Table of Contents
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Agency Updates: Voucher Processing Update | Updating Budget Information on OhioBuys PRs | Understanding the Benefits of the OhioBuys Contract Module
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Supplier Updates: Supplier Webinars
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Training Tips: Helping your Suppliers | Website Updates | Help Desk Checklist | Training Calendar | Office Hours
Please share this newsletter with your agency users!
Remember to check the OhioBuys website for the latest user tips and information.
**IMPORTANT REMINDER - When you are submitting a helpdesk ticket for OhioBuys, mare sure you are submitting it to OBM Shared Services OBM.SharedServices@obm.ohio.gov, with ‘OhioBuys’ in the subject line, and not to CSC.**
Agency Updates
VOCHER PROCESSING
OBM Shared Services recently shared the following updates:
Correct and complete purchase orders help expedite the voucher process. Agencies can help by:
- Ensuring the amount and quantity on the purchase order are correct. Beginning September 1, 2022, OBM Shared Services will require the correction of purchase order quantity errors before vouchering an invoice. This may require closing and establishing a new purchase order.
- Listing the origin code in the comments section of the purchase order whether it is created in OAKS or OhioBuys (in OhioBuys, place this information in the Comments to Supplier field). This ensures the voucher is routed to the proper agency approver.
- Note: agencies can alternatively incorporate their origin codes into their Bill-to Addresses to ensure it is apparent where vouchers should be routed.
If you have questions or concerns, please call the OBM Shared Services Contact Center at 1-877-644-6771 or email us at obm.sharedservices@obm.ohio.gov.
UPDATING BUDGET INFORMATION ON OHIOBUYS PURCHASE REQUISITIONS
When you are updating budget information for an OhioBuys purchase requisition, know that the same information that you add in OhioBuys is the same information provided in OAKS:
Please remember that Requesters and Requisitioners are not required to enter budget information; however, they do have the ability, along with Agency Fiscal Approvers to manually enter budget information as well as apply Speed Charts. During the checkout process, these users can apply Speed Charts to streamline the process for entering budget information. Speed Charts will pre-populate certain chartfield information at the line-item level.
*Budget information becomes required at the Agency Fiscal Approver step of the workflow and will lock after the Agency Fiscal Approver(s) completes their review.
Inputting Budget/Chartfield Information
To help minimalize the number of steps, you can manually duplicate lines by simply clicking the Copy icon or delete them by clicking the Trashcan icon.
You are also able to add chartfield information by clicking + Allocation to add an additional chartfield string.
If you are only looking to edit a single field in a chartfield string, begin typing the information you want to use to populate it the field. Select the appropriate code once it appears in the drop-down menu.
You can also search for additional options for a field by clicking See All.
Mass Updating Budget/Chartfield Information
It is possible to update fields in multiple chartfield strings at once by clicking the Checkbox Icon next to the strings they want to update and then clicking Edit Lines. This opens the Allocation Mass Update page where users can apply chartfields to all selected lines. To view all the chartfield information used in a purchase requisition, users can expand the Chart of Account Values section on the requisition header.
When reviewing the Chart of Account Values table, please note that:
- The # column will correspond to the # column in the Items grid denoting different line items.
- The ID column corresponds to the unique ID given to each chartfield string (i.e., distribution line) in the line items.
- Once you are done making updates to the line item’s information, click Save & Close.
For more information on adding budget information and speed charts, please review the Working with Purchase Requisitions in OhioBuys Learner Guide and How to Apply Speed Charts Job Aid respectively.
UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS OF THE OHIOBUYS CONTRACT MODULE
From the interest and feedback we have been receiving from agencies, we wanted to take a moment to refamiliarize users with the benefits of using the Contract Module in OhioBuys, which provides a full suite of contract management functionality:
- Visible contract workflow and history allows users to see where a contract is at in the process, as well as who it is sitting with and how long it has been with them.
- Seamless integration of the contracts module with other OhioBuys modules (e.g., sourcing, requisition to purchase order) allows users to do things like flip their awarded solicitations to a contract, as well as track requisitions and purchase orders referencing a contract to better understand usage trends/patterns
- Users can use local profiles to add team members to a contract (e.g., ad hoc users to view or edit contract information, legal approvers, others who need to approve the contract, etc.)
- The Contract Creation process integrates with the State enterprise electronice signature solution, OneSpan Sign, so electronic signatures can be gathered as needed.
- Automated notifications to make users aware when a contract is nearing expiration, ensuring there is time to think about renewing/rebidding the contract before the current version expires
- Contract amendments are linked to the original contract and are used for renewals, adding/removing subcontractors/dealers, and for changing other details of the agreement.
- OhioBuys will now track revenue share for applicable contracts. If indicated, an additional tab will appear and will only be visible to Contract Analyst, Procurement Managers, Revenue Share users, and DAS Compliance Specialists.
If you haven’t already done so, there is no better time than now to begin using the contract module in OhioBuys!
Supplier Updates
SUPPLIER WEBINARS
We have added OhioBuys supplier/bidder webinar series through September 2022.
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 Webinar page of the OhioBuys website.
Training Tips
HELPING YOUR SUPPLIERS
As a bidding period closes, helpdesk tickets are routinely submitted by suppliers on the day the bid is due. While we understand that issues may arise at/near the end of the period, please encourage suppliers to login and verify they can access OhioBuys as soon as possible and discourage them from waiting until the date proposals are due. This gives them the best opportunity to have their issue resolved before the bid closes.
WEBSITE UPDATES
To make it easier for users to find answers to user-generated questions and topic FYIs, we have updated the OhioBuys User Tips and & FYI section of the website. You can access the section via the OhioBuys Agency Training Page.
OhioBuys User Tips & FYI
Updated Quick Links
We have also updated our sheet of quick links. You can download and bookmark these links for easier access.
OPS and OhioBuys Quick Links
**With updates always being made to the content on the website, we encourage you to frequently clear your browser cache to ensure that you are viewing the most current information available.
HELP DESK CHECKLIST
To serve you better, we have put together some helpful tips on how/when to submit tickets to the help desk for OhioBuys.
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 help desk ticket:
- Users should utilize the 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)
If a helpdesk ticket is needed:
- When submitting a ticket, please make sure to include OhioBuys in the subject line and attach all related screenshots and/or attachments.
- 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.
Don’t Forget!
Please remember when submitting a ticket, they should be referring to functional issues or questions. If users have a question regarding a specific procurement policy, they should contact Steve Meese via email or Teams at steve.meese@das.ohio.gov.
Is it an emergency?
If you have a case requiring immediate attention, please make sure you always submit a ticket to the help desk and be as specific as possible when describing the issue. This way, the case can be reviewed, expedited to an appropriate member of the OhioBuys team, and tracked through the resolution of your ticket.
TRAINING CALENDAR
Ongoing OhioBuys training sessions are now scheduled through December 2022. For the complete list, see the below schedule of upcoming sessions or visit the Ongoing Training page.
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
One of the resources available to assist your use of OhioBuys is the option to sign up for Office Hours. Users sign up for either 30 or 60-minute Office Hour sessions wherein a dedicated OhioBuys trainer will be available to assist you with OhioBuys functionality.
Office Hours have been expanded with slots available Monday - Thursday from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM pending availability.
We encourage you to advantage of this resource as you get acclimated to OhioBuys. To sign up for office hours, please follow the prompts on the Office Hours bookings page.
You will receive direct help on a specific transaction as you are working through it!
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.
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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