makers from around the Commonwealth and Statewide Contract vendors from the state’s fleet-related contracts. All told, nearly 150 people were in attendance. “We took attendees’ observations and assessments from last year and sought to improve their experience,” asserts Lisa Westgate, Strategic Sourcing Lead for many of OSD’s vehicle contracts and State Fleet Event organizer. “It was gratifying to see their receptivity to the topics presented and hear good event takeaways from both buyers and vendors.”

Some of the day’s highlights included the enlightening Telematics overview by Bill Griffiths from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), industry trends from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and considerations when speccing a heavy duty vehicle by Chris Bouchard from the Massachusetts Highway Association. In addition, attendees were drawn to the Department of Labor Standards’ presentation on how to properly dispose of drug paraphernalia found in communities, an unwelcome but increasingly ubiquitous reality.

Changes to VEH98 — Purchase of Vehicles — Unveiled

At the event, participants learned that OSD is preparing a Statewide bulk bid for vehicles, where we will aggregate vehicle needs from around the Commonwealth into one large bid. We anticipate this collaborative approach will strengthen our negotiations with Statewide Contractors. If you would like to be added to the list of organizations that have expressed interest in this initiative, send an email to Lisa Westgate.

Participants also were privy to other significant VEH98 contract changes, now to include Truck Classes 3 – 9 and a new category to accommodate any vehicle with a minimum of three wheels! Expanded vendor selection is anticipated as the contract has been reopened for vendor reponse. Buyers may expect VEH98 contract updates in early 2018.

Thank You!Thank you to our buyer and vendor participants! Special thanks to OFF40 Statewide Contractor, HUB Technical Services, for their generous loan of audiovisual equipment at the event!

Would you like to attend next year’s Fleet Event? Send an email to OSD-Events.

Link to the Statewide Contract Vehicle Handbook.

Praise for the Second Annual State Fall Fleet Event

Get an Overview of the DayExpress Interest in Attending Next Year!

Bill Griffiths, Senior Director of Vehicle Management for the MBTA, presents to buyers on Telematics for Your Fleet.

Take Our Short GRO35 Food Service Supplies and Equipment Survey!

Have you purchased food service supplies or equipment from Statewide Contract GRO35 over the last 12 months? Consistent with our contract management practices, we are seeking feedback about your purchasing experience to ensure the contract is meeting buyer expectations.

The survey is virtually all multiple choice, but accommodates open responses, if desired. Completion of the survey should take 3-4 minutes. Please share your feedback by Wednesday, November 22, 2017. Forward questions about GRO35 to Betty Fernandez at 617-720-3133.

Link to the Survey.

New PunchOut Catalog for CDW Government LLC

COMMBUYS PunchOut catalog purchasing now is available through CDW Government LLC under ITC47 – IT Hardware and Services.

CDW is an authorized reseller of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) IT equipment and services under Category 6 and provides IT supplies and accessories – such as keyboards, mice, monitors, and storage devices – under Category 7.

• Get instructions to purchase from a COMMBUYS PunchOut catalog;

• Locate CDW’s PunchOut Buyer Navigation Guide in COMMBUYS;

• Express interest in becoming a COMMBUYS purchasing organization: email COMMBUYSEnablement@state.ma.us.

Many thanks to the following individuals and organizations who helped with the testing of this new PunchOut: Rita Brousseau, City of Lawrence; Sarah Gangi, Massachusetts Gaming Commission; Emilia Ruiz, Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development; and Autumn Warnock, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.

Do you have interest in testing future PunchOuts? Express interest to Kimberly McPhail.

ProcurementSchedule

Statewide Contract User Guides

COMMBUYS

STATEWIDE CONTRACT UPDATES | NOVEMBER 2017

Help Desk Assistance Questions about COMMBUYS?

Contact us for help.

1-888-627-8283 COMMBUYS@state.ma.us

Staff are available8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET,

Monday through Friday.

Statewide Contract Reference Guide

Experts Needed!

Over the next few months, OSD will rebid the Security, Surveillance, Monitoring and Access Control Systems Statewide Contract and is seeking Department and municipal subject-matter experts to participate on the Strategic Sourcing Team. This is a great opportunity to have your voice heard and play an integral role in the progression of the contract!

Team members will work with the OSD Strategic Sourcing Lead to perform activities ranging from needs identification, bid evaluation, and contract award to performance monitoring and assessment throughout the lifecycle of the procurement. Participation does not require travel into Boston.

Express interest to Ashish Patel at 617-720-3190.

Statewide Contract VEH106 – Telematics

This contract offers the sale and delivery of Telematics components, along with access to the vendor’s online systems. It enables data-driven decision making to maximize fleet utilization and efficiency, including opportunities to investigate trends, reduce fuel, labor, and maintenance costs, prolong asset life cycles, and improve response times.

Contract Highlights• Valuable fleet data at the ready: real-time fleet visibility and historical mapping & reporting; highly accurate odometer readings,

engine diagnostics, and check engine light notifications; driver safety scorecards; driver-to-vehicle assignments; maintenance scheduling;

• Hardware offered at 20% off list price, on average;• Integrate with Fleet Information Management System (VEH99); • Plug & Play GPS hardware with/without engine diagnostics or Hardwired GPS devices

available;• Unlimited, free post-sales support and system training;• Dedicated account management;• Configurable vehicle or organization update rates available (ping options: 2-minute,

1-minute, 30-second, hourly, 1x–4x daily);• GIS Integration: Feed GPS Insight location data into your GIS system or load your GIS

layers/shapefiles into GPS Insight, typically at no cost; and• Self-installation permitted ($0.00); on-site installation at a fixed price per vehicle or get

your team installation training at a fixed daily price.

Note: Delivery of hardware components is an additional charge.

Contact the Vendor: GPS Insight, LLCJosh Schwartz630-544-2796josh.schwartz@gpsinsight.com

STATEWIDE CONTRACT UPDATES | NOVEMBER 2017

OSD is seeking qualified vendors for the new FAC103 Statewide Contract, covering the following services: Landscaping and Groundskeeping, Tree Services, Snow Removal, Invasive Plant Control, Outdoor Integrated Pest Management, and Irrigation System Service and Repair. The FAC103 bid is posted in COMMBUYS. Vendor responses must be received by January 11, 2018, at 4:00 p.m.*

Vendor ResourcesStatewide Contract bid responses must be submitted through COMMBUYS, the Commonwealth’s online purchasing and procurement portal. Set up your free vendor profile today.

• Locate COMMBUYS vendor registration resources. • Register to attend the Locate and Respond to Bids in COMMBUYS webinar or

watch our webcast. • Contact our COMMBUYS Help Desk: 888-MA-STATE or

COMMBUYS@state.ma.us. * Please note: It is each bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for any amendments, addenda, or modifications to the bid.

New Statewide Contract FAC103, Replacing FAC77Landscaping Services, Tree Services, Snow Removal, and Related Services

Note: Additional vendors anticipated.

Contract Resources:Locate the Contract User Guide, Price Sheet, and associated forms in COMMBUYS: COMMBUYS.com > Contract & Bid Search > Contracts/Blankets > Enter VEH106 in the Contract/Blanket Description field.

Get a Quote: Compile your vehicle list, complete with year, make, model, and VIN number. Forward to the vendor in COMMBUYS or send a list to josh.schwartz@gpsinsight.com.

Questions? Contact Lisa Westgate, Strategic Sourcing Lead: lisa.westgate@state.ma.us or 617-720-3112.

Tradesperson Contract: How to Locate and Respond to Bids in COMMBUYS

November 27 (Webinar)

Demystifying the RFR: Understanding the Importance of the

Request For ResponseNovember 28 (Boston)

SDO Pre-Certification WorkshopDecember 4 (Springfield)

COMMBUYS Vendors: Essentials for the Seller Role

December 5 (Boston)

Connecting Your Business to the Commonwealth

December 11 (Springfield)

COMMBUYS Vendors: Organizational Design and Maintenance for the

Seller AdministratorDecember 12 (Webinar)

Tradesperson Contract: How to Locate and Respond to Bids in COMMBUYS

December 13 (Webinar)

Selling to the State: Marketing Your Business to Public Purchasers

December 14 (Boston)

Locate and Respond to Bids in COMMBUYS

December 15 (Webinar)

COMMBUYS for Awarded Statewide Contract Vendors

December 19 (Boston)

SDP and Sales Reports OverviewDecember 20 (Webinar)

Supplier Diversity Plan (SDP) Overview for Bidders and Prime

ContractorsDecember 21 (Webinar)

Supplier Diversity Plan (SDP) Overview for Certified Businesses

December 21 (Webinar)

Click here to see the full calendar.

Training for Business

What are RPA Release Requisitions and When is Their Use Appropriate?Some recent interactions with buyers have uncovered a need to re-emphasize the availability of COMMBUYS RPA (Request for Payment Authorization) Release Requisitions and review circumstances that would call for their use.

OSD has numerous Statewide Contracts (SWCs) that allow buyers to record contract purchases in COMMBUYS after purchases have been made. These transactions are called RPA Release Requisitions and they are appropriate in circumstances when the normal COMMBUYS SWC Purchase Order (PO) process is not possible. Examples include:

• Situations where the final purchase price is not known until receipt of an invoice, such as purchase of propane (ENE46), staff augmentation (ITS63), or network services (ITT46), among others; or

• Unanticipated circumstances, such as replacement of a flat tire (VEH97) or windshield (VEH103).

These transactions are for COMMBUYS recording purposes only (in accordance with organizations following 801 CMR21.00 and for other organizations choosing to document their purchases in COMMBUYS). RPA Release Requisitions do not result in POs being sent to the vendor.

How Do I Get More Information about RPA Release Requisitions?View a list of RPA-enabled contracts here. As a regular practice, we recommend consulting the Contract User Guides to determine whether a contract accommodates RPA Release Requisition functionality and any limitations. Buyers also may find a list of RPA-enabled contracts using the Expanded Search in the Statewide Contract Index. Find Contract User Guides, the Statewide Contract Index, and Index instructions at mass.gov/osd > Search: Buy from a Statewide Contract. Use the How to Create an RPA Release Requisition job aid for detailed COMMBUYS instructions.

As a final note, COMMBUYS also allows for RPA Requisitions (not to be confused with the aforementioned RPA Release Requisitions), which are used to record off-contract purchases when the normal procurement process is impractical due to impending need (emergency purchases) and for one-time incidental purchases up to $10,000. Locate all COMMBUYS job aids at mass.gov/osd > Search: Job Aids for Buyers.

Confine Vendor Bid Notifications to those with a UNSPSCs

Of late, there has been an increase of buyers notifying all COMMBUYS vendors when posting bids. With more than 21,000 vendors registered in COMMBUYS, buyers taking this action are notifying many vendors that do not offer products/services related to their bid, resulting in system delays as COMMBUYS is unable to send out other system messages until all 21,000 bid notification emails have been delivered.

When selecting bidders, do not select the Find It button at the top of the search screen, which will return all COMMBUYS registered vendors. Instead, use the Lookup & Add Vendor search to apply criteria during the bidder selection process. Once completed, review the count of vendor notifications that will be delivered when the bid is posted. Refer to the How to Add Bidder Notification to a Bid Posting job aid that explains how to select vendors based on commodity codes (UNSPSCs) related to the bid.

Contact the COMMBUYS Help Desk for assistance at 888-MA-STATE or COMMBUYS@state.ma.us.

Sign-up for other email communications!

About OSDThe Operational Services Division (OSD) administers the procurement process for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Executive Agencies by establishing Statewide Contracts for commonly purchased goods and services. OSD’s mission is to create and promote dynamic programs and services that anticipate and fulfill our customers’ needs. Our operational and oversight activities facilitate and guide the evaluation, acquisition, management, and disposition of goods and services. We strive to deliver a personalized customer experience by creating a climate of communication and cooperation and leveraging innovative business techniques.

Commonwealth of MassachusettsExecutive Office for Administration & FinanceOperational Services DivisionOne Ashburton Place, Room 1017Boston, MA 02108-1552(617) 720-3300www.mass.gov/osd

© 2017 Operational Services Division

Printed on 30% post-consumer recycled content paper.

On October 20, the Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE) recognized OSD’s Supplier Diversity Office with the Community Partner of the Year award. This accolade acknowledges an organization that supports the growth and expansion of CWE, which provides opportunities for women in business to increase their professional success, personal growth, and financial independence.

As part of the Annual Women Business Leaders Conference, CWE President and CEO Susan Rittscher and Karen Copenhaver, Chair of the CWE Board of Directors, highlighted a number of OSD’s Supplier Diversity Office accomplishments, including:• Expanding opportunities for diversity

and inclusion in procurement, both by increasing the number of diverse and small companies conducting business with the state, as well as increasing the total dollar amount annually won by diverse and small businesses;

• Developing cross-certifications programs with CWE, the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council (GNEMSDC), the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN), and the City of Boston; and

• Closing the gaps and lowering barriers to entry for diverse and small vendors.

Copenhaver also noted the bold leadership of both the Commonwealth’s Office of Access and Opportunity and Community Affairs and OSD’s Supplier Diversity Office, remarking, “Jabes (Rojas) and Bill (McAvoy) have been tireless advocates in diversity.

OSD’s Supplier Diversity Office Named Community Partner of the Year

Their efforts demonstrate their dedication and commitment to the success of diverse and small businesses.”

As detailed in its Fiscal Year 2016 Comprehensive Annual Report, the Supplier Diversity Office has made significant progress toward its goal of increasing opportunities for certified and small businesses. In FY16, certified minority, women, veteran, and service-disabled veteran-owned business enterprises, along with COMMBUYS-verified small businesses, earned nearly $1 billion in direct spending with the Commonwealth. Throughout the year, the Supplier Diversity Office: • Processed 325 new applications

for state certification, 178 new applications for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certification, 194 requests for certification actions, and 2,022 renewal applications;

• Implemented an in-house Veteran certification program;

• Streamlined the certification application from 32 pages to 10 pages and automated the certification application process by upgrading the certification tracking system to allow for online application and document upload; and

• Convened 873 diverse and small Massachusetts vendors and 821 prime contractors at nine events.

The Supplier Diversity Office continues to build partnerships and opportunities. Learn more about the available programs and services at mass.gov/sdo. For information on the other award winners, see the CWE webpage.

Photo Credit: Gammino PhotographyL to R: Wanda Colon-D’Angelo (Director of State Certification, OSD’s Supplier Diversity Office), Jabes Rojas (Deputy Chief, Office of Access and Opportunity and Community Affairs), Susan Rittscher (President/CEO, Center for Women & Enterprise), Bill McAvoy (Deputy Assistant Secretary, OSD’s Supplier Diversity Office), and Bonnie Borch-Rote (Counsel, OSD’s Supplier Diversity Office).