Vwiz – Making Sense of New Procurement Rules

Accessibility Awareness Day, 2013

Anne Mullen, Accessibility and Human Rights Manager Ryan Kenney, Procurement Manager

Richard Dumala, Manager, Web & Desktop Services

Contents

• Anne Mullen – how has AODA changed the rules?• Ryan Kenney – what are the rules?• Richard Dumala – introducing vwiz.

vwiz – Making Sense of New Procurement Rules

• Many people are unfamiliar with accessibility and universal design

• It’s the Law - Requirement of AODA Integrated Accessibility Standards, Section 5

• Easier to start off with accessibility then to go back and redo/retrofit

• It’s the right thing to do!

Why Consider Accessibility When Making Purchases?

Just Because Something is Labeled Accessible, Doesn’t Necessarily Mean it is Accessible

Let’s identify the barriers in the following slides

• In early 2012 we developed accessibility wording to be incorporated in the purchasing policy

• Wanted to expand on support for employees and created an accessibility checklist (14+ pages)

• Obtained input from a number of departments about the checklist

Preliminary Development of the Wizard

• Consulted the Centre for Teaching and Learning and they suggested a ‘Wizard’

• Wizard is more user-friendly than long checklist• Wanted ability to categorize purchases and provide

reporting information to the Ministry of Community and Social Services (Accessibility Directorate)

Development

vwiz – Making Sense of New Procurement Rules

• Office of Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility, Information Technology Services and Finance worked together to review current processes and develop a Wizard that could be used in future

• Development of vwiz by Information Technology Services and NYN Designs

Development

vwiz – Making Sense of New Procurement Rules

• When persons make purchases that are $2,500 or greater, they answer a couple of simple questions

• Based on the answers, two main AODA compliance pieces are addressed:

1.Obtaining confirmation from vendors & 3rd party contractors that they have completed accessible customer service training

2. Ensuring persons making purchases consider accessibility and mitigate or eliminate future barriers

Features of vwiz

vwiz – Making Sense of New Procurement Rules

Procurement

Procurement – Roles and Responsibilities (1)

• Strive to support the mission of the University• Manage effective and efficient procurement of quality products and services

Procurement – Roles and Responsibilities (2)

• Obtain best value from reputable vendors• Accomplish these objectives through:

• High degree of customer service• First rate supply chain management• Ongoing streamlining of procurement processes• Maintaining integrity and adherence to:

• University policies and procedures• Federal and provincial regulations• Professional and ethical standards

Procurement - Transaction Statistics – Fiscal 2011/12

• Purchase Orders• Created over 1,200 purchase orders• Number of purchase orders trending down over past few years

Procurement - Transaction Statistics – Fiscal 2011/12

•Invoices• Processed over 50,000 payment requests

• Invoices• Cheque requisitions

• Volume of payment requests processed relatively stable over past few years

Procurement - Transaction Statistics – Fiscal 2011/12

• Credit Cards• End users processed over 30,000 credit card transactions

• Purchasing Card• Travel Card

• Volume of transactions has steadily increased over past several years

Procurement Policy - Overview (1)

• University Purchasing Policy• Outlines the University’s accountability for its use of funds for all purchased goods and services• Establishes guidelines for purchasing goods and services applicable to all University units

Procurement Policy - Overview (2)

• University Purchasing Policy• Identifies the roles and responsibilities of Purchasing and others involved in the procurement process• Policy can be found on the Purchasing website at:

http://www.uwindsor.ca/finance/purchasing/system/files/UofW%20Purchasing%20Policy%20Jun%202012%20Final%20v2.pdf

Procurement Policy - Summary of Changes (1)

• BPS Procurement Directive• Based on principles of:

• Transparency• Accountability• Value for money

Procurement Policy - Summary of Changes (2)

• Mandatory requirements incorporated into the Policy:• Procurement of consulting services

• Must be competitively bid regardless of dollar value

• Purchasing approval authority frameworks• Required level of approval for all purchases

Procurement Policy - Summary of Changes (3)

•AODA• When purchasing goods or services, end user will be responsible for enquiring about the accessibility features of those items• Considerations should be made to ensure that item(s) being purchased do not pose a barrier• If end user determines that not practical to incorporate accessibility features into purchase, need to keep written explanation of file

Procurement Procedures – How Do They Work? (1)

• End user completes and submits a purchase requisition to Purchasing

• If sole source, complete Sole Source Certification Form• NEW: Complete vwiz Accessibility Wizard

Procurement Procedures – How Do They Work? (2)

• Purchasing follows procurement method as specified by University Purchasing Policy

Purchase Amount Purchase Method Competitive Bid Requirement

Under $2,500 Credit Card or PO Not required

$2,501 to $10,000 PO Min 1 written quote

$10,001 to $100,000 PO Min 3 written quotes

Over $100,000 PO MERX, public bid process

Procurement Procedures – How Do They Work? (3)

• Upon completion of required procurement process, Purchasing provides results to end user• End user, with consultation / support from Purchasing, selects recommended vendor for award• Purchasing issues purchase order to awarded vendor

Procurement Procedures – How Do They Work? (4)

• Upon delivery of good or completion of service, end user approves corresponding vendor invoice and submits to Accounts Payable• Accounts Payable processes invoice and sets for future payment

Procurement - Conclusions• We are here to help

• Procurement staff can assist with all vendor related issues

• Key Contacts

• Procurement Manager• Ryan Kenney rkenney@uwindsor.ca x 2119

• Purchasing – Buyers• Gene Hirt geneh@uwindsor.ca x 2088• Marg Glos mglos@uwindsor.ca x 2086

• Accounts Payable – Sr. Clerk• Rob Dobson rdobson@uwindsor.ca x 2120

vwiz to the rescue?

• http://www.uwindsor.ca/vwiz • Login with your UWinID and password• Five step process

1. Price2. Vendor3. Category4. Confirm5. Checklist

Login to vwiz – http://www.uwindsor.ca/vwiz

First screen you see just explains what vwiz is all about. Click on “continue”.

Step 1: Price

Step 2: Vendor

Step 2: Vendor (con’t)

Step 2: Vendor (con’t)

Step 2: Vendor (con’t)

Step 2: Vendor (con’t)

Step 2: Vendor (con’t)

Two things you have to do …

Step 2: Vendor (con’t)

Step 2: Vendor (con’t)

Step 3: Category

Step 4: Confirm

Step 5: Checklist

Step 5: Checklist (con’t)

Step 5: Checklist (con’t)

With your vendor, – contractor the accessible customer service

training documentation is available if necessary– AODA Contractor form if necessary– Fill out the checklist - attach to your Purchase

Request

Now What?

Does this work?

– The first time is the hardest. Vendor may seem bewildered by what we’re asking

– A vendor “FAQ” page:http://www.uwindsor.ca/vwizvendor

– Positions the vendor to comply with AODA for all their clients – actually doing them a favour.

– once completed the vendor’s data becomes “public”. Just select them from the dropdown and you’re done step 2.

Does anything else happen?• When forms update you have to update. But

you will be told this when you try to access a vendor that filled out old forms.

• It helps Anne when she reports compliance to AODA regulators

vwiz – Helping You Make Sense of New Procurement Rules

Thank you.

We hope that vwiz makes buying under the new rules easier for you.

Try it out in the poster presentations area.

Questions?

http://www.uwindsor.ca/vwiz

vwiz – Helping You Make Sense of New Procurement Rules