Table of Contents
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Agency Updates: OhioBuys Kicks Off Wave 3 | Solicitation Preparation | Adding New Users to OhioBuys | Solicitations and Contracts on OhioBuys Reminder
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Supplier Updates: VIE Ability Update | Supplier Webinars
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Training Tips: Looking for Help? | Training Calendar | Office Hours
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Key Term: Direct Purchase Contract
Agency Updates
OHIOBUYS KICKS OFF WAVE 3
This week, the Wave 3 agencies participated in their OhioBuys kick-off to start their onboarding process. The following agencies will be in OhioBuys as of April 30, 2022:
They will join the Wave 2 agencies that went live on January 31st.
More information about the phased approach is available at the OhioBuys website.
SOLICITATION PREPARATION
When creating a solicitation, a best practice is to include the shipping address in the Summary Field. Including the shipping address makes it viewable to the supplier on the Solicitation Overview page. Suppliers can then provide an accurate price for shipping costs.
Another best practice is to include an Inquiry Period for each solicitation (not including Quick Quotes) on the Prepare Solicitations tab to assist suppliers further. This way, suppliers can ask questions and provide the most accurate information when responding to the solicitation.
ADDING NEW USERS TO OHIOBUYS
As a reminder, when agencies are adding users to OhioBuys, please make sure they are using the most current version of the User request form, located on the OhioBuys website.
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.
Users are also encouraged to work with their agency admins instead of the helpdesk for profile changes.
SOLICITATIONS AND CONTRACTS ON OHIOBUYS
As of Monday, January 31st, 2022, the state’s procurement website is no longer used to post solicitations or hold state contract information. OhioBuys is the only resource available to post this information, which is also available via the OhioBuys public portal.
Users with current, active solicitations posted on the procurement website will still be able to use the website to respond to inquiries and post amendments until those solicitations’ end dates are reached (see green box below). The Procurement Opportunity Search Results page will still be visible and contain information on current, active solicitations already posted on the procurement website.
For more information, you can read the original communication.
For assistance, the OhioBuys team will continue to hold limited Office Hours through Friday, February 11th, 2022 from 11 AM-12 PM and 1 PM-2 PM Mondays-Thursdays to assist users with OhioBuys functionality. The full schedule of office hours will return starting Monday, February 14th. Training for Solicitations and Contracts is available Monday-Thursday, February 14-17th. Please sign up in OhioLearn so the team can plan for your attendance.
Supplier Updates
VIE ABILITY UPDATE
Just a reminder that as of Monday, January 31st, VIE Ability’s Disinfectant Contract (CRP30486) & Paper Towel Product Contract (CRP30428) are now available through the VIE Ability Office Supply & Related Items Contract (CRP30580). Contracts CRP30486 & CRP30428 will no longer be available. For more information on these changes, please view this VIE Ability update.
SUPPLIER WEBINARS
We are excited to continue our OhioBuys supplier/bidder webinar series and have added a Reporting Revenue Share webinar.
Each supplier/bidder training webinar will be one hour and held on the dates listed below. Please download the webinar meeting invitation file, unzip it, and click the .ics file to add to your calendar.
In addition, a revised Supplier Fact Sheet & Quick Start Guide is available to learn more about the Supplier log-in process and 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
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 not to 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 training in OhioBuys is scheduled through June 2022. For the complete list, see the below schedule of upcoming sessions.
Users can register for these sessions directly in OhioLearn if they could not 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
The OhioBuys team will continue to hold limited Office Hours through next Friday, February 11, 2022. Office Hours will be available from 11 AM-12 PM and 1 PM-2 PM Mondays-Thursdays to assist users with OhioBuys functionality.
*Please remember to check the OhioBuys website for any scheduling updates.
These 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), users should submit a helpdesk ticket. In addition, anything that substantially involves R&Ps, OAKS, or OneSpan Sign will also need to go to the helpdesk. 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, 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 whole hour or half-hour appointment and then select a day, time, and an available trainer. There are two 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
DIRECT PURCHASE CONTRACT
These contracts allow Suppliers to directly enter into an agreement with State Agencies, Boards, and Commissions to sell goods/services in OhioBuys. Typically, a direct purchase contract will include an open market pricelist and may not result from the solicitation process.
OhioBuys requires the suppliers that request them to agree to the State’s Standard Terms and Conditions. However, as these are not DAS OPS contracts, they are subject to the $50,000 Direct Purchase Authority limit, or agencies must have Controlling Board approval to exceed their threshold with that supplier.
For More Information
In addition, please refer to:
Support
For log-in or system issues, please contact OBM Shared Services Center at 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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