The UPST worked over the last 7 months to optimize end user purchasing experience in BuyWays in partnership with your campus representatives. BuyWays Release 1.0 is an umbrella name for multiple enhancements within BuyWays aimed at improving the end user experience with regards to ease of use and efficiency of: No Bid Justification (NBJ), automated change requests, and a new homepage.
 

  • Adopt a risk adjusted approach for services purchases of < $50K by moving it to PO for certain purchase categories
  • Drastically improve and streamline the change order process.
  • Reduce cycle time and simplify ordering/requisition process.
  • Provide enhanced visibility and transparency to improve customer experience.
  • Automate and harmonize NBJ/Exceptions to Competitive Procurement forms and process.

The overall objective of the BuyWays 1.0 project is to drive ease of purchasing for end-users, which includes adopting a risk-adjusted approach to contracts for services purchase <$50K, streamlining the change order process, harmonizing and automating the exceptions to competitive procurement/NBJ form and approval while adopting an overall guided buying approach to how we buy items.

Component Current State Future State

Non-Catalog Shopper Forms
  • Single form for all transactions
  • Lack of risk adjusted process i.e. CFS, for non risky requests
  • 3 forms (goods only, Servs <$50K,  and Servs >$50K), supports a risk adjusted approach to purchasing/contracting
  • Reduced contracting time for services contracts (<$50K)
  • Easy to use with embedded instructions

Exception to Competitive Procurement (NBJ)
  • Multiple forms with one campus and across all campuses
  • Manual routing for approval/ systems
  • Streamlined ONE single form for the system
  • Workflow supported and DocuSign enabled
  • Integrated with the guided buying form

Streamlined Change Order Process
  • Use of 0.99 form
  • Re-entry of all information to get UPST support
  • Change requests initiated directly on a PO
  • Supported by requisition workflow
  • Real-time status update visibility

New BuyWays Homepage/ Dashboard
  • Requires native knowledge to navigate
  • Multiple clicks needed for simple tasks
  • Guided buying to catalogs
  • Curated search searches
  • Quick links to personalized pages

Job Aids and Templates

To access the training presentations & recordings, please visit the Training Presentation & Recordings (BuyWays Release 1.0) page. Please note that this page is behind a firewall and you will need to log in using your UMass credentials. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

To view a full list of the most frequently asked questions for the new BuyWays Release 1.0 (Change Order, No-Bid Justification (NBJ), Guided Buying, and <$50K Services Purchase via PO), please visit our Knowledge Base:

BuyWays 1.0 Deployment FAQs