SUBJECT:

FinancialLink Purchase Order Transition to Marketplace

As mentioned in our February communication http://adminrecords.ucsd.edu/Notices/2012/2012-2-21-2.html UCSD Marketplace was launched three years ago with the goal to deliver a single procure-to-pay method that would also reduce costs. The commitment was made that legacy procurement methods would not be phased-out until Marketplace could fully support the dynamic needs of the campus for acquiring goods and services.

Since February, additional functionality and suppliers have been added to Marketplace. These enhancements, combined with the convenience and versatility of the Express Card, have allowed campus to reach a point where the use of the High Value Requisition and Department Order in FinancialLink can be discontinued as of June 30, 2012.

While Marketplace has matured to the point of fully supporting University purchase order activity, we recognize that unique circumstances and issues might arise as a result of this transition, and we are prepared to work closely with departments and individuals to define the most efficient way of handling those situations.

Over the past few months, Procurement & Contracts and Disbursements team members have worked steadily to prepare departments for the transition. They have visited or are scheduled to visit over 54 departments to host on-site dedicated workshops, discussions, and trainings. In these sessions, our teams have collaborated with departments to identify flexible solutions to successfully translate FinancialLink purchase order requirements into Marketplace. Opportunities continue to be available. A new series of webinar training is now accessible for campus to get up-to-speed on a variety of topics, including requesting suppliers, using iRequests, learning how to submit revisions to completed POs, and how to process Sub awards. You can access the webinar schedule by visiting:

http://blink.ucsd.edu/buy-pay/ways/financiallink-orders-transition

Additionally, a Campus Procurement Expo event hosted at the Price Center on August 1st will include extensive procure-to-pay training and discussion workshops, and our teams will be participating in the August 29th Sharecase event. This will be a great opportunity for those of you who have not made it to our training sessions to get a good look at new and upgraded Marketplace features - we hope you can attend.

Our teams will continue to proactively reach out to the campus regarding the transition. Departments interested in either scheduling a dedicated session or learning more about requesting new suppliers and recently released Marketplace functionality can visit:

http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/changeisgood

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us or the transition project manager, Jenn Glassman (jglassman@ucsd.edu).

Ted Johnson Director Procurement and Contracts Faye E. McCullough Director Disbursements and Travel