Business
Area |
Idea |
Answer |
Contact/
More Info... |
| Procurement |
Why not have better communication
back to the originator of a vendor set-up? |
In November 2003, Procurement implemented
automated email notifications for vendor setups to notify the
requester of the vendor number or if any problems prevented
creation of the vendor or vendor site. |
procurement@yale.edu |
| Procurement |
Why not eliminate the need to do
vendor set-up especially for one-time vendors? |
In August 2001, we introduced a new
version of the Check Request form that also serves as the Vendor
Setup Request eliminating the need for a separate Vendor Setup
Request. This practice is still in place and is especially appropriate
for one-time payments to Non-employee "Vendor" types. |
procurement@yale.edu |
| Procurement |
Why not clarify when to use a PCard versus a
Department Card? |
Within the Yale Purchasing Card Program there
are two types of PCards: Individual Cards and Department Cards.
Individual cards are recommended for miscellaneous small dollar
purchases of goods. Department cards are intended to be used
for the purchase of miscellaneous meals and food. |
For details about each, please visit the Purchasing
Card web site. |
| Facilities Operations |
Why not track electricity usage by individual
dorm room, and then pass on some of the savings from below-average
student dorm electricity usage to the students? |
It would be wonderful to be able to meter every
room, however, it is cost prohibitive both for the initial installation
and for the upkeep of the meters. |
|
| Facilities Operations |
Why not provide students access to cleaning supplies?
|
We cannot provide open access to cleaning supplies.
Any service complaint should be called into the Customer Service
Center at 2-6888, or, in the fall, via the web. These procedures
will be outlined in the student information pact supplied at
the beginning of the term. |
|
| Facilities Operations |
Why not provide soap and towels in residential
rest rooms, or install electric hand dryers? |
We have examined these issues and providing soap
and paper towels or electric dryers within residential spaces
is not something we can do at this time. |
|
| Facilities Operations |
Why reorganize the Physical Plant zone system,
which was an improvement in service and communications, with
no input from departments? |
Facilites Operations is in the process of reorganization;
however, the zone system is not changing as part of this reorganization.
Beginning July 1, 2004, the 4 zones will be staffed with 4 managers
and 2 back-up managers where currently there are 8 managers
supporting 4 zones. |
|
| Facilities Operations |
Why not investigate reports that the Architecture
building is a "sick building", i.e., people who work
there get sick? |
The Office of Environmental Health & Safety
can perform air quality assessment. It would be beneficial to
the process to have more specifics regarding this situation.
|
Please call the OEHS at 785-3550. |
| ITS |
Why not change Webmail for the general campus
email server to Outlook? |
At the present time, using Microsoft Exchange
Servers for Yale's central email service would not be cost effective,
nor would it provide the email features that the majority of
our community has come to rely on. However, the ITS Email group
constantly reviews the email market for both new feature sets
and cost effectiveness. When products meet our requirements,
they are given very careful consideration. It is possible, therefore,
that at some point in the future Microsoft Exchange Servers
will be considered. On the other hand, ITS Email services does
support using Microsoft Outlook as an email client. |
For details, please see the Email
Services web page. If you rely on the inter-operability
of email with other software, please note there may be restrictions
on which email clients various software applications have been
tested with. Check with your IT Support Provider for more information.
Finding Support at Yale is available at the Yale
IT Support web page. |
| ITS |
Why not re-examine IT, and centralize the administration
of departments like engineering and computer science, which
now maintain their network independent of the rest of the university? |
ITS has provided the core network service to
both CS and Engineering for many years now. Computer Science
and Engineering also relies on ITS via Workstation Support Services
for the support of their departmental servers and support. Many
research labs in CS, Engineering and throughout the sciences
also subscribe to ITS system administration services or use
research.yale.edu. |
Contact Chuck Powell, Director, ITS Academic
Media & Technology, which includes the Workstation Support
Services Group. Email to: Charles.Powell@yale.edu.
|
| ITS |
Why not let departments use vendors such as "Big
Zoo" long distance telephone service, a private company,
instead of the more costly Yale phone service? |
ITS does not block access to long distance providers
that are reached by calling a local or toll-free phone number.
We do not allow access to services that use "equal access
code dialing" (1010xxx-), because these calls would be
billed to the main University account, not to the originating
station. Yale phone services are about to become less costly.
Effective July 1, domestic long distance rates will drop by
40% to 6 cents per minute, due to continued restructuring in
Telecommunications. |
|
| ITS |
Why not improve prioritization of mass informational
emails, using the subject line to help convey the message and
appointing one editor who can boil the information down to only
essential facts? |
ITS Communications supports ITS and Administrative
Systems email messages. Messages are sent to targeted audiences
- those who have access to the specific applications and the
support teams. We have guidelines on the use of the subject
line to convey if the message is related to a systems outage,
schedule change, procedure change, or reminder. ITS Communications
also supports mass email messages sent by the officers and other
key individuals at the university. The messages are all reviewed
by several individuals and every effort is made to ensure accuracy
of content as well as streamlined information. ITS Communications
is actively involved with the review process and will make recommendations
where possible to ensure the subject line accurately reflects
the message content. |
|
| Procurement |
Why not shorten/simplify the process for reimbursement
for routine travel expense, licenses and organizational dues,
or streamline the ER process with constraints, e.g., ladder
faculty asking to be reimbursed from funds they control not
have to submit documentation for amounts under $1000? |
To eliminate the need for reimbursement as much
as possible (a costly and time-consuming transaction type),
consider using an Individual Purchasing Card to pay for your
licenses, organizational dues, air and rail travel. As for necessary
reimbursements, use petty cash for transactions $200 and under.
We are working towards streamlining the reimbursement process
in the future with online self-service ER/CR forms with automated
notifications. University policy, as well as IRS requirements,
dictate that documentation for transactions requiring reimbursement
must be filed for transactions >$75. |
procurement@yale.edu |
| Procurement |
Why not allow photocopies of receipts, credit
slips and copies of the original (uncanceled checks) to be accepted
for ER? |
As a rule, copies of documentation represent
a high risk of duplicate payment so to mitigate the risk of
duplicate payment of invoices originals are requested. In exception
cases, copies are accepted for supporting documentation. |
procurement@yale.edu |
| Procurement |
Why not change SWAP so you don’t have to
authorize every transaction unless you want or need to track
it by expenditure code? The Business Office spends too much
time approving and swapping monthly transactions. |
Verifying the appropriateness of Purchasing Card
transactions and ensuring the correctness of charging instructions
is the fiduciary responsibility of departmental business offices.
The Simple Web Allocation Process (SWAP) is an efficient and
convenient way to manage this responsibility. This is an important
step that increases the probability of correct data used by
departmental business offices as well as the Controller's Office
to make important financial management decisions. |
procurement@yale.edu |
| Procurement |
Why not review all service/maintenance contracts
in place with a firm called FloTech? |
Procurement does not have a contract in place
with FloTech although it may be possible that departments have
entered into their own contract agreements with this supplier.
Previously, Procurement had recommended purchasing FloTech toner
cartridges from Corporate Express at discounted prices. Included
with the purchase of those cartridges, FloTech agreed to clean
and maintain machines in the form of extra customer service,
not as part of a maintenance agreement. Most recently, Procurement
has a newly negotiated contract with Corporate Express which
recommends Corporate Express brand toner cartridges as the best
buy from this Strategic Vendor. These remanufactured toner cartridges
are high quality, environmentally friendly and deeply discounted
up to 69%. Many departments are already realizing significant
savings from switching over to these toner cartridges. |
For more information, go to Latest Good Deals
at the Procurement
web site. |
