The Buyers Network is Published
Monthly by the Purchasing Division of the West
Virginia Department of Administration to Promote Better Value in Public Purchasing
Welcome to the April 2000 Issue of the The Buyers Network!
Articles in this Issue:
Statewide Travel Services Contractor Offers State
Travelers an Introduction to Online Booking
WE NEED YOU!...
State Agencies Encouraged to Help Spread the Word of Conference to State Vendors
Director's Comments: State Legislative Update on Purchasing Issues
Certification of Fixed Assets Due by July 15, 2000
VENDOR SPOTLIGHT...Meet our West Virginia Businesses!
Statewide Contracts and the State Purchasing Card Work Together
How to Combat 'TechnoStress' at Work
Changes Made to Billable Crew Rates
Agencies Advised of New Security Services Contract
TEAM: The Training Continues...
Medical Services Roll Out in TEAM
Agency Purchasing Conference Details
MONEYWISE...Tips for the Thrifty
Current Statewide Contract Update
Statewide Travel Services Contractor Offers State
Travelers an Introduction to Online Booking
National
Travel, the statewide travel management contractor, conducted four seminars in early March
at the Cultural Center at the State Capitol. The purpose of the meetings was to introduce
state employees to special features available at the company's website, including a
special page for West Virginia state government travelers only. Because of the
overwhelming response to this training, the Travel Management Office added an additional
session later that month.
This page may be accessed at its homepage (www.nationaltravel.com) by clicking on "WV State Gov't" hotlink. Information includes a link to the State Travel Management Office's website, MapQuest (online travel directions), a link to National Travel's main site, and the ability to perform electronic bookings.
National Travel's "state government" site is customized with the state's discounts and preferred vendors which makes it extremely user friendly, according to State Travel Manager Catherine DeMarco. "For example, if you did not know the Avis discount number or our special airline rates, this site will automatically append the information."
DeMarco explains that all of the data is at your fingertips. "You can print out flight schedules or just book a car or hotel. If you do not have a profile already established on file with National Travel, just contact them for a profile form. In this way, all your preferences are automatically entered into your reservation," she said.
National Travel will continue to monitor the reservation process by checking for lower fares or better seat assignments. For more details, contact National Travel at 357-0830 or the Travel Management at 558-2613.
Representatives from state agencies can be
extremely valuable in helping the Purchasing Division spread the word about the 2nd Annual
Vendor Purchasing Conference.
Targeting only West Virginia businesses, this conference will be held on May 15-17 at Canaan Valley State Resort and Conference Center.
The agenda includes group discussions, workshop sessions and individual consultations with purchasing staff and agency procurement officers. Approximately 15 agencies will be represented at this conference.
During your daily dealings with state businesses, the Purchasing Division would greatly appreciate you providing these business representatives with this information. If you would like to have printed notices to post in your office area for vendors to see, please contact Diane Holley at 558-0661.
Conference information may also be accessed online from the Purchasing Division's website at http://www.state. wv.us/admin/purchase/ven00.htm. The registration form is available and may be completed and submitted electronically at this site.
For more details or questions relating to the 2nd Annual Vendor Purchasing Conference, please refer interested vendors to our conference coordinators:
Diane Holley (558-0661)
dholley@gwmail.state.wv.us
Debbie Watkins (558-3568)
dwatkins@gwmail.state. wv.us
Kelli Doyle (558-7839)
kdoyle@gwmail.state.wv.us
By Dave Tincher
State Purchasing Director
Each year
when the State Legislature convenes, there is a possibility that laws may be created or
modified which affect the state purchasing process or any of our programs which we
administer.
This year, there were five bills which were approved by both the Senate and House of Delegates and are currently awaiting action from the Governor, either to sign or veto.
In an attempt to keep our agency purchasing officials informed, I have provided a brief description of these bills below:
Senate Bill 618
This legislation changes the requirement for publishing wage rates on all public contracts. In the past, the entire rates for that county had to be printed which could be costly. This law changes that requirement to only make reference the county wage rate, not actually printing this entire information.
House Bill 4805
This legislation concerns fraud in the purchasing process, with special emphasis on political subdivisions. The bill notes that awards cannot be made on contracts with lower quality than indicated on specifications.
House Bill 4568
This bill exempts the State Fire Marshal from the State Fleet Management Program. With this exception, this agency would be allowed to own its fleet.
House Bill 4442
Referred to as the Vendor Debarr-ment Bill, this legislation monitors vendors for breach of contract, failure to pay required taxes, and federal debarrment status. It affects those agencies which follow the state purchasing guidelines, as well as those legally exempt from our regulations.
Certification of Fixed Assets Due by July 15, 2000
Agencies will soon receive a reminder that all assets purchased as of June 30 should be entered into the WVFIMS Fixed Assets System, according to Administration Unit Manager Jo Ann Dunlap.
In addition, a certification of agency's physical inventory must be submitted to the Administration Unit no later than July 15, 2000.
Statewide Contracts and the State Purchasing Card Work Together
Did you know that you may now
use your State Purchasing Card to purchase from statewide contracts for transactions under
$1,000?
The Purchasing Card Program rules and regulations were changed to permit use of the State Purchasing Card on statewide contract purchases. The State Buyers now make acceptance of the State Purchasing Card a mandatory requirement on all statewide contracts. According to Assistant Purchasing Director Curt Curtiss, approximately 65% of our current statewide contracts now contain this requirement and it is his hope to increase that number to 100% in the near future as contracts expire and become rebid.
Curtiss explains that during discussions with the State Auditor's Office staff, there are still many agencies that are not utilizing the State Purchasing Card, rather performing manual transactions which result in more time and less efficiency.
Using the State Purchasing Card has proved to save time and money. State agencies are encouraged to utilize this card on statewide contract purchases less than $1,000 per transaction when possible.
How to Combat
'TechnoStress' at Work
According to researchers, an alarming two-thirds of an average organization's workers are intimidated by computers, the Internet/company intranet, and other tech tools. Dr. Larry Rosen and his wife, Dr. Michelle Weil, warn in their latest book, TechnoStress: Coping with Technology @Work @Home @Play, that every organization needs to recognize that "technostress" impacts employees as they try to learn and apply any new technology. Dr. Rosen offers five tops for helping "technostressed" employees feel more at ease:
Find a buddy, a "personal trainer" who is calm, speaks English [not jargon] and is willing to offer you help.
Realize that you are not alone. Except for the minority of early adopters, most people are feeling overwhelmed and overworked too!
Realize that you do not have to know everything right now. Figure out what you need to learn now, learn it well, practice it, make mistakes, and try to see if you can fix it. Give yourself the freedom to play and explore the technology. When you need something else, move on and learn it.
When you get overwhelmed, take a break. Technology may be able to work 24 hours a day, but you cannot.
The computer has lured us into multi-tasking. We can do many things at the same time, such as talking on the phone, cooking dinner, and watching our kids out of the corner of our eye. But, when you are multi-tasking on things that take a tremendous amount of brain power like writing, checking your e-mail, surfing the Web for resources, or trying to remember what somebody said, you are overtaxing your system and it is mostly like spilling over somewhere else.
VENDOR
SPOTLIGHT
Meet Our West Virginia Businesses!
Each month, The Buyers Network will be familiarizing our readers with state businesses who attended our Vendor Purchasing Conference last year. We appreciated their participation in this training event.
Introducing Boxes Unlimited of Cross Lanes, West Virginia
Boxes Unlimited, Inc. offers corrugated boxes and packaging supplies. Recently, they have dealt with such agencies as the Court of Claims, the Alcohol Beverage Commission and the Purchasing Division.
Diane Hill, Vice President of Boxes Unlimited, indicated that they have found success in using the 'personal contact' approach to marketing to state agencies. She also is a fan of the State Purchasing Card Program as an efficient and expedient method of payment for goods and services.
As a participant of the Vendor Purchasing Conference last year, Hill expressed that the benefits of attendance were numerous. "We were new to doing business with the state. What were the benefits of attending? Everything!," she claims. "We plan to return this year."
For more information on the products offered by Boxes Unlimited, contact Diane Hill at (304) 776-2769 or by fax at (304) 776-2702.
Got a question or problem? Who are you going to call?
Below are the key contacts for each program and services which the Purchasing Division offers. This information will lead you in the right direction and most likely solve your problem more expediently.
This directory of services is available at our website at www.state.wv.us/admin/purchase.
***
DIRECTOR'S OFFICE
Fax: (304) 558-4115
Oversees the management of the state Purchasing Division.
David Tincher, Director
(304) 558-2538
dtincher@gwmail.state.wv.us
Diane Holley
Executive Assistant
(304) 558-0661
dholley@gwmail.state.wv.us
Debbie Watkins
Administrative Secretary
(304) 558-3568
dwatkins@gwmail.state.wv.us
ACQUISITIONS & CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION
Fax: (304) 558-4115
This section is responsible for the procurement of products and services for all state agencies, with emphasis on buying the best quality at the lowest cost to taxpayers. The administration of the Purchasing Card is monitored by this section. Professional development and education of purchasing personnel is also addressed by this section.
Curt Curtiss, Assistant Director
(304) 558-7838
ccurtiss@gwmail.state.wv.us
Buying Staff
Ron Price, Buyer Supervisor
(304) 558-0492
rprice@gwmail.state.wv.us
Evan Williams, Buyer Supervisor
(304) 558-2316
ewilliams@gwmail.state.wv.us
Jim Jackson, Senior Buyer
(304) 558-0468
jjackson@gwmail.state.wv.us
Pam Jones, Senior Buyer
(304) 558-0067
pjones@gwmail.state.wv.us
Charlyn Miller, Senior Buyer
(304) 558-2596
cmiller@gwmail.state.wv.us
John Johnston, Senior Buyer
(304) 558-2402
jjohnston@gwmail.state.wv.us
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Fax: (304) 558-6026
This section is responsible for various programs and services offered
to state agencies, political subdivisions and the vendor community.
Automation Unit
Provides training and administration for the TEAM automated purchasing system and also maintains the Division’s website.
Dan Miller, Automation Manager
304) 558-2314
team@gwmail.state.wv.us
Administration Unit
Oversees the following programs and services: inventory management, records and distribution, encumbrance and vendor registration.
Jo Ann Dunlap, Manager
(304) 558-0059
jdunlap@gwmail.state.wv.us
***
Inventory Management/Encumbrance
Jo Ann Dunlap, Manager
(304) 558-0059
jdunlap@gwmail.state.wv.us
Records and Distribution
Joan Adkins, Office Assistant
(304) 558-2312
jadkins@gwmail.state.wv.us
Vendor Registration
Forrest Loudin, Vendor Clerk
(304) 558-2311
floudin@gwmail.state.wv.us
Travel Management Unit
Develops, administers and revises travel regulations for most executive branch agencies.
Catherine DeMarco, Manager
(304) 558-2613
cdemarco@gwmail.state.wv.us
Records Management Unit
Provides record retention and destruction guidelines to all state agencies.
Catherine DeMarco, Manager
(304) 558-2613
cdemarco@gwmail.state.wv.us
Capitol Parking Unit
Oversees employee, visitor and legislative parking at the State Capitol Complex.
Janice Boggs, Manager
(304) 558-0086
jboggs@gwmail.state.wv.us
Fleet Management Unit
Furnishes transportation services of 1,500 vehicles to all executive branch agencies
Janice Boggs, Manager
(304) 558-0086
jboggs@gwmail.state.wv.us
Surplus Property Unit
Coordinates the acquisition of federal surplus property for resale to eligible organizations. Approves the disposal of retired state-owned property. Oversees the sale of retired state property to eligible customers and the general public through auctions and sealed bids.
2700 Charles Avenue
Dunbar, WV 25064
(304) 766-2626
Fax: (304) 766-2631
Website: www.state.wv.us/admin/purchase/surplus
Ken Frye, Manager
David White, Administrative Services Supervisor
Larry Danberry, State Warehouse Supervisor
Danny Layton, Federal Warehouse Supervisor
n
Liquor Franchise Sales: The request for proposal for liquor franchise sales opened on March 3. Over 200 bids were received.n
Fleet Management: The Fleet Management Office reports that 181 vehicles were financed for a total of $3,051,397 and 37 vehicles were not financed for a total of $593,999. This totals 218 vehicles for $2,645,396.
n
Visit our website at www.state.wv.us/admin/purchase!
According to a memorandum issued by Cabinet Secretary Joseph Markus of the Department of Administration, billable craft crew rates have changed for new projects contracted on or after March 1. The new rates are as follows:
Unskilled Labor $24/hour
Unkilled Supervisor $30/hour
Skilled Labor $30/hour
Skilled Supervisor $32/hour
Registered Nurse $34/hour
These rates replace those that have been in effect since February 1, 1996. For current projects and projects contracted/bid as of March 1, the former rates will apply.
More Reports of Scams
Cricket Powell of the West Virginia Education and State Employees Grievance Board reminds us to be careful of individuals who try to take prey on state employees by portraying themselves as vendors. She indicated that recently a vendor contacted her regarding copy machine supplies and told her that there was some confusion about an increase in pricing on toner cartridges. They offered to send her two at a specially low price. Unsure of this vendor, she began asking questions and quickly called their bluff.
This is an important lesson for all of us...ask questions! If you are suspicious that a deal is too good to be true, ask the vendor for more information. Even offer to get back with them which will most likely deter their scam.
Agencies Advised
of New Security Services Contract
The newly created Protective Services Division has received proposals and expects to award a campus contract for security services at the Main Capitol Complex. This will remove approximately 74 percent of the total usage of the old statewide security services contract, which will eliminate the need for continuation of that contract. Therefore, it is the intent of the Purchasing Division not to renew or rebid the statewide security services contract.
All agencies who currently have security provided by the old statewide contract should proceed immediately to prepare requisitions. Questions or requests for additional information should be directed to Curt Curtiss, Assistant Purchasing Director, at (304) 558-7838 (e-mail: ccurtiss@gwmail.state.wv.us).
TEAM: The
Training Continues
Medical Services Roll Out in TEAM
The Bureau of Medical Services has become the latest branch of the Department of Health and Human Resources to roll out on the TEAM purchasing system. Training classes were conducted at the end of February and "live processing" began March 1, 2000.
The Purchasing Division provided the training room and set up the new user profiles, but what makes this roll out different is that the agency furnished its own instructor and training materials.
"The unique aspect of this roll out is that DHHR did almost all the work themselves," said Dan Miller, Auto-mation Manager for the Purchasing Division. "They did their own analysis to determine what classes to teach and the individuals who should attend. They did their own scheduling, created their own training materials, and even brought their own instructor."
The Purchasing Division provides training materials for agencies that use the TEAM system. However, the materials are unavoidably generic because they need to be meaningful to multiple agencies. "What DHHR did was to use and approve upon our materials by making them specific to their organization," Miller said.
DHHR’s Susie Teel led BMS staff members through a set of classes which included Requisition Coding and Entry, Requisition Review and Approval, and Receipt Posting. The set of classes will be repeated in March for DHHR’s Region II.
If you would like more information about the TEAM purchasing system, contact our Automation Unit at 304-558-2314. The e-mail address is team@gwmail.state.wv.us.
Agency Purchasing Conference
Details
With all of the publicity of the Vendor Purchasing Conference, many agency procurement officers have asked, "When is OUR conference?"
The Purchasing Division has contracted with Canaan Valley State Park to conduct the agency conference on October 16-19. The agenda has not been set; however, the format will most likely remain the same as in years past. Small workshop sessions tend to work best in training the participants on a variety of information.
Conference packets will not be distributed until early September. Keep checking The Buyers Network for more details on this conference!
Current Statewide Contract Update
Information and dates (as of March 16, 2000) included in this Current Statewide Contract Update are subject to change. If you need additional information, please contact the appropriate state buyer.
Contracts Awarded
Contract:
IMAGEContract:
HOUSEContract:
FILTER
Description: Oil, Air and Fuel Filters
File:
33
Vendor: Ridge Auto, Marine Supply
Effective Date: 02/15/00
Contracts to be Bid or Under Evaluation
Contract:
WELDContract:
DFSContract:
PAINTContract:
CANLINERContract:
HOUSEContract:
TAGSContract:
FOODContract:
CEREALContracts to be Renewed
Contract:
VID-TAPContract:
AUD/TAPContract:
IPTEMPContract:
MED/SURContract:
R-TIRESContracts to be Reviewed
APRIL
COPIER
AIRCON
OFFICE
MAY
SAT
RECMGT
DWASH
TCONES
LAUNDRY
WIPING
OIL
RE-OIL
Purchasing Division Staff
For questions concerning these contracts listed, please contact the appropriate buyer:
File 21
Charlyn Miller
(558-0067)
File 22
Pam Jones
(558-0468)
File 31
Evan Williams
(558-2596)
File 33
John Johnston
(558-0492)
File 41
Ron Price
(558-2316)
File 42
Jim Jackson
(558-2402)
Are you unsure of certain purchasing
procedures? ... Do you need to know what printing services Consolidated Publishing
Facility provides? ... Do you have a question regarding travel requests? ... Would you
want to know what surplus property is available? ... If you need information concerning
any function within the Purchasing Division, complete the form below:
Thank You for Viewing our April Issue of The Buyers Network