PURCHA$ING SEN$E
Winter '03

Welcome
The Procurement Services Department is pleased to present its first e-newsletter for the Montclair State University community. Our goal is to provide useful information to assist you with your procurement needs.

Goals and Operating Principles
The goal of the Procurement Services Department, in consultation with the user department when appropriate, is to identify sources of needed materials and services, and to select and acquire the materials and services as economically as possible within accepted standards of quality and approved guidelines for public sector procurement. To meet this goal, Procurement Services is guided by the principle of ensuring the best value for the financial resources of Montclair State University.

Members of the Purchasing staff are committed to:

• Demonstrating honesty and ethical behavior
• Conducting business with professionalism
• Providing a high level of customer service
• Communicating openly and proactively
• Striving for continuous improvement in all aspects of the procurement process
• Demonstrating commitment in all areas to excellence

Power in Numbers
"Anyone can purchase. But to purchase an item or service that reduces operating expenses and adds value requires a broad understanding of the business." -- Purchasing Magazine

Consolidation of suppliers, if handled correctly, puts more opportunity on the table. Higher volume brings lower prices. This, however, cannot come at the expense of quality and service. Leverage or buying power is, by far, the most frequently cited benefit of a strong Procurement Services department.

Other benefits include:

• Consistency of quality, delivery and other supplier performance measures
• More influence with key suppliers
• Better utilization of purchasing talent and expertise
• Greater opportunity for systems integration
• Elimination of redundant activities
• Rapid decision-making
• Favorable credit terms
• Paperwork reduction
• Lower freight costs

Tip of the Quarter
The following must be included when entering a requisition on FRS to ensure the order is processed in a timely manner:

• Model/item number
• Description of the item to be purchased
• Manufacturer
• Quantity
• Special or unusual specifications
• Delivery instructions (if different than Central Receiving)
• Contact name and number
• Vendor information (if known)

Vendor Fair
The Procurement Services Department sponsored its first Minority- and Women-Owned Vendor Fair on Oct. 31 in the Student Center Ballrooms. More than 60 vendors from different industries -- including, office supplies, janitorial supplies, professional services and Information Technology consultants -- presented their products to the campus community. More than 400 people attended, including representatives from other public agencies, such as the East Orange Board of Education, the New Jersey Department of State and the Union County Economic Development Authority.

The goal of the Vendor Fair was to increase the amount of business Montclair State does with minority- and women-owned businesses. This event afforded end users the opportunity to meet with vendors who provide the supplies and/or services they use on a regular basis. Vendors made available copies of their catalogs, brochures and other product information.

Vendors who attended had the following positive comments:
"The vendor fair was great. I had a chance to talk with and show my product to many buyers. Let's do it again next year."

"The vendor fair was well organized and professionally executed."

Feedback from the campus community was equally positive:
"Very well done! I was able to conduct a lot of business and I saw new and innovative offerings, too. Congratulations on a successful event."

"It was an excellent event. Next year I would like to see even more vendors from a variety of industries."

Doretha Mollet, Vendor Fair coordinator, on behalf of the Procurement Services Department, would like to thank all individuals who made a special effort to assist in making this event an overwhelming success. The Procurement Services Department is already looking ahead to next year's event.

New Hire
Christine Palma has joined the Procurement Services Department as assistant director for Supplies and Services. Christine has 18 years of procurement experience with 10 years in a management capacity. She will spearhead the office supplies contract and the Purchasing Card Implementation.

Looking Ahead
Procurement Services will introduce two pilot programs in the third quarter of FY 2003 to streamline the purchasing process.

The Purchasing Card Program will allow faculty and staff to purchase small-dollar goods and services using a P-Card. These are typically purchases of $1,000 or less. Similar to a credit card, the P-Card will give faculty and staff the ability to purchase goods and services directly from the vendor, and those purchases will be charged back to their departments.

The second program is a Just-In-Time Stockless Inventory System for ordering office supplies. The goal is greater discounts, next-day desktop delivery, Internet ordering and monthly summary billing.