In this issue:
- System Issue | Select Forms Bypassing Workflow
- BruinBuy Plus Enhancement | Declining Balance Restriction on ATFs
- Irregular Invoices | Upcoming Resolution Deadline
- August System Maintenance | Changes to Planned Outage
- Next Week's Forecast | Office Hours & Other Important Events
- In Case You Missed It... | A Glance At Previous News
We recently identified a system issue that is causing select BruinBuy Plus forms to bypass approval workflow, including vendor onboarding.
What Does This Mean?
As of 6 p.m. PT August 7, the following forms are skipping workflow and immediately moving to Approved status upon submission:
- Direct Pay Form*
- Contract Review
- Subaward / Subcontract Amendment
- Athletics Direct Pay Form (limited user access)*
- Business Contracts
- RFP Request
NOTE: Submissions received prior to 6 p.m. on August 7 are not impacted. All other forms (e.g., Purchase Request) are functioning normally.
*only impacts requests that require vendor onboarding
What Should I Do?
Until this issue is resolved, follow the below instructions. Previously submitted forms will be addressed in a separate communication.
| Form | interim instructions |
|---|---|
| Direct Pay Form |
|
| Contract Review | Do not submit until further notice. |
| Subaward / Subcontract Amendment | Do not submit until further notice. |
| Athletics Direct Pay Form |
|
| Business Contracts | Do not submit until further notice. |
| RFP Request | Do not submit until further notice. |
When Will This Be Fixed?
The BruinBuy Plus team is actively working to address this issue, and resolution is expected within the next day. We will continue to update you as we learn more.
The After-the-Fact (ATF) Request form is used to process payment for goods or services that were received without an approved purchase order (PO). Because these purchases violate UC policy and procedures, the ATF form is considered an exceptional process, and a separate form must be submitted for each requested invoice payment.
BruinBuy Plus’ Declining Balance functionality is typically used for recurring services / blanket purchase agreements because it reduces a PO’s balance as invoices are processed against it. By definition, ATFs are ineligible for this functionality since they are tied to a single invoice.
Historically, BruinBuy Plus has not prevented users from accidentally applying the Declining Balance designation to an ATF Request, causing confusion and potential downstream impacts. Moving forward, users will experience a hard stop if they try to submit an ATF with this setting enabled.
Irregular invoices with a hold date of July 14, 2025, through July 31, 2025, must be actioned by departments no later than end of day Friday, August 15.
If the necessary department action(s) is not taken by this deadline, impacted invoices may be rejected or pushed to payment. Additional information on how unactioned invoices are centrally addressed can be found on the Irregular Invoice Resolution Calendar web page.
Need help? Join an upcoming office hour.
The BruinBuy Plus monthly maintenance window scheduled for Friday, August 29, 4 p.m. PT through Monday, September 1, 8 p.m. PT has been postponed. The system will be fully operational and accessible during this time.
The remaining August maintenance window is listed below:
| Maintenance window | impact |
|---|---|
| Thursday, August 21, 5 p.m. PT through Friday, August 22, 3 a.m. PT | Intermittent system disruptions |
Please plan your transactions and activities accordingly. If you have any questions or experience issues, submit a ticket to our Service Desk.
TIP: Add BruinBuy Plus planned outage events to your calendar!
| Date | details |
|---|---|
| Monday, August 11 | N/A |
| Tuesday, August 12 | 10 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. PT | Subaward / Subcontract Office Hours 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. PT | Accounts Payable Office Hours 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. PT | Vendor Management Office Hours NOTE: This week's Subaward / Subcontract office hours were rescheduled from Thursday, August 14, due to the monthly RAF meeting. |
| Wednesday, August 13 | 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. PT | Travel Accounting Office Hours 11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. PT | Purchasing Office Hours |
| Thursday, August 14 | 1 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. PT | Accounts Payable Office Hours |
| Friday, August 15 | End of day | Irregular invoice resolution deadline |
Recap Mailing List Form
Would one of your colleagues benefit from receiving the weekly BruinBuy Plus Recap? Have them complete our mailing list form!
NOTE: If you already receive the BruinBuy Plus Recap, no action is needed.
Need Help? | We're Here to Support!
The BruinBuy Plus hub continues to be updated with new resources! For Service Desk support, create a ticket:
- Email: help@it.ucla.edu
- Phone: (310) 267-HELP (4357)
- ServiceNow Portal: tinyurl.com/bruinbuy-plus-support
BruinBuy Plus Recap Web Articles
Access previous BruinBuy Plus Recaps on the Campus Purchasing & Payables website.
