Purchasing & Accounts Payable

AVC Beck, IVC & CFO Baird-James, VC Wakimoto, and AVC Avetisyan sent the following message to UCLA employees.

Dear Colleagues:

As a follow up to our previous announcements, we are excited to share that UCLA’s new procure-to-pay system, BruinBuy Plus, successfully launched on January 2, 2024. This is a significant milestone for the university’s financial transformation program, Ascend 2.0, and is a testament to how we continue to work towards greater business transformation and efficiency.

BruinBuy Plus modernizes UCLA’s overall financial landscape as it relates to procurement and brings a multitude of benefits, including:

• Greater efficiency through forms with customized guidance for various procurement requests
• Status visibility through a central workflow which automatically routes purchase and invoice approvals
• User centered shopping experience through catalog vendor integration
• Personalized dashboards that provide visibility into campus purchases and vendor invoices
• New communication tools for enhanced collaboration and transparency within the system

Additional enhancements and functionality, including workflow, will be included in the Ascend 2.0 financial implementation which is currently set to go-live in early 2025.

We know large scale changes such as these may require time for departments to get up to speed on the new systems. The Ascend 2.0 program is committed to partnering with campus every step of the way, to ensure a smooth transition.

How Does BruinBuy Plus Support UCLA’s AP Operational Improvement Initiative?

The Accounts Payable (AP) Operational Improvement Initiative is committed to providing faster payments and less uncertainty—BruinBuy Plus' many benefits will further support these goals. For additional information, visit the AP Operational Improvement Initiative web page.

How Do I Access BruinBuy Plus?

Designated UCLA staff, including Campus Buyers, PAN Reviewers, Principal Investigators (PIs), Fund Managers, Central Procurement, and Central Department Approvers, can access the new system.  

What Resources Are Available?

Numerous resources are available to help UCLA faculty and staff learn more about BruinBuy Plus.

• Complete Training: Training is organized by role so you can easily find relevant courses.
  • BruinBuy Plus training is hosted on Bruin Learn, a secure Learning Management System (LMS). UCLA single sign-on (SSO) is required.
  • Training questions? Email ascend2training@ucla.edu.
• Access the Hub: The BruinBuy Plus hub is your one-stop shop for BruinBuy Plus materials. It includes:
  • Answers to your most pressing questions
  • Resources to help you navigate the procurement lifecycle
  • A dynamic event feed that lets you easily track upcoming support opportunities 
• Find Help: The BruinBuy Plus Help Desk is available to support you with any issues you may have:
  • Phone: (310) 267-HELP (4357)
  • Email: help@it.ucla.edu
  • Submit a ticket

Want to Learn More?

• Attend the upcoming Ascend 2.0 Quarterly Town Hall to hear the latest updates on BruinBuy Plus, Bruin Finance, and Research. Join us on Tuesday, January 23, from 1 to 2 p.m. PST. Register for the Zoom details.
• Gain more insight into the Ascend 2.0 program by visiting the Ascend 2.0 website.
• For additional questions about BruinBuy Plus and related Ascend 2.0 activities, please email Ascend2@ucla.edu.

We appreciate your support and partnership as we continue to modernize UCLA’s financial systems to best support campus, now and in the future.

Michael J. Beck
Administrative Vice Chancellor
Ascend 2.0 Executive Sponsor

Allison Baird-James
Interim Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer
Ascend 2.0 Executive Sponsor

Roger M. Wakimoto
Vice Chancellor for Research & Creative Activities
Ascend 2.0 Executive Sponsor

Lucy Avetisyan
Associate Vice Chancellor
Chief Information Officer
Ascend 2.0 Executive Sponsor