STAYING IN TOUCH THE WAVE NEWSLETTER February 2022 - March 2022

RI Division of Purchases 

A few words from Nancy McIntyre   Many agency leaders have expressed concerns about their agency’s ability to manage procurement system change while shouldering the continued demands of Covid-19 and the high rate of staffing turnover, which certainly are a burden to all. With this in mind, Purchases has shifted the near-term focus of OSP implementation to leverage OSP to launch all solicitations issued by Purchases on behalf of state agencies. Kindly take a moment to read Amanda Rivers' explanation below. Stay healthy and well, Nancy

Deputy Purchasing Agent Amanda Rivers Details the OSP Solicitations Go-Live   On February 14, 2022, the OSP Bid Board went live with all new solicitations issued by Purchases on behalf of state agencies. To best serve our partners, we are using a hybrid approach that allows agencies to continue requisitioning for solicitations in RIFANS, while Purchases staff posts and awards solicitations in OSP, and continues to issue Purchase Orders/Purchase Agreements in RIFANS. This structure allows Purchases to maintain its OSP momentum while minimizing the impact for agency partners.   Modified OSP scope of work templates for the RFP, RFQ and RFI will be available in the Agency Resource Templates/Forms section of our website HERE.   The “State Agency Solicitations” portal will sunset after the last bid posted on that system is awarded. We will maintain accessibility to that system solely for legacy purposes.

Tips and Solutions for RIFANS Requisitioners Many agency requisitioners have had the opportunity to learn great How-To's from Purchases' resident RIFANS expert, Donna Brennan. Based on current trends that are resulting in processing delays and requisition rejections, Donna has put some helpful guides together for us. Did you know that Blanket and Contract Releases do not require Purchases review? When submitted correctly, they automate Purchase Order issuances within minutes in the RIFANS system. If you are new to requisitioning, or a supervisor who is noticing delays in requisition processing and purchase order issuance, we strongly encourage you to review each of these guides. Click on each bullet item below to download these helpful guides. They are also stored online at the Agency BEACH. Go directly from Requisition Release to Purchase Order - The key to bypass Purchases for Blanket and Contract Releases. Quickly/Easily lookup Requisitions, Purchase Orders and Attachments. Submit an Electronic Change Order successfully - This is the checklist to follow for best results.

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