In this issue:
- Subawards Enhancement | "Draft PO" Workflow Step
- Irregular Invoices | Latest Resolution Deadlines
- Potential Work Stoppage | Campus Delivery Impacts
- Next Week's Forecast | Office Hours & Other Important Events
- In Case You Missed It... | A Glance At Previous News
Over the past year, you’ve helped us identify improvement opportunities for BruinBuy Plus’ subaward functionality. We’re excited to share that the first of several enhancements launched yesterday, February 20!
Subaward purchase orders (POs) will now enter a Draft PO workflow step before being approved.
Background
A subaward is a formal legal agreement between UCLA and a non-UCLA entity. For a subaward agreement to be fully executed (e.g., finalized), it must include a corresponding BruinBuy Plus PO number.
The details of a subaward agreement (e.g., project period, dollar amount) may change between the time it’s first initiated and the time it’s fully executed.
How Does the “Draft PO” Functionality Work?
Previously, a BruinBuy Plus subaward PO was approved based on minimal information. Once the Office of Contract & Grant Administration (OCGA) had a fully executed subaward agreement, the issuing department submitted a Change Request to update the PO details (as needed). This process:
- Caused rework for departments, UCLA Campus Purchasing & Payables, and OCGA
- Limited UCLA’s ability to proactively validate subaward details prior to PO approval
The new Subcontract / Subaward Draft PO workflow step streamlines this process, allowing a subaward to be “held” in approval workflow until the fully executed agreement is available. The PO can then be edited to match the agreement (as needed) before receiving final approval from UCLA Campus Purchasing & Payables.
How Can I Learn More?
The Subaward / Subcontract Tips & Resources guide outlines this updated process and provides step-by-step instructions for creating a new subaward PO. Have questions? Come to an upcoming office hour!
NOTE: Subcontracts will also momentarily fall into this new workflow step; however, the subcontract process remains unchanged.
The Irregular Invoice Resolution Calendar has been updated with the latest department deadlines!
Not sure how to identify the invoices your team is responsible for actioning? Follow the steps in the How to View & Sort Irregular Invoices by Hold Date training guide.
TIP: Add upcoming deadlines to your calendar through our dynamic Events feed.
REMINDER: February 28 Deadline
Irregular invoices with a hold date of February 1, 2025, through February 16, 2025, must be actioned by departments no later than end of day next Friday, February 28.
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.
NEW! March Deadlines – Part 1
| Invoice Hold Date | Department Action Deadline |
|---|---|
| February 17, 2025 – February 28, 2025 | Friday, March 14, end of day |
Resources & Support
- Comprehensive instructions for viewing and addressing irregular invoices are available on the Irregular Invoice Reporting and Irregular Invoice Resolution web pages.
- Receive live support through office hours and irregular invoice working sessions.
- Help shape the future of irregular invoices by completing our feedback form.
Last week, Mail, Document & Distribution Services (MDDS) sent the below message to all UCLA employees:
UCLA Employee & Labor Relations has informed us of work stoppages February 26 through February 28. This may affect delivery services as drivers for companies like UPS, FedEx and Amazon may choose not to cross picket lines. To mitigate any disruptions, we encourage all departments to implement their continuity plans and stock up on essential supplies immediately.
Complete details can be found in MDDS’ February 14 communication.
| Day | Details |
|---|---|
| Monday, February 24 | N/A |
| Tuesday, February 25 | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. PT | Accounts Payable Office Hours 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. PT | Vendor Management Office Hours |
| Wednesday, February 26 | 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. PT | Travel Accounting Office Hours 11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. PT | Purchasing Office Hours |
| Thursday, February 27 | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. PT | Subaward / Subcontract Office Hours 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. PT | Accounts Payable Office Hours |
| Friday, February 28 | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. PT | Irregular Invoice Working Session End of Day | Irregular invoice resolution deadline |
Changes to UCLA’s FlexWork Furniture Program
On February 11, Vice Chancellor and CFO Stephen Agostini and Chief Procurement Officer O.T. Wells II announced that UCLA's FlexWork (work from home) furniture program is no longer centrally funded.
Departments are now responsible for the approval and funding of home office equipment purchases for employees who work remotely on a full- or part-time basis. Central resources from the Office of the Chancellor will no longer fund furniture allowances for these purchases.
Eligibility requirements and approval* are at the discretion of the funding department; however, all purchases must be in accordance with UCLA Policy 740 & 741 – Attachment A.
Orders that have already been made through the program and are currently being processed by UCLA’s vendor, Steelcase, will remain centrally funded. The Campus Purchasing & Payables’ FlexWork Furniture web page provides guidance on:
- Purchasing home office workstation equipment (e.g., stand-up desks and office chairs) with department funds
- Using University discounts if an employee wishes to purchase their own furniture
- Returning UCLA-owned furniture upon an employee’s separation or transfer
*excludes reimbursements – review the FlexWork Furniture and Non-Travel & Non-Entertainment Reimbursements web pages for additional information.
UPDATE: Change Requests Duplicating PO Lines
As communicated in January 24 Recap, we’ve identified a technical issue that is causing Change Requests to duplicate PO lines.
What’s Happening?
If a Change Request is issued against a PO with one or more fully invoiced lines, the fully invoiced lines duplicate on the revised PO. This occurs even if the lines weren’t edited in the Change Request submission.
NOTE: This issue only impacts POs with fully invoiced lines. Review the How to Determine the Invoicing Status of PO Lines guide for additional information.
What Should I Do?
Please continue to follow this guidance:
| PO Type | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Subawards / Subcontracts | Continue to submit Change Requests as needed. The Subaward / Subcontract team will review requests on a case-by-case basis and contact you with next steps if your PO has one or more fully invoiced line items. |
| Non-Subawards / Non-Subcontracts | Refrain from submitting Change Requests for POs with one or more fully invoiced line items. If you need to make changes, create a new PO. |
NOTE: Pending Change Requests with fully invoiced lines won’t be approved by Campus Purchasing until this issue is resolved. Change Requests unaffected by this issue will continue to be processed.
UPDATED: When Will This Be Fixed?
The BruinBuy Plus team is actively testing a solution for this issue, and we expect to share next steps soon.
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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
