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
vwiz – Making Sense of New Procurement Rules
Contents
• Anne Mullen – how has AODA changed the rules?
• Ryan Kenney – what are the rules?
• Richard Dumala – introducing vwiz.
Why Consider Accessibility When Making
Purchases?
• 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!
Just Because Something is Labeled Accessible,
Doesn’t Necessarily Mean it is Accessible
Let’s
identify the
barriers in
the
following
slides
Preliminary Development of the Wizard
• 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
vwiz – Making Sense of New Procurement Rules
Development
• 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)
vwiz – Making Sense of New Procurement Rules
Development
• 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
vwiz – Making Sense of New Procurement Rules
Features of vwiz
• 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
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%20Purchasi
ng%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
• Marg Glos
geneh@uwindsor.ca
mglos@uwindsor.ca
x 2088
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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Price
Vendor
Category
Confirm
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)
Step 2: Vendor (con’t)
Two things you have to do …
Step 2: Vendor (con’t)
Step 3: Category
Step 4: Confirm
Step 5: Checklist
Step 5: Checklist (con’t)
Step 5: Checklist (con’t)
Now What?
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
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
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