New way to order supplies is coming

06 November 2002 | Campus units will soon be dealing directly with vendors for many of their purchases of office supplies and furnishings.

By the end of December 2002, supplies now obtained through Campus Supply will be ordered directly from vendors by departments. The goal of the change is to speed services and save money for departments, and for the university, by allowing buyers to make direct purchases from vendors.

This new way of purchasing supplies is being implemented because large office suppliers can fill many campus needs quickly, efficiently, and usually for less money. The new method will also eliminate the need for warehousing campus supplies at a central location.

For now, those who order supplies for their departments will continue to use procedures currently in place. However, in the near future, the Materiel Management web site (www.matl.berkeley.edu) will guide purchasers as the new procedures are phased in.

To make the transition easier, meetings and question-and-answer sessions will be held soon. Meeting schedules will be in future issues of the Berkeleyan, and e-mail announcing the dates of the sessions will be sent out.

Because of this change, Campus Supply will close. The unit has begun the process of ramping down its operation, and it will close completely by the end of the year. The campus has already begun working with the 21 employees whose positions will be eliminated to find them alternative employment, either on campus or off.