Newsletter............................................. April 2024

https://procurement.tennessee.edu/

Hotel Attrition- What is it and how can I avoid making a costly mistake?

Hotels charge an attrition penalty if an event uses fewer guest room nights than agreed upon in the contract. Most hotel contracts will allow a certain percentage of rooms to be released without paying a penalty. However, if you do not amend the number of room nights you need within the time period set by the hotel's contract, you may end up paying for attrition and this can be a very costly mistake.

When planning your next event with one of our contracted hotel partners, it is crucial for you to carefully review the hotel contract. If, after reading the contract, you still have questions about how attrition rates work, please reach out to our office so we can help clarify. Once a contract or BEO (banquet event order form) is signed, you are held accountable for adhering to the contract terms and there is nothing that our office can do to remove attrition charges. Attrition charges add up quickly so it is a much better strategy to understand what you are signing and plan accordingly, rather than be surprised later with an unexpected bill.

*A best practice is to be conservative with the number of room nights you are anticipating and to work closely with the hotel to monitor your reservation so you are able to cancel any unneeded room nights before attrition would kick in.

New Purchase Order: McMaster Carr

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We have recently entered into an agreement with McMaster Carr Supply Company. This includes a wide selection of products that will be useful for engineering and scientific research departments.

Several of their categories include hardware, lab safety supplies, raw materials, and fasteners. We are working on having a punchout catalog added once we go live in DASH. The agreement is valid until 12/31/2026.

Purchase Agreements

Staff Spotlight

Chad Gentry, Associate Director

I joined the Procurement Services team back in September of 2022, but I have been working in procurement and supply chain management for the last 12 years. My background includes stops in the automotive industry and launching Amazon facilities all over the country. I also have 7 years of experience in the collegiate bookstore industry, including 2 years at the VolShop.

Outside the office, you'll find me cheering on the Vols alongside my wife, Lauren. Our household is lively and filled with the energy of our 3-year-old, Emily, and 4 dogs who keep us constantly engaged. When time permits, I enjoy activities such as running, grilling, and working in the yard.

Vendor Spotlight - TN Certified Businesses

Did you know that 306 UT suppliers are certified by the Tennessee Governor's Office of Diversity Business Enterprise (TN GoDBE)?

In IRIS transaction zap_vendor_addr_data, you can use the "DBE Certification Type" field to find Tennessee-certified vendors.

Congratulations to Our Recently Certified Vendors!

Baron's Inc (Rothchild Catering and Events), Woman-Owned Business Certification
Cass-TN (pool chemicals), Small Business Certification
CPR Choice, LLC (CPR and First-Aid Training), Woman-Owned Business Certification

In addition, 10 UT suppliers recently renewed their 3-year GoDBE certification and 2 UT suppliers are in the application process.

Contracts: Smooth Sailing

Over the next several months we will look at steps you can take to help ensure your contract is processed smoothly and efficiently.

#2 Procurement Services’ Forms Page

Our website contains a page specifically devoted to the common forms or templates that UT departments may need to utilize when processing contracts and amendments.

Are you looking for payable, receivable, zero-dollar, or amendment templates?
Are you procuring IT services or cloud-based software? You’ll need to complete the IT Questionnaire.
Are you entering into a revenue-generating (receivable) contract? You’ll need to complete the Revenue Questionnaire.
Do you need to complete an NCJ (non-competitive justification) form?

If the answer is “yes” to any of the above, check out our forms page. Forms Page

*It is best practice to download a form or template from our website every time you need to use it rather than saving the form or template to your computer. By downloading the applicable document each time you need to use it, you can ensure you are using the most current version of that form.

A Closer Look at UT's Supplier Diversity Initiatives: Business Certifications

by Karen Binkley, Small Business Liaison

Business Classifications - Last Month's Challenge

Last month, many of you took our 1-minute quiz to learn the meanings of acronyms for business classifications. 96% selected the correct responses! Click here to learn more.

Business Certifications

Some small and diverse businesses seek certification from federal, state, or independent certifying agencies. At UT, certifications help us identify companies to invite to respond to our bids. Per state statute, we do not consider certifications when evaluating bid responses.

The Tennessee Governor's Office of Diversity Business Enterprise (GoDBE) certifies small and diverse Tennessee businesses. Each month, we report our spend with GoDBE-certified agencies to the state. Twice each year, we partner with GoDBE to host a certification workshop for eligible UT suppliers. If you work with suppliers that may be interested in Tennessee certification, share this resource with them.

April Supplier Diversity Challenge

In the UT Purchasing Agreements table, GoDBE certifications are listed in the "Tags" column. The next time you use the Purchasing Agreements table, check the "Tags" column to see if any of your current suppliers are GoDBE-certified.

To view previous newsletters, visit procurement.tennessee.edu/employee-newsletter.