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**REMINDER** OhioBuys will have a planned production maintenance outage beginning on December 19th, at 10:00 AM EST through Sunday, December 19th, at 1:00 PM EST (approximate time). This is to coincide with scheduled OAKS Middleware maintenance.
Table of Contents
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Agency Updates: Defining an Inquiry Period | Creating a Solicitation using the Quick Quote RFx Type
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Supplier Updates: Ordering Office Supplies | Supplier Webinar
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Training Tips: User Request Form Updates | Looking for Help? | Training Calendar | Office Hours Available
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Key Term: Item Grid
Agency Updates
DEFINING AN INQUIRY PERIOD
When users are in the process of setting up a solicitation in OhioBuys, they will need to navigate to the Prepare a Solicitation tab. On this tab, it is very important to make sure that the inquiry period is defined in the highlighted fields below.
 This step is important because it provides specific dates during which Suppliers can ask questions during the sourcing event about the details of the solicitation (e.g., clarifying expectations, etc.). If no inquiry period is made available and a Supplier submits a Helpdesk ticket with questions related to the solicitation, they will be given the name and email address of the sourcing responsible user to answer their specific questions.
CREATING A SOLICITATION USING THE QUICK QUOTE RFx TYPE
When creating a solicitation using the Quick Quote RFx Type on the Project Setup field, End Users need to remember to flip the solicitation from a requisition first. You will need to move the solicitation from a Under Evaluation status into a Closed status. To do this, navigate to the Prepare Solicitation tab of the sourcing project and click Approve.
 If an End User does not complete this step, they will be unable to do so when they try to award the solicitation.
By making sure to flip the solicitation from a requisition first, this will save a lot of time versus trying to correct the issue once it has moved to the award step.
For more information on this topic, click on the link to the job aid, How to Create Quick Quote Solicitations. You can find additional training resources by visiting the Ohio Buys website.
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
There is one more OhioBuys supplier/bidder webinar scheduled for 2021 that will focus on Revenue Share reporting.
This supplier/bidder training webinar will be one hour and held on December 17, 2021. Please download the webinar meeting invitation file, unzip it, and then click the .ics file to add it to your calendar.
Agency representatives are also welcomed to join these webinars to learn more about how suppliers access and use OhioBuys.
Anyone interested in attending the Supplier webinar can download the meeting invite from the Supplier Training page of the OhioBuys website.
Training Tips
USER REQUEST FORM UPDATES
Recently the OhioBuys user account request form was updated to include more information regarding Organizational Scope. The updated information can be seen below:
 For your convenience, we have attached the user account request form.
*TIP – When completing a user request form, the creator can save time by using the “Mirror User ID” field to add a new person with the same setup as an existing user.
LOOKING FOR HELP?
When users have questions or are looking for assistance, there are a few things they can do to help find solutions before submitting a helpdesk ticket:
- Users should utilize the numerous training materials (Learner Guides, Job Aids and videos) on the OhioBuys website
- Register for sustainment training in OhioLearn using the search term ‘OhioBuys’
- Contact your Agency Administrator to see if they can answer your question
- Sign up for Office Hours (Instructions Below)
When submitting a ticket, please make sure to include OhioBuys in the subject line and attach all related screenshots.
Once a case is submitted, end-users should try to not make any additional changes to the transaction in the system. Subsequent changes can make it more difficult to troubleshoot and identify the cause of the issue.
TRAINING CALENDAR
Ongoing OhioBuys training is now scheduled through June 2022. 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
**Please note that due to the Wave 2 training schedule, there will be no Office Hours available January through part of February. Check the OhioBuys website for updates.**
Office Hours are scheduled for Mondays through Thursdays to assist users with OhioBuys functionality. You will receive direct help on a specific transaction as you are working through it!
Office hours are available for your training-related questions (i.e., how to do something in OhioBuys). If your question(s) is regarding policy or system issues (e.g., why a purchase order is In Progress) then users should submit a helpdesk ticket. In addition, anything that substantially involves R&Ps, OAKS, or OneSpan Sign will need to go to the helpdesk as well. If you have not attended any OhioBuys training course, you will be redirected to training, and your office hours appointment will be canceled.
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.
To sign up for these full hour or half-hour office hour sessions:
1 – 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.
2 – Navigate to: OhioBuys Office Hours (office365.com)
3 – Select if you would like a full hour or half-hour appointment and then select a day, time, and an available trainer. There are 2 appointments available for every hour and half-hour time slot. Appointments are available on a first come first serve basis.
4 – Enter your Name and Email. In the box titled “Please describe in detail the topic or issue you would like to cover in this OhioBuys office hours session.” be sure to include details regarding what you like assistance with (e.g., a specific solicitation, quick quote, etc.).
5 – Click Book to complete your reservation and receive an Outlook/Teams confirmation appointment. Invite anyone from your team you would like to have involved in this session.
6 – 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.
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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