bn0405.gif (3088 bytes)

Diane Holley, Editor

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 2005 Issue of the The Buyers Network!


Articles in this Issue:

A New Feature!...Statewide Contracts Now Available Online at Division's Website

Important Notice to The Buyers Network Readers

Director's Comments:
Seeking Cost-Efficient Alternatives to Services Currently Offered

Surplus Property Public Auction

MoneyWise...Tips for the Thrifty

2005 Fiscal Year-End Closing Process and Purchase Order Timeline Outlined

NIGP's 60th Annual Forum and Products Exposition

Statewide Contract Spotlight...
Archives Security Keeps the Records Straight for the State

Surplus Property Unit Prepares for its Customer Appreciation Sale

Current Statewide Contract Update

Questions?...Just Ask Us!


A New Feature Officered by the Purchasing Division
       Statewide Contracts Now Available Online at Division's Website

The Purchasing Division recently completed a project to scan statewide contracts and make them available at the division's website.

Http://www.state.wv.us/admin/purchase/swc is your connection to the statewide contracts issued by the Purchasing Division. A statewide contract is a legal and binding instrument between the state and a vendor which is used by state agencies and some political subdivisions, such as municipalities, counties, boards of education, to purchase frequently used commodities and services. State agencies that are statutorily required to follow the guidelines established by the Purchasing Division must use these contracts.

The information at this site is offered for the convenience of our Internet visitors. Please note the site is not maintained in real time; therefore, contract activity such as an award, renewal, extension or cancellation may occur before the information is posted.

Official copies of each statewide contract are on file in the Purchasing Division offices located at 2019 Washington Street, East, Charleston, West Virginia. In the event a discrepancy is found between the scanned version appearing on the web site and the official copy, the information contained in the official copy will prevail.

"We are pleased to be able to offer this feature to our website for the convenience of our agency purchasers as well as political subdivisions," said Purchasing Director Dave Tincher. "Many of the political subdivisions within our state have expressed great enthusiasm with being able to utilize the

Back to the Top

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO THE BUYERS NETWORK READERS

Beginning with the May 2005 issue, The Buyers Network will be made available solely online at the Purchasing Division's website (http://www.state.wv.us/admin/purchase/BN/bnlist.htm). By the first day of each month, a new issue will be accessible, with the same level of valuable information that you have come to expect.

Due to the rising cost of printing and mailing this internal publication, the Purchasing Division made the decision to offer The Buyers Network electronically to our state agency purchasers.

If you would like us to remind you by electronic mail when a new issue is released onto our website, please forward your email address to Sandy Singleton at ssingleton@wvadmin.gov or by telephone at 558-4213.

Back to the Top  


The Director's Comments:
       
       Seeking Cost-Efficient Alternative to Services Currently Offered

By Dave Tincher
State Purchasing Director

With limited budget and staffing levels, the Purchasing Division continuously attempts to find more resourceful ways of providing services to our agency, political subdivision and business customers.

Recently, our staff reviewed the publications which we produce and looked at ways we could maintain our communication levels but do so more efficiently. We fully understand the importance of communicating valuable information that affects your job.

Utilizing the technology that is available to all of us seemed to be the most logical choice.

This issue of The Buyers Network will be the last paper copy you will receive; however, an electronic issue will be available at our division's website (see article, "Statewide Contracts Now Available Online at Division's Website").

In addition, two of our program newsletters, State Travel News and The Fleet Manager, will be incorporated into The Buyers Network. All of our agency fleet and travel coordinators will want to bookmark this publication's website for future information on these programs.

The Surplus Property Unit newsletter, The Property Connection, will continue to be prepared and distributed as in the past, due to its use as a marketing tool to the targeted audience of eligible organizations.

Another substantial change in our publications relates to the West Virginia Purchasing Bulletin. In January of 2001, we began offering every other issue electronically on the Purchasing Division website to our paid, registered vendors. In October of that year, we offered an updated electronic version of the

Bulletin on weekly basis.

Effective with the June 3, 2005, issue, the West Virginia Purchasing Bulletin will be offered only in an electronic format at the division's website at http://www.state.wv.us/admin/purchase/newbul.htm.

The May 27, 2005 issue will be the last printed issue mailed. After this issue, no future copies will be mailed to vendors; however, issues will be updated with new bidding opportunities and available on our division website each Thursday.

Only vendors paying the $45 annual subscription fee will have access to this electronic version by entering their system-generated vendor number, group number (if applicable), and the first nine digits of their check number used in paying the current fee as the password.

All paid, registered vendors will continue to be encouraged to view this electronic publication weekly so as not to miss important bidding opportunities. Printed copies will be available at the Purchasing Division’s reception area for review.

We continuously seek ways to improve our services to our customers!

Back to the Top

Surplus Property Public Auction

Mark your calendar now... for the next Surplus Property public auction.

The next public auction scheduled by the West Virginia State Agency for Surplus Property is Saturday, April 2, 2005, at 2700 Charles Avenue in Dunbar.

Contact Surplus Property at 766-2626 for more details or visit its website at www.state.wv.us/admin/purchase/surplus.

Back to the Top  

MONEYWISE...Tips for the Thrifty

Save Money on Meat

According to Men's Fitness, here's how to save money on meat:

• Check the unit price. When it goes down, buy the largest packs of meat and freeze into the right size packs.

• Skip the "prime" cut. Pick cuts that say "loin," such as tenderloin, loin roast, sirloin or "round" as in eye of round.

• Buy turkey. It's almost always cheaper than other kinds of meat and has more protein.

• Pick catfish. Farm-raised catfish is among the lowest-cost, highest-protein fish you can buy.

Back to the Top


2005 Fiscal Year-End Closing Process and purchase Order Timeline Outlined

The end of the 2005 fiscal year is approaching. In making this transition, Jo Ann Dunlap, Assistant Director of the Administration and Inspection Section, shares with state agencies a timeline, as indicated below, to ensure that all requisitions are expedited prior to the June 30 deadline.

Expiring Accounts - [Appropriated General/Special/Federal Revenue]

These accounts allow for a 31-day close out period for payment, but purchase orders must be encumbered by June 30, 2005. These accounts will be closed on July 29, 2005.

May 2: Last day requisitions (WV-35) for bid referencing expiring funds may be submitted to the Purchasing Division's Acquisition and Contract (ACA) Section for processing. All pre-approvals (CTO, IS&C, Attorney General, etc., if applicable) must be obtained prior to submitting the expiring fund requisitions to the Purchasing Division. The agency is responsible for all pre-approvals. Requisitions should be clearly marked "Expiring Funds" in RED ink beginning April 11, 2005. Requisitions received in the Purchasing Division not clearly marked "Expiring Funds" will be processed in the normal manner. Agencies should closely monitor all expiring requisitions being processed in the Purchasing Division and should not assume the buyer is aware that the requisition is expiring.

June 10: Last day that non-bid requisitions (e.g. change orders, direct purchase orders, emergency purchase orders, and/or equipment contract orders) referencing expiring funds may be submitted to the ACA Section for processing. After June 10, 2005, agencies may walk through expiring requisitions up to 1:00 p.m. by June 30, 2005. Please note that the Attorney General's approval may be required for processing. After the Purchasing Division has executed the purchase order, the agency is responsible for obtaining all necessary signatures and having all paperwork in order and returned to the Purchasing Division's Administration Unit by 3:00 p.m. for encumbrance to occur by June 30, 2005. Agencies must deliver all paperwork to the Auditor's Office by 5:00 p.m. in order to complete the transaction by close of business.

June 10: First day fiscal year 2006 Encumbrance documents may be entered into WVFIMS. These transactions can only be approved to the Purchasing Division, Org. 0200. The Purchasing Division may not be able to electronically approve these transactions to the State Auditor's Office until July 1, 2005*.

July 1*: First day the Purchasing Division may be able to encumber and electronically approve fiscal year 2006 encumbrance documents to the State Auditor's Office.

Non-Expiring Accounts - [Non-appropriated Special Revenue/Re-appropriated Accounts]

These accounts follow a June 30, 2005, year end time line for close out. These accounts will no longer be valid after June 30, 2005, for process fiscal year 2005. After this date, non-appropriated special revenue account transactions with a fiscal year of 2005 on the split screen will not be accepted. Non-appropriated special revenue accounts will have to be processed with a fiscal year of 2006 on the split screen after this date. If the account has been re-appropriated to fiscal year 2006, prior fiscal years will be accepted on the split screen for process fiscal year 2006.

June 10: Last day to submit fiscal year 2005 encumbrance (purchase order) documents to the Purchasing Division for non-appropriated special revenue and/or re-appropriated special revenue accounts. Any document not processed in fiscal year 2005 will be processed in fiscal year 2006. These documents are not to be walked through as expiring requisitions. It is the responsibility of the agency to obtain all required signatures prior to submitting to the Purchasing Division for processing.

June 17: All encumbrance transactions (WVFIMS purchase orders and purchase order adjustments) that were unable to be processed by the Purchasing Division by this date will be rejected to the agency of origin. In the case of a rejected WVFIMS purchase order, if you elect to re- submit this transaction for fiscal year 2006, DO NOT DELETE the "P" document. Rather, modify it to be funded by fiscal year 2006 accounts and re-approve it to Org. 0200. In the case of a rejected purchase order adjustment, even if the WVFIMS purchase order it references has been flagged for rollover, a rollover document will NOT be created for the referenced WVFIMS purchase order. Any WVFIMS purchase order flagged for rollover will NOT have a rollover document created as long as there is a pending purchase order adjustment, i.e., the status of the adjustment is either UAP, UPP, REJ, or REA. In the case of a rejected adjustment, if the WVFIMS purchase order it references has been flagged for rollover, the adjustment (X Document) MUST be deleted for the rollover process to proceed for that purchase order. If the agency chooses not to delete the rejected AX@ document, it would be necessary for the agency to modify the existing purchase order adjustment after the completion of year-end processing to manually rollover the WVFIMS purchase order. Further, all WVFIMS purchase orders and the adjustments must be modified to be funded by Fiscal Year 2006 accounts and reapproved to Org. 0200 with a status of UPP before the Purchasing Division can encumber the purchase order. Purchase orders and change orders will be held in the Purchasing Division until the agency approves the WVFIMS document to Org. 0200.

July 1*: Agencies may modify any encumbrance document that was rejected to their agency due to year end processing to reflect the correct fiscal year on the split screen. Agencies may also begin approving fiscal year 2006 transactions. This is dependent upon approved expenditure schedules being filed with the State Budget Office.

General Time Line

July 1*: Agencies may modify any encumbrance document that was rejected to their agency due to year- end processing to reflect the correct fiscal year on the split screen. Agencies may also begin approving fiscal year 2006 transactions. This is dependent upon approved expenditures schedules being filed with the State Budget Office.

Procurements with Start Dates of July 1, 2005

Any encumbrance document processed that contains a start date of July 1, 2005 clause will be held by the Purchasing Division until the funds associated with the contract can be encumbered on WVFIMS for fiscal year 2006. The scheduled date for encumbrance of these funds is July 1, 2005*. All P-documents and X (purchase order adjustment) documents must have the correct fiscal year accounting information before the Purchasing Division can encumber these transactions. The Purchasing Division will execute these documents as soon as possible, so the vendor will have an encumbered purchase order to begin work.

*Agency personnel should monitor the morning message screen on WVFIMS, to determine if the system is available for transaction processing and electronic approvals.

Back to the Top  

NIGP's 60th Annual Forum and Products Exposition

July 30 - August 3, 2005
Anaheim Convention Center

For more details, visit the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing Division's website at www.nigp.org.

 

Back to the Top


Statewide Contract Spotlight...
            Archives Security Keeps the Records Straight for the State

In each issue of The Buyers Network, the Purchasing Division will highlight one of our statewide contractors. Providing information on the company and the products offered on the statewide contract, this feature will help familiarize our agency purchasers with our business partners.

Archives Security maintains an 80,000 sq. ft. facility in Charleston that is used to store state agency records. They also provide many other services, including records disposal.Archives Services, Inc. (ASI) is an offsite commercial records center designed to provide a full range of state-of-the-art records and information services to the business community. Since September of 1993, they have serviced the state-wide contract for records management (RECMGT00).

"We saw a need for this type of service in central West Virginia and decided we wanted to try to provide it," said John Griffin, ASI president. While the state holds about one third of their business, Griffin said there are agencies that are just now learning of the wide range of services they provide. "Our relationship with the state of West Virginia is very good. I believe we have and will continue to assist in solving many problems from the records management standpoint."

Griffin explains the many reason records are maintained: legal, operative and historical/cultural. Decisions regarding the proper storage of records have to be made in accordance with the policy that has been established within that agency or company.

John Griffin and his wife, Faye, work as a team at Archives Security.While records management is a necessity, Griffin points out that because it is an "out of sight - out of mind" task, it is not always a priority or can often be mishandled by corporations and institutions. "Within a business, people don’t always give attention to records retention until something fails within their system and they’re not able to retrieve what they want on a prompt basis. There also are times when agency heads change and the incoming leaders are leery of disposing of records because they don’t know what is there and don’t want the responsibility of making the decision of disposal."

Once a record is created, Griffin said, decisions should be made at that time as to how it will be stored while it is active and how long it should be retained.

Choosing the best format for re-cords, such as paper or electronic, is yet another decision that must be made. ASI offers a climate controlled vault for environmentally sensitive materials, such as computer tapes, disks, micrographics and video-tapes. "Paper storage is still the cheapest means of storing records if you don't have to review the record often," said Griffin. However, if a record is frequently viewed, he indicates it is cost effective to digitize it and have it accessible by computer.

ASI's 80,000 sq. ft. facility stores a computer system that provides clients with bar-coded inventory control of all records, including an audit trail of storage and retrieval requests, and an audit room that allows private review of documents on-site. Copiers and facsimile equipment are also available onsite.

All records are stored on pallets and, at the appointed time, ASI has an eight-ton shredder, used to destroy documents which have been pulled, that is capable of shredding up to 6,000 pounds an hour.

ASI President John Griffin stands among thousands of records that his company maintains as part of the statewide contract for records management services.ASI provides 24 hour, 365 days a year access to all records, both hardcopy and vault, with around the clock pickup and delivery service available. Their premises and materials are protected 24-hours a day by a fully integrated high-tech security system, which includes a multiplex, computer-controlled alarm system to guard against illegal entry and to monitor internal movement. A zoned fire alarm network with heat and smoke detection also is employed for additional security.

A member of PRISM International (Professional Records Information Storage Management), ASI encourages any agency interested in using their services to contact their office. "Because of the statewide contract, it is a very simple procedure for an agency to begin using us," said Griffin. "Primary and secondary authorities will then be established within the agencies who supply us with names of individuals authorized to request records."

For more information concerning Archives Services, Inc.. please contact:

John or Fay Griffin
Archives Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 3144
Charleston, WV 25331

304 346-8878

Back to the Top  
 

Surplus Property Unit Prepares for its Customer Appreciation Sale

The Surplus Property Unit is gearing up for its Customer Appreciation Sale on April 12 - 14, 2005.

The sale will be targeting ALL federal surplus property. To the delight of its customers, their already low service and handling fee will be reduced an additional 75 percent! Business hours for the sale are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The types of property that will be available will include office supplies, office furniture, kitchen equipment, hand tools, trucks, tractors, machine tools and much more.

The Surplus Property Unit strongly urges our customers to verify their eligibility status prior to visiting our warehouse.

Please note that items must be paid for on the day of purchase, either with an official check or credit card (Visa or MasterCard). The West Virginia Code prohibits the Surplus Property Unit from issuing any lines of credit; therefore, all sales must be paid for on the day of purchase.

For more information about the Customer Appreciation Sale and how your agency can save up to 75 percent off, please contact Eugene Young at (304) 766-2626 or (800) 576-7587.

Back to the Top

CURRENT STATEWIDE CONTRACT UPDATE

Information and dates (as of February 15, 2005) 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: ALUM
Description: Aluminum Sheeting
Vendor: ROCAL
Effective Date: 03/01/05

Contracts Out for Bid
Contract: CEREAL05
Description: Uncooked Cereal
PreBid Date: --
Bid Opening: 03/22/05

Contract: SANPAP
Description: Sanitary Paper Supplies
PreBid Date: --
Bid Opening: 03/17/05

Contract: CPIPE
Description: Corrugated Pipe
PreBid Date: --
Bid Opening: 03/22/05

Contract: CANLINE05
Description: Plastic Can Liners
PreBid Date: --
Bid Opening: 04/05/05

Contracts Under Evaluation

Contract: SUPFD05
Description: Supplemental Food
Bid Opening Date: 02/08/05
Under Evaluation: Yes

Contract: DSF05
Description: Disposable Food Items
Bid Opening Date: 02/24/05
Under Evaluation: Yes

Contract: CLRM05
Description: Classroom Furniture
PreBid Date: --
Bid Opening: 03/17/05

Contracts Renewed

Contract: TEMP04C
Description: Temporary Service
Vendor: Advanced Integration Group, Inc.
Expiration Date: 04/30/06

Contract: TEMP04E
Description: Temporary Service
Vendor: Express Personnel Services
Expiration Date: 04/30/06

Contract: FILTER03
Description: Filters
Vendor: Vehicle Maintenance Program
Expiration Date: 05/14/06

Contract: MOTEL04S
Description: Motel Rooms
Vendors: Heidreth Motel (Kingwood)
Expiration Date: 12/31/06

Contract: TAGS
Description: Identification Tags
Vendor: Correctional Industries
Expiration Date: 06/30/06

Contracts Extended

Contract: CABLE02
Description: Cable Products
Vendor: SESCO
Extension Date: 08/31/05

Miscellaneous Action on Contract

Contract: WVARF04
Vendor: WV Association of Rehabilitative Facilities
Action: Increased cost for low monitoring services and soaps

Contract: WATERT03
Vendor: Water Works
Action: Canceled due to sale of vendor's assets

Contract: WATERT03A
Vendor: C.I. Thornburg Co., Inc.
Action: Re-award of WATERT03

Contracts to be Reviewed

APRIL

AEBATT
Automotive and Storage Batteries

SAFETY
Safety Items

MAY

SYSFURN
Modular Systems Furniture

SAT
Satellite Transponder Time

ORACLE
Oracle Software and Services

LS
Chemical / Glassware

DCBATT
Dry Cell Batteries

DIGCOP
Digital Copiers

DWASH
Dishwashing Materials

IP
Information Processing Equipment


Purchasing Division Staff
For questions concerning these contracts listed, please contact the appropriate buyer:

File 21
Charlyn Miller
(558-0067)

File 22
Marc Roberts
(558-0067)

File 23
Chuck Bowman
(558-2157)

File 31
Evan Williams
(558-2596)

File 31
Mike Sheets
(558-254
4)

File 33
John Johnston
(558-0492)

File 41
Ron Price
(558-2316)

File 42 
Betty Francisco
(558-0468)

Back to the Top

 

Questions?...Just Ask!

Are you unsure of certain purchasing procedures? ... 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 this form:

Name:

Organization:

E-Mail Address:

Telephone:

Need Information About:

 

Back to the Top

Thank you for viewing our April 2005 Issue of The Buyers Network