UCSF Logistics proudly took a significant step towards environmental sustainability this week by integrating its first electric vehicle (EV) into its diverse fleet. This addition marks another milestone in UCSF’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and promoting eco-friendly practices across its operations.Operating a fleet of 14 vehicles, ranging from small cargo vehicles to medium-duty trucks, UCSF Logistics provides a wide array of essential services. These services include mail and package delivery, gas cylinder transportation, and critical labor services such as equipment installation and moving services—all indispensable for the smooth functioning of UCSF throughout San Francisco. Together, Logistics and the Office of Sustainability found opportunities to leverage grants that helped offset the initial costs associated with vehicle purchases and EV charging infrastructure. The team was able to source a brand new 2023 E-Transit, saving an additional $5000 when compared to a 2024 van.UCSF Logistics is collaborating with UCSF Facilities to build-out EV charging infrastructure at Oyster Point. Slated for completion by the end of 2025, the charging infrastructure will be crucial for the future expansion of the electric fleet.By adopting green technologies and practices, UCSF Logistics is not just contributing to a healthier planet but is also setting new standards in operational excellence and sustainability in higher education.“This vehicle is the first of many. We’re excited to get electric vehicles to improve the driving experience for our drivers and to create a cleaner last-mile delivery program for UCSF.” – Mel Maxwell, Executive Director UCSF Logistics
Late expense report taxation news article.
2022 guidance on reimbursement for Covid testing.
Thanks does not feel like enough given how your team rallied around ZSFG. I was blown away by your actions as well as the can-do attitude. In addition to feeling grateful, I am so proud to be working with your team.Erin Gore, Senior Vice ChancellorUCSF Finance & AdministrationWhen the powerful storm hit the Bay Area last month, many businesses and residences lost power. At 9 p.m. on March 23 the outages included buildings containing research labs at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG).Because the building is not owned or maintained by UC San Francisco, the University wasn’t notified until the next morning. That’s when Brian Smith, senior associate vice chancellor of Research and Infrastructure Operations, made a call to Supply Chain Management’s (SCM) Strategic Procurement Executive Director Andrew Clark and got the ball rolling.Here’s a timeline of how SCM staff worked together to deliver for the UCSF research community:8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. – Following Smith’s call, Clark mobilizes his research and buying teams to investigate and prepare contingency plans. He then notifies Greg Macway, interim executive director of Logistics, that the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) would be activated.9 a.m. – Macway heads to Oyster Point to meet with Logistics managers Mark Choi and Charles Sabia to prepare for possible contingencies while keeping daily operations running.10 a.m. – EOC members review the situation, noting that the PG&E estimate for restoring power was 8 p.m. and sample-storage (freezers) temperatures were rapidly increasing. The decision is made to secure dry ice to stabilize temperatures and act as a stopgap in case power was not restored as predicted.10 a.m. to 11 a.m. – SCM Procurement Analyst Chris Gong works directly with Airgas to prep and order 1,000 pounds of dry ice.11 a.m. – Logistics’ staff Jorge Rivas, Scott Yu and Fred Jones pivot from their regular assignments to be dispatched to Hayward to pick up the dry ice and deliver it to ZSFG. 11 a.m. – While the Logistics’ team is enroute, costs and demand are reviewed by the EOC, and it is decided to double the volume to 2,000 pounds of dry ice. The drivers wait for the additional dry ice and then head to ZSFG.2:15 p.m. – Logistics’ drivers arrive at ZSFG and assist facilities and research personnel to transport it to all labs as needed.3:30 p.m. – Power is restored to most buildings, with all buildings back online by 5 p.m.While there were a few key players who jumped into action last Thursday, the success of this effort was not something that just happened. Clark and Dean Shehu, strategic sourcing manager for Research, have executed a multiyear strategy to build relationships with key stakeholders in Research. The level of trust they have built allowed SCM to get ahead of this issue and mobilize our teams. And all SCM staff should be applauded for maintaining daily transactional operations, even when resources were pulled to address this issue."When ZSFG lost power, SCM provided critical assistance, both through the official emergency operations response and informal channels because we had the knowledge, resources, skills and relationships to assist," said Justin Sullivan, associate vice chancellor and chief procurement officer. "It is inspiring when our team has the chance to show its capabilities and how much it cares for the people and mission of UCSF. It's clear from the appreciation we've seen that UCSF knows that SCM is a collaborative and trusted partner who can be counted on to deliver when needed most."
Supply Chain Management (SCM) has been developing training courses to help the UCSF community navigate through our services. The first course is now available in the UC Learning Center and focuses on using MyExpense, the reimbursement submission system. This course walks you through the basics of reimbursement and includes a step-by-step demonstration on submitting your work-related expenses through MyExpense.You can find the course in the UC Learning Center by searching “Submitting an Expense Report Through MyExpense” or use the direct link on the MyExpense Training page under Webinars and e-Courses.Additional courses and training materials are in development and will be announced as they become available. If you have questions or feedback about the course, please send them to the SCM Communications & Customer Experience Team.
Forms Required for Travel ReimbursementUCSF-sponsored international travel requires pre-approval forms to be completed prior to the start of travel and must be submitted for travel reimbursement. Individuals should use the following appropriate forms to obtain preapproval:Faculty, staff, post-docs, residents and fellows must complete the International Travel Approval & Resources Form Student traveling internationally must complete the Student International Travel Approval Form – Low Risk or the Student International Travel Approval Form – High Risk Any required forms must be signed and attached to the MyExpense reimbursement. If required forms are not attached, the expense reimbursement may be returned to the traveler. Domestic UCSF-sponsored travel no longer requires approval forms.For more information and updates on UCSF-sponsored travel, please review the travel guidance website.Late Expense Report TaxationPer UC policy, employees are responsible for reporting reimbursable expenses within 45 calendar days of the end of trip/last purchase date. Employee expense reports submitted to an Approver in MyExpense more than 60 calendar days after the end of trip/last purchase date will be reported as taxable income for the employee being reimbursed and will be subject to applicable payroll taxes. To prevent late expense report taxation, always submit expense reports timely within 45 calendar days of the end of trip/last purchase date.Action Required for BearBuy VouchersTo prepare for the fiscal year-end, all BearBuy match exception handlers and voucher approvers should approve/reject all vouchers pending in their queues. We encourage you to act by June 30 to ensure the vouchers are processed for the 22/23 fiscal year.Encourage Suppliers to Use Transcepta With 15,000 UCSF suppliers registered, Transcepta is the University’s e-invoice partner for BearBuy invoices. Please encourage your suppliers to submit invoices through Transcepta. For additional guidance, refer your supplier to the Supply Chain Management Supplier Guide to Transcepta.Please do not email invoices to Supply Chain Management Accounts Payable as we are no longer accepting invoices via email from suppliers that are submitting invoices through Transcepta.**Some types of invoices are not submitted through Transcepta. Review Transcepta exclusions for details. Payment Request Form UsageThe Payment Request Form (PRF) can no longer be used for suppliers that will not accept Purchase orders (POs). Invoices for goods and services from these suppliers are no longer accepted and will be returned to the department. POs or Procurement Cards should be used for making these purchases.The PRF can only be used for the following types of payments:Cell Phone/Phone LinesDonations/ContributionsGovernment Fees/VisasGuest LodgingHonorariaJournal PublicationsMembershipsPostage/Small Package CourierRefundsRegistration FeesStudent Summer ProgramsSubscriptionsUtilities
Supply Chain Managements wants customers to understand that after-the-fact purchase orders (PO) are a violation of University of California (UC) policy and pose serious risks to the University and individuals involved in the transactions. The UCSF community should follow the proper purchasing process and establish their PO before obtaining goods or services.After-the-fact POs are used when goods or services are acquired without a valid PO and, subsequently, a PO is created after the services have been rendered or goods delivered. Less than one percent of UCSF transactions occur this way. Even with such a rare occurrence, we’d like to remind you about the importance of following our procurement processes. Here are a few issues involving an after-the-fact PO:Violation of Policy: UC’s Business and Finance Bulletin 43 (BFB-BUS-43) policy outlines that after-the-fact POs are unauthorized purchases. These violations are reviewed by procurement staff, internal audit and external auditors and can lead to findings for your department and/or, in the case of federally funded transactions, loss of funding.Personal Consequences: Individuals involved in after-the-fact POs may also be exposed to personal financial risks. UC policy cites unauthorized transactions may require employees to personally pay the associated invoice(s). Though this is rarely enacted, it is within UC policy.Risk to UC: There are several risk-mitigation steps in place at UCSF when you use our standard procurement processes. Typically, these include separation of duties, checks for data safety, reviews for human resources compliance with state laws and union contracts, along with several other tactics that reduce risk. If our standard processes are not followed, it places the University at risk.To avoid these negative outcomes, please make sure to follow UC's purchasing policy and establish your POs before obtaining goods or services. This ensures that all transactions are properly documented, reviewed, and approved, and that the University and individuals involved are protected.If you have any questions or concerns about the purchasing process or POs, please do not hesitate to contact the Supply Chain Management Response Team for assistance.
10/16/23 UPDATE: The focus group sessions have been completed. No volunteers are needed at this time.Supply Chain Management Strategic Sourcing Manager Dean Shehu is calling for principal investigators and lab managers to volunteer one hour of their time to participate in a focus group to assist the UCSF Ultra-Low Temperature (ULT) Freezer Replacement Program. Participants will receive a $20 gift card.What is the ULT Freezer Replacement Program? UCSF operates more than 1,250 -80°C freezers, with over two-thirds of those being older, non-energy-efficient models that use three times as much energy as ENERGY-STAR Certified -80°C freezers. Completely transitioning UCSF to energy-efficient ULT freezers will help meet our annual energy-use reduction target of two percent and save UCSF more than $1.3 million dollars per year in energy costs. The Office of Research, in partnership with Office of Sustainability, Supply Chain Management and Facilities are creating a strategy to accelerate UCSF’s transition to 100 percent ENERGY-STAR units. We are seeking input from the research community regarding how to implement this program optimally. Focus groups will be held on the following days and times: May 24, noon to 1 p.m. May 26, 8 am. to 9 a.m. May 26, noon to 1 p.m. May 26, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Please respond with your availability by inputting your name in this SmartSheet: ULT Focus Group Sign-ups for all options that would work. We will send you an invite after we create the roster for each session. We aim to have no more than 12 people per session. For questions please contact Dean Shehu.
BearBuy production downtime will take place between Friday, July 14 at 6 p.m. through Sunday, July 16 at 9 a.m. to upgrade from release version 23.1 to 23.2. To avoid delays, please complete all BearBuy requests prior to the system maintenance. BearBuy will be available on Monday, July 17.
On July 17, BearBuy will be updated with minor visual improvements. Here are highlights of the changes:Improved ease of use with revised hide sidebar functionalityImproved readability with new Approve button to replace checkmark on Approvals pageA PowerPoint presentation with details about the release will be available by Friday, July 14 on the BearBuy Features Update page of the Supply Chain Management website.
