Spring 2024 Admin Updates
Changes to Invoice Payments to Vendors
Campus is moving away from using UC Invoice as the payment process for Purchase Order invoices. Vendors are strongly encouraged to begin using Transcepta, a third-party invoicing system for submitting invoices. Vendors will enjoy many benefits from using this system, like guaranteed secure delivery of all your UC Berkeley invoices, immediate confirmation of invoice delivery, and accelerated payment terms. There is no charge to any supplier for using this service. Please support our team and accounts payable by encouraging this option with the vendors you are doing business with.
How to Use Transcepta:
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Verify the vendor you are working with is registered with Transcepta, if you are unsure, ask the admin team or the vendor.
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If the vendor is registered, ask them to send invoices directly to Transcepta based on the preferred invoice submission method.
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If the vendor needs to register, ask them to enroll, it is free and simple. Have them follow the instructions on their website: http://connect.transcepta.com/berkeley(link is external)They will then work with Transcepta to send sample invoices and determine the preferred payment method.
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Once an invoice shows up in BearBUY, the admin team will contact the staff who requested the Purchase Order to verify the goods/services have been delivered/rendered and that the invoice is okay to pay.
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Only then will Accounts Payable initiate the payment of the outstanding invoices.
Purchasing Lodging for Staff and Students
Our CE3 Departmental Entertainment Planning Card can now be used to book lodging for conferences and other business-related travel. Please review this travel policy in a nutshell(link is external) page to confirm that your lodging follows Berkeley’s travel policy.
We ask you to submit your request 4 weeks before the anticipated travel date and include the appropriate documents:
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Complete a CE3 Travel Request Spreadsheet (New form)
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(Conference Registrations ONLY) CE3 Travel Requests(link is external)
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CE3 Travel Requests (Flights, Hotel, and Conference Registrations)(link is external)
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Email Approval from supervisor for purchase, including expense total, chartstring, and clear business purpose
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Please note if the chartstring is missing from the email communication, this may delay processing. Emails that only say “approved” are not sufficient.
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Clear Business Purpose includes the name of the conference event staff will be attending and the conference duration.
Requests missing the required documentation will not be purchased until addressed. Additionally, any last-minute request will not be accepted.
Student Reimbursements
Non-employee students can submit their reimbursements via the reimbursement system(link is external) for travel, business meetings/entertainment, or other expenses. This allows non-employee students seeking reimbursement greater control of the process, quicker reimbursements, and greater transparency.
All non-employee students must send their approval request and submission to a member of the Regional Services Purchasing and Reimbursement team. They will not send the report directly to an approver. Instead, students will select ZCEEE as their home department on the first screen of the reimbursement process.
Below are helpful resources, including instructional videos and job aids:
NOTE: These resources were developed for employees, and there are some minor differences in the non-employee student interface. The primary difference is that students will not select their preferred approver.
Updates to our Admin Services Page
Big News!! We’ve updated the look of our services page to reflect a more logical flow. Everything will be categorized under five major categories: Events planning and programming, HR and onboarding new staff, awards and recognition, travel-related services, and office management services. Check it out here.
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Fall 2022
Purchasing Food and Amazon Supplies
Staff are now able to begin purchasing America 2 Go food orders and Amazon supplies directly via BearBuy. This will make the process more efficient for you!
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Our team developed resource guides (find them here) to walk you through the process. If you need additional support, please schedule a 15-minute check in with one of our team members!
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Please note: All Entertainment and Purchase Request forms are still required and will be attached to your Bearbuy carts when processing.
Computer Purchasing
Last year, we purchased most equipment through campus’ IT process. That process created many delays due to shipping issues and product shortages. Moving forward, you may request computer and equipment purchases as regular purchase requests and we will no longer require equipment to be imaged unless your department prefers that option.
Vendoring Delays
Currently, because of the volume of new requests, the processing time to add new suppliers is roughly 20 business days and the response time for questions has increased to over 30 business days.
Student Hiring
Important changes are on the way for the student hiring process. A training for student employee supervisors is scheduled for September 15th 12-1PM to announce our transition to Smartsheets for student hire requests (replacing Service Hub tickets). Stay tuned for more information after the training.
Beginning October 10th, 2022 we will route staff to complete student hiring via the SmartSheets process. Please continue to use the SES position control spreadsheet to request and manage position numbers.
Student Awarding
For the last few years, we have transitioned to using a spreadsheet for all student award requests. Please be sure to review student enrollment status and verify room in student packages before submitting a request to our team. If necessary, confirm awards with Financial Aid before submitting a request to avoid creating issues for students and to avoid award corrections. This includes using the correct chart string up front and ensuring there are sufficient funds.
Purchase Orders
When ordering supplies or services (not food), you must set up a purchase order ahead of time. We recommend initiating the process at least 6 weeks prior to needing services or goods to give the process ample time.
All goods and service invoices submitted to our team without a Purchase Order established beforehand will require After-the-Fact approval from Vice Chancellor Matos and are considered violations of policy. Please work with our team if you need to set up a Purchase Order for future goods and services and need extra guidance. We’re happy to help you plan!
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