November 9, 2020
Supply Chain Management News
Special Announcement
Dear Campus Community,
  
Supply Chain Management (SCM) would like to inform you of important updates on:

  • BearBuy 20.3 Upgrade Release
  • Thanksgiving and Winter Break Curtailments
  • Supporting the Health and Well-Being of our Campus

If you have any questions, please contact the BearBuy Help Desk at 
510-664-9000 (options 1, 2) or BearBuyHelp@berkeley.edu for immediate assistance.

Thank you for your continued support, 
Supply Chain Management
BearBuy 20.3 Upgrade Release
The 20.3 Upgrade is now released in BearBuy!

Check out the new 20.3 Elastic Search guide to learn more about the changes made when using BearBuy's upgraded search functionality: https://supplychain.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/elastic_search_revised_je_11-06-20.pdf
Thanksgiving and Winter Break Curtailments
Supply Chain Management will observe the Thanksgiving closure period from 11/23/2020 through 11/27/2020 and will be closed for business from 12/23/2020 through 01/04/2021.

Turnaround time will be slower than published Service Levels due to limited staff availability. We strongly advise that departments submit purchase requests for services and high-value orders (over $10,000) no later than 12/02/2020 for any goods or services required for research and operational continuity between 12/20/2020 and 01/08/2021. 

The BearBuy system will remain up and available to campus users during this period. Catalog orders that meet auto-approval thresholds will continue to dispatch normally. Orders requiring additional approval levels may be delayed based on departmental staffing levels across campus.

Emergency Life-Safety acquisitions and automatic approvals (such as catalog orders under $1,000.00) will continue to be processed over the curtailment periods.

If you have an emergency during this time, please email your assigned buyer and copy supplychain@berkeley.edu with the subject line "Emergency Acquisition" and be sure to include a description of the business need. A buyer will contact you as soon as possible during regular business hours. 

As a reminder: Only those emergencies necessary to protect the life-safety of the campus community will be processed. Departments must plan to obtain sufficient safety stock to maintain Research continuity. 

Please report any service issues or unscheduled downtime to bearbuyhelp@berkeley.edu.
Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Our Campus
If you know of any vendors and contractors who may be performing onsite services on our campus, please share the following information with them:  

Notice to University of California Vendors and Independent Contractors Regarding the 2020-2021 Flu Vaccine

To support the health and well-being of our UC community during the combined COVID-19 epidemic and 2020-2021 flu season, the University of California issued a systemwide executive order requiring that, effective November 1, 2020, all UC students and employees who are required or wish to access University premises must first receive a flu vaccine, subject to an approved exemption or accommodation. More information is available here.

The vaccine mandate applies to all employees, including temporary employees hired through staffing agencies. It does not apply to non-UC employees, however, the University strongly encourages individuals employed by our vendors and independent contractors to receive the flu vaccine for the 2020-2021 flu season.

In addition, depending upon the type of service being provided, your agreement with the University may impose more stringent obligations regarding vaccinations. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health have both advised that the flu vaccine is more important this year than ever, and the University is operating its facilities consistent with public health guidance to protect the safety of those living, learning, and working on campus. 

Please note that the University does not cover the cost of flu vaccines for non-UC employees. Local health departments may make vaccines available on a no-cost or reduced cost basis, and most health plans cover flu vaccine without a copay at any pharmacy or your primary care physician’s office.