Business Operations Project

Office of Audit, Risk, and Compliance, Legal, Business Center Managers, Procurement Users, Beaver Works Core Group, representatives from Procurement and Accounts Payable, Business Centers, Colleges/Departments, OCCD, OSRAA (contract officer, CFM)

This project stems from focus group comments about procurement processes from the perspectives of users, business centers, and central administration. The purpose is to identify and resolve inadequacies and pressure points specifically related to the processes and technology associated with system functionality and consistency of procurement operations. Pcard processes and policies are addressed in the Accounts Payable project, however, coordination between both projects will be necessary to avoid contradictory solutions.

There is a need to identify current pain points for users within procurement and assist the experts in identifying opportunities for continuous improvement of the system, unknown functionality, training, communication, transparency, processes, and policies. There is uncertainty of roles and responsibilities for users. Payments are delayed due to vendor security and accessibility concerns.

• Balance the business needs with security/compliance considerations (apply accepted risk tolerances)
• Identify and design consistent tasks, forms, processes, and systems
• Define ideal state roles and responsibilities and individualized training plans for those roles
• Identify and recommend an ongoing, structured, and consistent training plan that incorporates the full procurement cycle
• Assess current policies against proposed processes and make policy recommendations for modified or new policies that are easily accessible
• Propose possible IT/IS solutions to Steering Team for improved system functionality and multi-system integration
  • Note: if an IT/IS solution is to be proposed, the team MUST still re-design processes, revise policies, and propose a plan to implement consistent processes before an IT solution is adopted.
• Develop training and communication plans for the implementation of the proposed solution(s)

• Clarify criteria used to determine when contracts go to PCMM, OCCD or OSRAA
• Improve the ability to connect procurements and payments to contracts
• Identify metrics for appropriate contract processing timelines
• Improve transparency of process status through tracking mechanisms and/or improved communication