Table of Contents
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Agency Updates: Upcoming PO Deadlines | Submitting and Tracking CRM Tickets
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Supplier Updates: Ordering Office Supplies | Supplier Webinars
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Training Tips: Training Calendar | Office Hours Available
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Key Term: Item Grid
Agency Updates
UPCOMING PURCHASE ORDER DEADLINES
As a reminder, there are several deadlines quickly approaching in the coming weeks to be aware of for the final close out of FY21.
The statewide deadline for FY21 operating purchase orders closure is November 30. If you have suppliers who have not submitted invoices for services rendered or goods ordered in FY21 and were not submitted by October 29, please work with them as they need to be submitted immediately to Ohio Shared Services (OSS).
FY21 purchase order close requests may be submitted through November 12.
Remaining Key Dates:
- FY21 PO closure requests should be submitted between now and November 12.
- All other FY21 encumbrances will begin closing on November 15.
- All FY21 POs will be closed by November 30.
SUBMITTING AND TRACKING CRM TICKETS
When submitting a CRM ticket, please remember to look for multiple emails regarding your request. Once you have submitted the initial request and it has been logged, you will receive an automated email from crmsupport@oaks.state.oh.us with the subject line, “Your Case ID Number (1234567) Has Been Logged” like the one pictured below:
You will then receive a second email to inform you that your ticket has been resolved. It is important to note that the solution will be at the bottom of this email and may be difficult to initially locate in the body of the email.
If you do not see the initial email in your inbox, please make sure that you check your Clutter folder as they can sometimes be sent there.
To manage your Clutter folder:
- In Outlook, choose the Clutter You'll see your email there.
- You can drag email from your Clutter folder to your Inbox.
- If you see a message that was sent to Clutter by mistake, right-click the message and choose Move to inbox or drag the email from the Clutter folder and drop it in your Inbox.
Supplier Updates
ORDERING OFFICE SUPPLIES
When ordering office supplies, there have been recent cases where suppliers are duplicating orders because users are clicking the Send PO button. Some suppliers, including Vie Ability, receive orders electronically from OhioBuys directly into their systems and clicking the Send PO button causes the PO to be re-sent to their system. To prevent this from occurring, know that these purchase orders are automatically sent to Vie-ability and once the PO is dispatched, you do not need to attempt to send/resend the PO in this manner for office supply orders.
SUPPLIER WEBINARS
We are continuing to see a demand for our weekly Supplier Webinars. Please let your suppliers know that we have scheduled webinars through the end of the year and will cover Access & Solicitations.
In addition, a revised Supplier Fact Sheet & Quick Start Guide is available to learn more about the Supplier log in process and to share with your suppliers. Agency representatives are also welcome to join these webinars to learn more about how suppliers access and use OhioBuys.
Anyone interested in attending Supplier webinars can download the meeting invites from the Supplier Training page of the OhioBuys website.
Training Tips
TRAINING CALENDAR
Ongoing OhioBuys training is now scheduled through December 2021. See the below schedule for a list of upcoming sessions. Users can register for these sessions directly in OhioLearn if they were unable to previously attend OhioBuys training or if they would like a refresher course on a particular topic. If your agency has a topic request for training, or needs solicitation and/or contract training, please notify the project at: OPS.TrainingAcademy@das.ohio.gov.
OFFICE HOURS AVAILABLE
Office Hours are available on Mondays through Thursdays to assist users with OhioBuys functionality. Users can sign up for Office Hours to receive direct help on a specific transaction as they are working through it!
Office hours are available for training-related questions (i.e., how to do something in OhioBuys); however, question(s) regarding policy or system issues (e.g., why a purchase order is In Progress) users should submit a helpdesk ticket to OBM.SharedServices@OBM.ohio.gov. In addition, anything that substantially involves R&Ps, OAKS, or OneSpan Sign should be submitted as helpdesk tickets.
Remember, if it's a question of "how" then office hours are the way to go. If it's a question of "why" it needs a helpdesk ticket. Users should only sign up for office hours if they have previously attended OhioBuys training, otherwise, they will be directed to attend sustainment training.
To sign up for office hour sessions:
- Determine which item you need to shop for, which requisition you are working on, your active quick quote, solicitation, or contract, or template you would like help with and have that ready to share at the appointment.
- There are four links – if the date and time you are looking for are booked at one link, try another link:
Morning Office Hours: Office Hours 3 | Office Hours 4
Afternoon Office Hours: Office Hours 1 | Office Hours 2
- Register for a time slot: 9am, 10am, 11pm, 1pm, 2pm, or 3pm daily. There are two appointments available for every hour time slot. Appointments are first come first serve by registration only.
- In the box titled “Please share anything that will help prepare for our meeting” include the topic of your office hour session (e.g.: solicitation, quick quote, etc.)
In the box titled “Please share anything that will help prepare for our meeting” be sure to include the topic of your office hour session (e.g.: solicitation, quick quote, etc.).
3 – Receive an Outlook/Teams confirmation appointment. Invite anyone from your team you would like to have involved in this session.
4 – At your appointment: Be logged into OhioBuys so you can proceed with your activity. Trainers will advise you on how to complete your transaction, but they will not be driving.
NOTE: Office Hours are not a substitute for opening a helpdesk ticket when there is a technical issue. Trainers can direct you to the help desk if your questions warrant opening a ticket.
These links and instructions are also available on the OhioBuys website.
Key Term
ITEM GRID
A place where users can define the items that they want the Supplier to submit a response for when replying to the solicitation. This is equivalent to a cost summary, cost proposal or price sheet. Corresponding references in RFx materials is also updated to “Item Grid.”
For More Information
In addition, please refer to:
Support
For log in or system issues please contact OBM Shared Services Center 614-338-4781 or 1-877-644-6771 OR OBM.SharedServices@OBM.Ohio.Gov Remember to put “OhioBuys” in the subject line!
If you have questions about the project itself, please email: ohiobuys@das.ohio.gov.
Mike DeWine, Governor Jon Husted, Lt. Governor Kathleen C. Madden, Director
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