With summer travel on the horizon, University of California Office of the President (UCOP) Central Travel Office is offering tips to help you be a savvier, smarter, and thriftier traveler. Smart Travel StrategiesFly early in the day to reduce the chance of delays.Choose nonstop flights when possible to lower emissions.Stick to one airline all the way to your destination as airlines can only commit to their own schedules, and if one cancels, it is not the responsibility of the other to adjust your connecting flight.Download airline apps and check-in online ahead of time.For international trips, make sure you’ve entered your passport details on the airline site so it goes a little smoother at the check-in counter. Access to the app and its convenience will require you join the loyalty program.Ensure your TSA PreCheck/Global Entry number is in your profile for a smoother security experience.Arrive early (2 hours for domestic flights, 3 hours for international flights) to navigate longer lines.Carry-on only? Save time at check-in and skip baggage claim.Snap a photo of checked luggage to assist with claims if it’s lost.Board early for overhead bin space.Fully charge devices and bring a power bank.Photograph travel docs (ID/passport/credit cards) in case of loss.Watch for schedule changes and wait before responding unless your flight is within 48 hours. Do not act on them immediately, unless your flight is within a couple of days of the change (our webinar recording found in the travel portal on schedule changes dives into why you should allow yourself time to research your options from full cancellations to destination changes to airline switches). Know your rights during delays/cancellations.Loyalty Has Its PerksEnrolling in airline, rental car, and rideshare loyalty programs often unlocks additional savings and faster service. University of California's (UC’s) travel contracts already offer great perks, and combining these with your loyalty program status can mean:Free checked bagsPriority boardingPreferred seatsExpedited car rental pickupUpgrades at the airport (if available)UC Status Match & Program PerksAlready have status with an airline? You may qualify for a UC-specific status match with:AlaskaDeltaLATAMUnitedBelow are programs that allow you to link your personal United, Uber, Hertz, and Enterprise accounts to UC and gain significant benefits. All links can also be found in our Connexxus travel portal:United “Break for Business” gives up to 10% discount when booking directly at united.com.Hertz and Enterprise allow access to all UC contracted rates when reserving a vehicle on their websites.Uber Business provides Priority pickup, where our travelers are prioritized over others, especially at peak/high-demand times or areas (such as conventions or airports).
Justin Sullivan, UCSF Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Procurement Officer, shares how new tariffs impact university supply chain and what steps are being taken to manage costs and disruption.
Supply Chain Management (SCM) prepares for potential service disruptions.
The REAL ID Act will be enforced starting May 7, 2025. Travelers 18 and over will need a REAL ID-compliant license or an acceptable ID to board commercial domestic flights and access federal facilities. For more information, visit the Department of Homeland Security's website or contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Service procurement breakdown brought to you by Tina Stugart, Supply Chain Management (SCM) Procurement Supervisor and Laura Morsony, SCM Response Team Analyst.
UCSF’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) Strategic Procurement team shelters faculty, staff, and students from risk, and they also negotiate contracts and pricing for the campus. As they look toward the financial headwinds, the team is working hard to save money for UCSF – perhaps the most important value proposition. Systemwide, this procurement value proposition is known as “benefit generation,” part of the University of California’s (UC’s) ongoing efforts toward efficiency, cost containment, and price savings.A History of Benefits and SavingsIn 2012, UC kicked off a program called P200, which emphasized UC Procurement’s ability to generate cost savings. Another program, referred to as “BenefitBank,” centered around generating benefit for UC. “BenefitBank” is administered by UCOP and contains standard definitions, rules, and guidelines that each campus must adhere to. UC campuses have tracked the amount of benefit generated from procurement activities, procurement-led programs, and negotiations. Entries into “BenefitBank” are audited and must be substantiated to ensure their accuracy. This year, UCSF Strategic Procurement has contributed $42 million in savings, which ranks UCSF second to UCLA. Much of these savings come from negotiations on large procurements and requests for proposals, though there are additional savings in the execution of programs like the research sales tax reduction program and Vantage Point Logistics inbound freight program.Andrew Clark, Executive Director of SCM Strategic Procurement, noted the team’s dedication to spending reduction and collaboration:“Since we’ve been tracking benefit, our UCSF Strategic Procurement team has made it part of our DNA to save our campus money and document our savings. Our ability and willingness to negotiate, coupled with a campus culture that is generally willing to partner with us, certainly contributes to our results.” How You Can Reduce the Cost of Your ProcurementsUse a supplier with an established UCSF agreement: Time is money. In March 2025, orders greater than $10,000 with contracted suppliers took less than 50 percent of time to execute than orders with non-agreement suppliers. That means departments across campus spent twice as long waiting for order processing and writing justifications than departments leveraging existing contracts. Before you spend precious time chasing a few dollars, you might consider using a supplier with an established UCSF agreement. Your department buyer can help recommend one if you need help. The Department-Assigned Buyer Search tool can help you find your assigned department buyer using your procurement department code. Focus on more than the buy price: Often, the lowest quote isn’t necessarily the lowest total cost. Shipping, portal charges, delivery charges, fuel surcharges, and tariffs often erode the value of the lowest price. Be sure you are considering all of the costs that go into your procurement, and remember that everything is negotiable (yes, even tariff surcharges). Leverage your SCM Department-Assigned Buyer: Strategize with your buyer by getting them involved early in the procurement. Our professional buyers have an array of tactics and techniques they employ to reduce the cost of the procurement. Often, those all come at the expense of time as they require discussion with the supplier (or maybe multiple suppliers).
Celebrate and learn at the UCSF Staff Resource Fair on Thursday, June 5 at Mission Bay, with virtual events and pop-ups throughout the week of June 2 – June 6, 2025. Staff Resource Days connects staff to UCSF and partner resources that support personal and professional development. New additions this year include the Well Within food resource zone with giveaways and demos, and a Supplier Connections Expo in partnership with the Anchor Institution Mission. Website and Event Calendar: tiny.ucsf.edu/SRDOn June 3, join us for the Empowering Small Business Growth Zoom webinar hosted by the Anchor Institution Mission Procurement and Small Business Office and discover how you can contribute to small business spending. Learn more about the Empowering Small Business Growth webinar.
Supply Chain Management (SCM) prepares for potential service disruptions.
Service procurement breakdown brought to you by Tina Stugart, SCM Procurement Supervisor and Laura Morsony, SCM Response Team Analyst.
MyExpense with WalkMe assistance bridges the gap between learning and practical support. WalkMe is a unique kind of customer support, it is available right in the system with customers. It helps users learn how to use MyExpense and addresses simple mistakes and common points of confusion right as they occur. It is like having a trusty workflow companion that shows you how to tackle tasks, rather than just telling you. WalkMe swiftly guides users through solutions with on-screen prompts, visual cues, and helpful tips. Our Supply Chain Management (SCM) experts have added WalkMe to areas in MyExpense where we know new, and even seasoned users, run into trouble. The orange WalkMe prompts and tips help point out navigation points, boxes to click, and options to consider. As you go through your workflow, WalkMe is there. If you need help, simply click and WalkMe will guide the way. You can also use WalkMe as a training tool. Doing something for the first time, or for the first time in a while? Use the orange “?” in the bottom right corner, and it will bring up a list of WalkMe guides. You can check out how it works by exploring “Creating a Guest Expense Report,” as it will take you through the entire process with helpful prompts and tips.“I am excited about the launch of WalkMe for MyExpense! Our team has designed WalkMe to assist directly within the system, providing help right when you need it. MyExpense with WalkMe is your guide to navigating tasks efficiently and seamlessly.” - Lian Sussmann, Executive Director, SCM Solutions and Support Operations Next time you are in MyExpense, look for orange tip boxes, and the orange “?” in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen will show you the MyExpense tasks with WalkMe guidance. As always, we welcome feedback, and if you need support for expense policy, or anything else, use the “?” to access support links.
