November 16, 2020
Supply Chain Management News
November 2020
Dear Campus Community,
  
Supply Chain Management (SCM) would like to inform you of important updates and events.

This month's features:
  • Thanksgiving and Winter Break Curtailments
  • Using the WFH Generic Ship To Address Code
  • New Furniture Agreements Available
  • New BCBP Decision Support Tool for Contracts
  • MetLife Auto & Home®
  • 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
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.
Using the WFH Generic Ship To Address Code
Please be advised that the WFHGENERIC address code is intended for goods delivered to residential addresses and should not be used for Remote Services, Visiting Scholar Programs, or the following forms:
  • Payment Requests
  • Recurring Orders
  • Subawards
 
If you do use these forms or the services mentioned above, please use your default campus shipping address and do not use the WFHGENERIC address code.
New Furniture Agreements Available
We are pleased to announce that there are three (3) new competitively solicited furniture contracts available!

Please see the attached summary for our contracted furniture suppliers (Steelcase - our preferred primary supplier, Herman Miller, and Kimball) to learn more about what they have to offer:

New Business Contracts and Brand Protection (BCBP)
Decision Support Tool for Contracts
The new decision support tool for contracts is live on the BCBP website:


Revised from the 2015 version, it includes two new contracting offices (UDAR and Capital Strategies) and is designed to assist departments in determining which office is authorized to process their transaction. 
MetLife Auto & Home®
UC Berkeley is excited to partner with MetLife Auto & Home®.

As one of the nation’s leading personal lines insurance groups, MetLife Auto & Home is pleased to provide UC Berkeley employees with access to MetLife Choice®, a powerful tool designed to help you shop, compare and save on auto, home and renters insurance.

With MetLife Choice, employees can quickly and easily obtain multiple personalized quotes from a variety of highly rated insurance carriers so they can choose the best coverage for their specific needs.
Learn more by calling 866-700-3113 or by visiting https://metlifechoice.com/ucbemployees
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.