Travel 

Concur 2.0 Release

Launching April 8th!

Integrated Procure-to-Pay Solutions (IPPS) is excited to announce the upcoming release of Concur 2.0! Significant upgrades to Concur will provide a more seamless and efficient experience for all Triton community members who conduct business on behalf of the university.   

Concur 2.0 is more than a simple bug fix; it is a strategic reconfiguration of the site to minimize data entry requirements and enhance accounting visibility. This upgrade is the culmination of extensive data analysis collected from Tritons who have traveled or entertained on behalf of UC San Diego. The release of Concur 2.0 effectively addresses many of the pain points since the initial launch of Concur. 

Concur 2.0 Highlights   

Intuitive Flow 

• A more intuitive workflow gives you the ability to group expenses, add allocations, and view allocations (Project or GL string) in one place 

Less Data Entry 

• Only provide data that is needed (Project or GL string – not both!) 
• Categorize expenses one time (SAP Concur Expense Types + UCSD Expenditure Types work together!)

More Data Transparency 

• The taxable status of expenses is visible on the expense entry screen  
• Account codes are visible on all expenses
• Verify allocations in a single window

Visit the Concur 2.0 Blink page for a detailed list of enhancements. Stay tuned for more information as we near the official launch date.

 Logistics 

Trade Street  

A Good Way to Ship Goods to Campus

Campus direct addresses are ideal for service providers, guests, and emergency services. However, using direct addresses for package delivery leads to several issues, including increased on-campus vehicle traffic, confusion among carriers

unfamiliar with campus infrastructure, and a higher likelihood of lost or returned packages. To avoid these complications, be sure to utilize Trade Street as the preferred shipping address when ordering goods. Visit the Receiving and Distribution Blink page for detailed guidance on addressing incoming packages in Oracle, P-Card purchases, and letter mail.

Using Trade Street for Shipping Goods to Campus Offers Many Benefits 

• Secure Delivery: Using Trade Street ensures the secure delivery of sensitive materials.
• Expert Knowledge: Our team has unrivaled knowledge of the campus and its infrastructure, ensuring the best possible service.
• Complete Visibility: Once we receive your order, you can access complete tracking visibility through our Logistics Portal.
• Proper Equipment: We utilize proper equipment to preserve perishables in a suitable storage environment, ensuring freshness and safety.
• Accountability: We take responsibility for every step of the process, from storage to delivery.
• Sustainability: We are committed to sustainability, supporting an eco-friendly approach. Logistics is on track to have a 100% electric fleet by 2025! Learn more about the L2.0 initiative.
• Secured Campus Access: Our access to secured campus buildings is unmatched, ensuring safe and efficient delivery.
• Hybrid Work Support: Since 2020, we have adapted our delivery method to support hybrid work, ensuring packages are at your location when you return to your office.
• Ongoing Innovation: In 2024, we are implementing a new, modern conveyor system utilizing cameras and machine learning to process packages without human intervention. This innovation allows us to process items quicker and deliver more volume to campus the same day.

Thank you for shipping goods to campus the Triton way, with Trade Street!

Turning Trash into Treasure! 

A Green Approach to Diverting Hazardous Materials

San Diego campus researchers and trained/certified IPPS Logistics staff to donate usable chemicals to the program. UC San Diego labs, scientists, and researchers can obtain free chemicals to use in their labs to support the world-class research they conduct every day.

Visit the Chemcycle Program on Blink to learn more.

 Oracle Procurement 

New Catalogs Available in Oracle Advanced Search

BioPioneer Inc. and New England Biolabs

The full catalogs for BioPioneer Inc. and New England Biolabs (NEB) are now live in Oracle's Advanced Search, which allows campus to easily shop NEB and BioPioneer Inc.'s full catalogs with UC San Diego contract-negotiated pricing.

NEB is a certified small business committed to supporting your goals by providing essential lab products, great service, and competitive pricing. Their product portfolio includes enzyme reagents and products/services supporting genome editing and sequencing. For inquiries on NEB’s product line, please reach out to their sales rep: Melissa Kuhn (kuhn@neb.com).

BioPioneer is a San Diego-based life science supply company and certified small business that manufactures and markets a full line of laboratory supplies and equipment. They are committed to being a one-stop shop for their customers by offering top-quality products at competitive prices with timely deliveries.

For inquiries on BioPioneer’s product line, please reach out to their customer service (info@biopioneerinc.com).

 Small Business & Sustainability

UC San Diego Procurement Spotlight

Small Business Success Stories

The Strategic Procurement and Small Business Development Teams are committed to supporting the UC-wide Small Business First Program by showcasing sixteen UC San Diego small business partners and their stories, across four presentation sessions.  

These Small Business Success Stories will cover a diverse range of industries, including coffee carts, life sciences, IT solutions, and even plumbing. During these sessions, we will delve into the backgrounds of our supplier partners, their history with UC San Diego, growth opportunities, and valuable lessons learned - essential for sustaining success with small businesses. 

Expect to read more about these businesses in future IPPS Quarterly newsletters and Blink. By utilizing these sources, you too can help us leverage our purchasing power to achieve 25% Economically and Socially Responsible (EaSR) spending on small and diverse-owned businesses. 

Local Gems: Pacific Plumbing Specialties 

Supporting Sustainability and Community in San Diego

The UC San Diego community thrives thanks to the diverse tapestry of businesses woven into the fabric of our surrounding neighborhood. Today, we celebrate Pacific Plumbing Specialties, a local gem that has been proudly serving San Diego since 1987.

Pacific Plumbing Specialties started as a humble operation, specializing in hard-to-find plumbing parts from a simple garage. Over the years, they've blossomed into a nationally recognized supplier, catering to the commercial and institutional markets.

But what truly sets them apart? They prioritize personalized service, building strong relationships, and tailoring their offerings to each client's unique needs. Their long-standing partnerships with manufacturers and expertise in supply chain management guarantee quick and reliable delivery. As leaders in the water industry, they champion sustainability, providing a comprehensive range of water-saving solutions, from low-flow fixtures to sensor-activated technologies.

Choosing Pacific Plumbing Specialties isn't just about top-quality products and exceptional service; it's about supporting the lifeblood of our community. They create jobs, foster a sense of belonging, and contribute to the vibrant spirit of San Diego.

Find Pacific Plumbing Specialties on the Advanced Search platform as a hosted catalog supplier in Oracle Procurement.

Food Trucks Return to UC San Diego 

Find Delicious Eats at Various Locations on Campus

Food Trucks returned to UC San Diego in January and are slowly expanding to new service sites. Our certified small business partner, Curbside Bites, and Strategic Procurement have successfully renewed the partnership to serve delicious eats at various pop-up locations throughout campus. You can find a variety of offerings mid-week from a rotating selection of micro-business food truck operators at the School of Medicine (SOM), Scripps Institute of Oceanography – P014 (SIO), and The Link property. Services range in days with SOM serving up deliciousness Tuesday – Thursday, SIO on Wednesdays, and a trial run at The Link Wednesday – Friday.  

Check out the list of various Food Trucks that have served or are scheduled in the future:  AntoYitos Borincanos, Aunty Lynne, Baby Got Biscuits, Badas Burgers, Big Oven Pizza, Born in Brooklyn, East Coast Connection, Fused World Tacos, La Burre, Mr. Greek, MyPozole, Surf Me a Taco, The Go Go Truck.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

See What's "New" at Surplus Sales

Description: TV Monitor
Manufacturer: SHARP

Details: 1080P, HDMI, VGA. Stand not included. Item # 3768442.

Description: Balance Ball

Manufacturer: BOSU

Details: DSL Trainer model. PVC ball with sandbag base. Item # 3970572.

 Training & Opportunities

Camp BFS

August 5-9, 2024

Camp IPPS is now Camp BFS and will offer more virtual instructor-led courses from subject matter experts across the entire Business and Financial Services (BFS) organization. The week-long event will run from August 5th - 9th. Save the dates! Class schedule and registration information coming soon. 

 Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

IPPS EDI Committee

Highlights and Recommendations

The IPPS EDI Committee extends warm regards and hopes that the initial quarter of 2024 has treated you well. With that being said, we wanted to express our appreciation for the Tritons Belong: Understanding and Compassion in Challenging Times series which has been hosting online educational events. The topics being discussed during the series are to help us better understand current events and ways to foster compassion within the Triton community. Recordings of previous online educational events and details on future registrations can be accessed through their website.  

On February 21st, 2024, the 29th Inclusive Excellence Awards Ceremony took place. This ceremony acknowledged faculty, staff, students, and departments/groups for their exemplary leadership in promoting EDI initiatives while upholding UC San Diego's Principles of Community. Several members of the IPPS EDI Committee had the privilege to attend the ceremony and witness the remarkable contributions of our colleagues across UC San Diego. We encourage you to explore the achievements of the 2023 recipients.

 IPPSter Spotlight

Kelli Sanchez Zamora

By Ayaka Ikeda

Kelli Sanchez Zamora has been working at UC San Diego for 9 years. Her IPPS career started at the Mailing Center as a student back in 2015 and evolved into a travel intern position after working as a student work lead and passports officer. Following graduation, she held positions as a Travel and Entertainment Specialist and Virtual Card Analyst, both of which gave her excellent job experience. She was then hired as a Payment Services Manager in 2022, where she is happy to assist her team with the day-to-day work, but finds that inspiring people and allowing them to feel fulfilled and confident about their work is what she enjoys doing the most.

Kelli’s initial career goals included becoming a professor or researcher and specializing in Spanish Education and Literature. However, after working and interacting with the IPPS Travel team as a student, she quickly changed her mind and opted to pursue a career in finance. One of her biggest achievements, she said, was with the Virtual Card program; her team earned the US Bank Best-in-Class award for the first time ever, defeating all other UC campuses, as well as some National Labs. In addition to the Best-in-Class award, she also received a Spotlight Award presented by UC Chief Procurement Officer Paul Williams, which meant a lot to her career. 

Kelli found it difficult but incredibly fulfilling to take on the role of manager when she joined the Payment Services team. Nonetheless, she stated that her disposition towards assembling teams at work and the excellent leadership role models she had in IPPS in the past had equipped her for this current position. Her philosophy is that having someone believe in you and advocate for you makes a big difference along the way.  

Since 2017, Kelli has enjoyed spending her free time rock climbing. She visits a San Diego climbing gym that offers a variety of climbing techniques. Once or twice a year, she climbs real rocks outdoors in national parks like Bishop National Park and Red Rock in Nevada. Kelli’s dream is to climb all over the world, especially La Peña de Bernal, which is located just over 3 hours from Mexico City. It was her favorite childhood hiking spot, and she is very excited about sharing an experience with her grandfather someday. 

 Welcome New IPPSters

Nancy Smiley

Wire Analyst

Nancy Smiley has accepted a new role within the Payment Services team as the Wire Analyst. Nancy has been with IPPS for two and a half years but has been working directly with wire transfers since November 2022. This new role was created with several missions, one of which was to improve the campus’ experience when requesting a wire transfer to our foreign partners. Given her experiences at IPPS, as well as a history in banking and accounts payable, she has several initiatives to create improvements and streamline efficiencies while continually minimizing risk to campus.

Nancy regularly attends Office Hours and is happy to discuss any wire transfer questions you may have.

Other topics you may overhear her enthusiastically babbling about are photography, soap making, Disney, motherhood, and the latest Netflix obsession.

Trisha Almado

Campus Partnership Program Manager

Trisha Almado joined UC San Diego in January 2024 as the Campus Partnership Program Manager. In her role, she serves as the primary liaison for campus partnerships, ensuring seamless communication and collaboration to achieve mutual goals. Trisha provides ongoing partnership relationship management and support.

Before joining the CPP team, Trisha spent 7 years in the pharmacy benefits management industry, managing diverse client relationships and programs. Trisha is a San Diego native and holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from San Diego State University and a Master of Business Administration from Point Loma Nazarene University.

Amanda Ochoa

Client Experience Analyst

Amanda Ochoa, a proud UC San Diego alumna returning to her alma mater, brings a blend of experience and enthusiasm to her new role as the leader of the Solutions Team at IPPS. With a background in the Employee Recognition Industry, where she excelled in managing and uplifting others, Amanda has a knack for infusing positivity into every aspect of her work. Her main objective in this new role is to enhance the customer experience, not only from a CRM standpoint but also by updating resources to empower users, ensuring they feel confident in navigating processes.

In her previous roles, Amanda demonstrated her ability to drive results using measurable tactics, consistently exceeding operational excellence. Moreover, she prioritizes her team, fostering connections and actively supporting their professional growth. She eagerly engages with her team members, seeking to understand their strengths and passions, empowering them to thrive in their roles. When she's not optimizing processes or diving into new initiatives, you'll find Amanda exploring San Diego's vibrant food scene, diving into new culinary delights, or trying out quirky classes on ClassPass.