The Quote-to-Order (QTO) system has been updated to align with the revised Procurement SPG that went into effect in March. Since suppliers in the QTO system already hold University-Wide contracts that have already been competitively bid, there have been some notable changes to the system, including:

• Users are no longer prompted to select at least three suppliers in order to receive quotes.
• Projects with a billing amount under $75,000 do not require buyer review or approval.



For more information on the QTO system, please visit our website.

Procurement Services has partnered with JPMorgan Chase to offer a limited edition PCard and Travel Card celebrating the football team’s 2023 National Championship. 

Why use a PCard or Travel Card?

There are many benefits to using a PCard or Travel Card for business and travel-related expenses—both for you and U-M. Using a PCard or Travel Card:

• Provides a more secure form of payment, with the ability to track issues and address any improper or fraudulent charges with the support of JP Morgan Chase
• Eliminates the need for employees to use personal resources and seek reimbursement for U-M business purchases
• Makes submitting expense reports easier, with most expense information pre-populated and already attached to your user profile
• Eliminates the risk of taxation on late-submitted expenses
• Offers faster, simpler payment to suppliers (vs. a purchase order and invoice)
• Provides more accurate data reporting

Read more on who should apply for a PCard/Travel Card, examples of appropriate transactions, how to update your current card to the limited edition version, or how to apply for a new limited edition card.

If you’d like to learn more about purchasing at U-M, Procurement Services will be hosting a series of virtual office hours over the next few months. Representatives from our purchasing teams will be available to answer your buying-related questions at the following sessions:  

• June 27, 2024, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• July 22, 2024, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

We look forward to seeing you and encourage you to add the dates to your calendar. The Zoom link and passcode below can be used for all sessions:

https://umich.zoom.us/s/92785272298

Passcode: 575989

Read news article.

The Office of Campus Sustainability, in partnership with Waste Management Services and Property Disposition, will be collecting gently-used office supplies from campus locations and making them available to U-M departments and local non-profits at no charge.

Please see the 2024 Office Supply Reuse Days schedule below. 

• June 14: Departments wishing to contribute office supplies for reuse must email recycle@umich.edu by this date to indicate their intent to participate.
• June 19: Office supplies will be collected from loading docks and dumpster areas at North and Medical Campus locations. 
• June 20: Office supplies will be collected from loading docks and dumpster areas at Central and South Campus locations. Supplies must be put out by 8 a.m.
• July 11 and 12 | 8 a.m. to – 3 p.m.: U-M departments, local nonprofits, and teachers are welcome to ‘shop’ (take) the supplies at the U-M Waste Management Services Facility, located at 1655 Dean Rd in Ann Arbor.

Effective immediately, any U-M employee can join the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC), a non-profit organization that champions sustainable purchasing best practices. One of SPLC’s main objectives is to support and recognize employees with purchasing responsibilities who accelerate the transition to a sustainable future.  

To support that objective, SPLC provides access to action plans, best practices, case studies, and various tools that align procurement processes with sustainability. Members can also connect with a community of professionals dedicated to responsible purchasing. The university’s membership in the organization was recently reactivated by Procurement Services and the Office of Campus Sustainability and there is no cost for U-M employees to join SPLC. 

Read more on how to join SPLC, how to sign up for an information session, and who to contact for more details.

Are you looking for free lab supplies or have lab items you no longer need, but don't want to throw away? The Lab Reuse Program is the solution for you! 

Through this program, Office of Campus Sustainability (OCS) employees pick up unwanted supplies from labs (including chemicals), list them on an online inventory, and deliver any items U-M researchers request free of charge. This program diverted over 2,700 pounds of waste from landfills in FY 2024 and saved researchers more than $120,000 when compared to the cost of buying new supplies!

Read more on Lab Swap Events, as well as the upcoming opening of the permanent Lab Swap Shop.

More than 450 U-M employees attended the Spring Travel Supplier Showcase earlier this month and visited booths from nearly 30 exhibitors. The list of exhibitors included Collegiate Travel Planners (CTP), Delta and Southwest Airlines, National Car Rental and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, CIBTvisas, several local hotels, and a number of internal U-M departments.

Employees could also sign up for TSA PreCheck interviews during the event. JPMorgan Chase participated in the showcase to help launch the new limited edition PCard/Travel Card, which features a logo that celebrates the football team's 2023 national championship. 

Raffle prizes were announced throughout the event, including two Delta Airlines $250 certificates, a Southwest Airlines e-pass, a swag bag from Wyndham, and several one night stay vouchers for Hampton Inn Ann Arbor-North, Inn at the Michigan League, Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest, and DoubleTree by Hilton Ann Arbor North. And four attendees won a U-M-branded travel accessory (a hard-side carry-on luggage or a travel backpack).

Visit the Travel Supplier Showcase webpage for photos of the event, helpful handouts, and a list of suppliers and internal U-M departments that were in attendance. If you have feedback on the showcase or suggestions that can help us plan future events, please take a moment to complete this brief survey. We’d love to hear from you and welcome your input!

Information about the next Travel Supplier Showcase will be available in the fall.

The Buying Blue Community of Practice (CoP) connects people across U-M who have an interest in procurement-related topics, including tools, processes, lessons learned, and upcoming changes. The CoP webpage contains useful information from all previous meetings and presentations since the program's inception.

The April webinar featured information about the formal bid limit increase and the revised procurement SPG. If you were unable to attend or have questions regarding the new process, check out the recording, presentation, Q&A, and tips for efficient and easy purchasing under U-M’s revised procurement SPG.