|
Welcome to the latest edition of BFS Insider News, where we share key updates from Contracts & Grants, Financial Services, Procure to Pay, Travel & Entertainment, and more! |
|
|---|
|
Spotlight: A Message from Our New CPO |
|
|---|
|
Hello UCR Community! I’m Jeremy Meadows, UC Riverside’s new Chief Procurement Officer (CPO). I’m honored to join UCR and excited to collaborate with you to enhance and optimize our campus procurement operations.
My background spans consulting, healthcare, and higher education procurement, with a focus on building efficient, transparent, and service‑oriented organizations. Over the past three years, I’ve managed UC’s Systemwide Strategic Sourcing Centers of Excellence—covering IT, Life Sciences, Facilities, Revenue Generation, and Professional Services.
|
|
|
|
|
My Vision for Procurement at UCR
At UCR, my vision for Procurement centers on three core principles:
|
|
|---|
|
Partnership –
We are here to support you. My goal is to streamline purchasing processes to make it easier for faculty, staff, and researchers to access the goods and services they need to succeed.
|
|
|---|
|
Stewardship –
As a public university, we have a responsibility to be excellent stewards of our resources. We’ll focus on strategic sourcing to ensure we achieve the best value for every dollar spent—maximizing our impact across academics, research, and campus life.
|
|
|---|
|
Innovation –
We will leverage technology and best practices to increase efficiency, improve compliance, and sustainability while promoting diverse spending initiatives.
|
|
|---|
|
Getting Started and Sharing Feedback
In my first few months, I plan to listen and learn—to better understand the unique challenges and opportunities across our schools and departments. Your feedback is vital to shaping where we go next. Please take a few minutes to complete this brief survey by Friday, December 12. |
|
|---|
|
UCR’s commitment to academic excellence and community impact is truly inspiring. I look forward to helping build a best-in-class procurement function that supports the entire Highlander community.
Have ideas, questions, or feedback? My door is always open, and I encourage you to share your ideas and feedback on how Procurement Services can better support your needs.
Go Highlanders!
Jeremy Meadows
|
|
|---|
|
You're Invited:
Meet Our New CPO
Enjoy a donut, sip some coffee,
and stop by to say hello!
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2
9:00–10:00 AM
Hinderaker Hall
(front walkway) |
|
|
|
|
The deck includes detailed screen shots, status charts, and step-by-step guidance. |
|
|---|
|
Payroll Certifications — Status & Upcoming Enhancements
- Phase I (7/1/23–6/30/24): 83% complete
- Phase II (7/1/24–6/30/25): 7% complete
All Phase II certifications should be completed before Winter Break. Additionally, tool enhancements are on the way:
- Auto-inclusion of Co-PIs (Sponsor Code 5400)
- Email reminders to Coordinators & PIs
- Admin job code listing for Cost Notes review
A campus communication will be sent once these enhancements go live.
|
|
|---|
|
|
Reminders
- Beginning in FY25, all cost sharing must be recorded to the –099 cost share project. Exceptions include third-party contributions, in-kind cost share, unrecovered IDC, and GAANN fellowships. For the exceptions above, use the Cost Sharing Contribution Form. Departments should have already submitted cost share through FY24 to ensure accurate FY25 beginning balances.
- Departments must reconcile GL and PPM regularly, as PPM drives invoicing and financial reporting. If discrepancies arise, submit a ticket and use the Inception-to-Date (ITD) and/or the PPM Expense Detail reports to support reconciliation.
- Use the Award Projects Aging Report to track awards 60–90 days before expiration. When you receive a notification, it’s time to begin closeout: submit any pending expenses not yet in PPM to EMF, and provide a clear spreadsheet of outstanding costs with supporting documentation.
|
|
|---|
|
Key Compliance Notes for High-Risk Cost Transfers
High-risk cost transfers have returned to standard processing requirements. All transfers must be submitted within 120 days, and any transfer beyond that timeframe must include thorough justification and obtain all required approvals, including the ORG/College CFAO. Manual SCT/NCT requests for pre-FY25 fiscal years will only be approved under limited, qualifying conditions
(page 12 of the User Group deck).
Your justification must clearly address:
- What caused the error
- Why the receiving fund is appropriate
- Why the correction is late
(Note: Inadequate staffing or the Impact23 transition are not considered acceptable justifications.)
- Preventive measures
|
|
|---|
|
Web Recharge Key Reminder
BFS frequently receives tickets requesting changes that are already covered in the guides below. BFS does not process these updates. All Web Recharge updates and maintenance must be completed by department administrators or service providers. Please review the resources linked below to ensure updates are routed and processed correctly — and don’t forget, you can also watch a demo in the User Group recording! For the full library of guides, visit Training Resources and search “Web Recharge.”
|
|
|---|
|
Requesting a New
Service Provider |
|
|
|
|---|
|
Service Provider
Update Request Forms |
|
|
|
|---|
|
FY25 UC Procurement Annual Report
Procurement’s work is behind the scenes —
but its impact is felt everywhere.
The FY25 UC Procurement Annual Report offers a quick look at how procurement supports UC’s mission through strategic partnerships, sustainable initiatives, and essential research support. Discover the key accomplishments and innovative
approaches that continue to drive value across every UC campus. FY25 UC Procurement Annual Report ↗︎
|
|
|
|
|
Oracle Procurement – Quick Tip
For recently accessed POs, click on
Purchase Orders, then click on the
Recent Documents button on the right side of the screen. This will display the last 10 POs you accessed. This feature also works in the Suppliers module — use the
Suppliers button to quickly access the last 10 suppliers you viewed.
|
|
|---|
|
Enhancements Now Live!
As of November 22, enhancements to Oracle Procurement's Redwood Self-Service Procurement (RSSP) module are now available.
|
|
|---|
|
Requisition Line Labels
In the
My Requisitions search tab, users now see requisition lines clearly labeled.
|
|
|
|
|
New Requisition Status
When a purchase order is in the process of being generated from requisition lines, the status of the requisition will update to
Order Processing.
|
|
|
|
|
Bug Fix
The ability to update the
Suggested Buyer field using the Edit Multiple Lines page is resolved.
|
|
|
|
|
Concur Card Aging Report
The Concur Card Aging Report remains a key focus as Internal Audit reviews campus card processes. As shown on
page 26 of the User Group deck, many Ghost Card and T&E Card transactions are still uncleared, with some dating back to 2022. Departments should review the Aging Report in iReport regularly and reconcile both assigned and unassigned charges. Card expenses do not appear on departmental ledgers until an expense report is submitted, approved, and validated in Oracle.
If you identify charges tied to legacy suppliers or separated employees, please submit a ticket through the Finance & Administration Support Portal under
Travel & Expense. For separated employees, include the appropriate delegate, pre-approver (optional), and financial approver who will take action in Concur on the expense report(s), along with a screenshot of the related charges to support cleanup.
|
|
|---|
|
Improved Visibility in the Finance and Administration Portal
Users can now view their own requests, the requests where they have been added as a watcher, and requests submitted by others within their department. For example, under Department Universal Requests, Josh can see the pending Universal Requests (tickets) submitted by Asirra, Kimberly, etc., as well as his own.
|
|
|---|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
