Navigating the New Normal: A Connected Culture

Message from Ted Johnson
Associate Controller, Chief Procurement Officer

As we continue to embrace the hybrid work model, building and maintaining a connected culture is top of mind for me. Our ability to connect with each other through our roles and as individuals helps promote a healthy and progressive work environment, even when we are not physically together all of the time.

There isn’t a script for successfully navigating the post-Covid new normal, and tackling culture under the best of circumstances requires significant reflection and energy by all concerned. A willingness to employ out-of-the-box thinking, coupled with trial and error, is key to creating momentum. I’m proud to see the IPPS organization taking concrete action in the interest of creating a connected culture. This comes through seemingly small acts of connection like purposeful team gatherings, all-staff office days, and efforts to hold 1-1 meetings in person. It also extends to broader initiatives like; rethinking office seating and onsite days to better facilitate communication among teams with related functions; the student mentoring program, where FTEs are paired with student team members to provide life and career guidance; and the open forum, which continues to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for team members to discuss and reflect on important issues like diversity, systemic racism, and gun violence. 

So why does achieving a connected culture matter in terms of supporting our campus clients with their procurement, payables, travel, and supply chain needs? The reality is that most IPPS functions are interconnected and thus highly reliant upon team members managing related processes to generate a successful outcome for the campus community. A "Procurement" problem is rarely just related to procurement and most often requires support from groups like Accounts Payable, Logistics, Systems, and Client Engagement. Connecting people in a meaningful way helps connect functions, which ultimately results in better service and solutions for our clients. In other words, this approach makes sense in both human and business terms.

As we connect with each other within our organization, we also desire to form connections with the campus community. I'm encouraging our team members to spend physical time on campus, connecting directly with those we serve whenever possible. We need to make an effort to connect with campus clients on the receiving end of the functions we are performing, so that we aren't processing transactions in a vacuum, and can better understand the importance and impact of our actions. We need to support the campus as partners, not just processors. 

I believe that pursuing a connected culture, within our own organization, with our clients, and with the University at large, provides the perspective and motivation we need to be true to our mission statement: Integrated Procure-to-Pay Solutions and Client Care in Support of World-Class Education and Research.

 New Payee Management Tool 

Get Ready for PaymentWorks!

UC San Diego's New Payee Management Tool 

UC San Diego's new payee management tool, PaymentWorks, will go live on April 3rd. PaymentWorks is a self-service, online tool that simplifies how payees do business with UC San Diego.

PaymentWorks will launch in phases beginning in April. Payees needing to update their information after the initial launch on April 3rd will need to reach out to their UC San Diego department contact to obtain PaymentWorks access. Payment Compass will continue to be available for invoice submission until new methods are launched near the end of the calendar year.

Training and Resources

• Visit the PaymentWorks Blink page to view these campus-facing resources: 
  • Campus announcement
  • PaymentWorks Webinar recording
  • Launch timeline
  • Comprehensive guidance 
• Supplier-facing resources can be found here:
  • PaymentWorks resources for suppliers' webpage 

  • Read the announcement to payees

 Travel 

Anticipated Airline Schedule Changes for Summer 2023

A Message from UC Office of the President’s Central Travel Office

There have been several news stories* lately about airlines adjusting their summer schedules. American Airlines has already cut 5% of their scheduled flights – a whopping 50,000 flights due to an ongoing pilot shortage, while Lufthansa plans to cancel 34,000 flights due to overall staffing issues. Even the Toronto Airport Authority in Canada will place limits on the number of arrivals and departures during peak hours to manage their “airport ecosystems” better. Additionally, the International Air Transport Association fears that many airlines will not meet the deadline to retrofit their plane altimeters to handle 5G wireless technology (ensuring they are not susceptible to wireless interference) in time for the peak summer travel season, and discussions continue on how this may impact airlines and travelers. 

Many of the preemptive changes are in direct response to the difficulties the industry faced in 2022, and it is anticipated that the problems will continue in 2023. With announced schedule changes, tickets booked for May, June, July or August may have already changed departure time or day of travel. These changes come from the airline, not the booking agency.

The Central Travel Office wants to remind travelers that they have rights when accepting or rejecting changes to already booked tickets. Booking agencies will inform travelers of their options in the notification emails. We encourage you to carefully review these before making any decisions. If the proposed schedule change from the airline is two or more hours, you may be eligible for a full refund which you can use to find a cheaper or more convenient flight. Please note: contacting booking agents may result in fees, so unless a decision is required to accept or reject a schedule change, we suggest you avoid calling the agency.

For those who have not booked yet, but are looking for tickets, we encourage you to stick with the same airline to your destination. Airlines can only commit to their own schedules. If one airline cancels, it is not the responsibility of the other to adjust your connecting flight. We also advise against the “saver” fares, such as Basic Economy, that do not come with any protections for changes or cancellations. Finally, we do recommend you join the airline loyalty program for an extra layer of protection.

*Related News Stories:

American Airlines 
Lufthansa
Toronto Airport Authority 
International Air Transport Association  
Difficulties in 2022

Traveler Satisfaction Survey 

Learning Opportunities

Campus feedback from the annual UC Office of the President Central Travel Office traveler satisfaction survey indicated that faculty and staff are interested in learning more about training opportunities for both the Managed Travel Program (booking travel and our contracted benefits with airlines, hotels, and rental cars) and Concur expense reconciliation. Good news for UC San Diego travelers! Our Travel team offers comprehensive training tools and resources designed to meet the needs of a wide range of knowledge levels and learning styles. Access is just a click away!

Visit the Resources section on the Travel & Entertainment Blink homepage for quick access to these training resources and more:

• Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) courses offered via UC Learning
• Office Hours (held three times per week!)
• Knowledge Base Article Library

The Travel team strives to provide educational resources in as many ways as possible to assist with the varying needs of our campus clients. Be sure to subscribe to the Weekly Digest to receive the latest training-related news and updates!

 Campus Partnership Program

University Credit Union Advisory Center 

Grand Opening Event 
April 25, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Price Center Plaza

Stop by the Price Center plaza on April 25th to celebrate the grand opening of the University Credit Union Advisory Center. 

Meet the University Credit Union team and learn more about UC San Diego's official financial partner while enjoying the festivities. Visit the event page for details and updates.

The strategic partnership with University Credit Union offers Tritons a financial advantage beyond serving day-to-day banking needs by providing financial training such as educational workshops, and one-on-one financial guidance. Visit the University Credit Union on Blink to learn more. Continue to visit the UC San Diego | University Credit Union portal for member benefits, financial services, and upcoming promotions available to the UC San Diego community. 

Rady Executive Breakfast 

Presented by University Credit Union, UC San Diego's Official Financial Partner

Members from the Rady School of Management and the larger UC San Diego community learned about "the passion behind good work" from UC San Diego Alum Andy Powers '04, Chief Guitar Designer, President & CEO of Taylor Guitars at the Rady Executive Breakfast Series event held on March 9th.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Partnership 

10-Year Partnership Progress & Updates 

Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox: Renovations on the sandbox, a high-tech playground for researchers, are on-track for completion in Bonner Hall by June 2023 (see photo from January above for a sneak peek)! The first instrument placement will follow soon after.

Collaborative Research Framework: UC San Diego Professor Jesse Jokerst & Thermo Fisher Scientific Staff Scientist Andy Levitz, were awarded a CRC 2022 Round 3 grant for their collaborative project exploring dye quenchers used in photoacoustic imaging. Connecting through the partnership played a key role in this successful grant application!

World-Class Talent Pipeline: Five undergraduate students will begin paid, one-year School of Biological Sciences Co-Op Program positions at Thermo Fisher Scientific. The students will be matched with a mentor and enrolled in a professional development and soft skills co-op course for academic credit. Training programs for the instrumentation that will be placed in the Sandbox are also in development. 

Sustainable Supply Chain: The Preferred Products Program, which includes 250+ products and green alternatives, are now live in the Thermo Fisher punchout available in Oracle Procurement. Each product has been curated specifically for the UC San Diego research community.

The partnership has also created opportunities to pilot programs focused on emerging sustainability needs. This includes exploring greener alternatives to cold-chain shipping by removing single-use expanded polystyrene coolers from the shipping and transport process, and recycling single-use plastics like pipette tips. The pilot outcomes will help both organizations continue to build a more sustainable higher ed supply chain. 

Farmers Insurance 

Get Your Quote Today! 

UC San Diego employees can save up to 22% from Farmers Insurance Choicet® by calling 1-866-700-3113.

 Equity Diversity & Inclusion Committee

Recommendations & Highlights

The IPPS Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) Committee wants to highlight the Tritons Flourish group and the recommendations they provided on how to flourish in both your personal and professional lives. The group holds virtual meetings on the third Friday of the month. Each meeting discusses skills & strategies to maintain resilience while managing the many stressors we face.

To align with our EDI objectives, IPPS is committed to making the Implicit Bias Series a required training for our employees as one of our annual Performance Appraisal (PA) goals. We encourage the rest of campus to consider adopting similar requirements within their own departments. A great resource to start with is the Outsmarting Implicit Bias podcast. The podcast deals with exploring the mind's blind spots when encountering implicit biases and how to actively fight against them. This series was founded by Harvard psychologist, Mahzarin Banaji. We also encourage subscribing to the "5 Ally Actions" Weekly Newsletter which provides 5 simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace.

Please contact ipps-edi@ucsd.edu with any questions or comments.

 Events & Opportunities

Surplus Sales Garage Sale 

Rain or Shine - Everything Under the Sun God Must GO!

Saturday, May 6
8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Sunday, May 7
8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: 7835 Trade Street, San Diego 92121

Surplus Sales will open its warehouse doors on the weekend of May 6th and 7th to showcase items from top-selling categories, hand-picked by our team from over 100 pallets of 'new' inventory. Attendees can peruse our isles, test items, and make onsite purchases. Free hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes with purchase while supplies last. The event is open to the public. Admission and parking are free.

Can't wait until May? Visit surplus.ucsd.edu to shop online today!

The Trove 

A treasure trove of services for all your shipping and mailing needs.

Private Mail Box Rentals

Rare Openings - Low Rates

Visit The Trove to reserve your Private Mail Box today while supplies last! Personal Mail Boxes (PMB) are ideal for professionals and business owners. Unlike PO Boxes, Personal Mail Boxes offer a physical street address that can accept shipments from all carriers - including packages! 

Tax Day @ The Trove

Date: April 18

Hours: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Visit The Trove to send your taxes to the IRS on time and securely! The Trove offers Certified Mail, First Class, and Express Services. You can also buy stamps and envelopes, and get your taxes postmarked to be on time before Tax Day, April 18th. Find us on Library Walk.

Hot Topics

Big questions and current events in Procure-to-Pay and Travel & Expense

Payee Management

Date: April 3

Hours: 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Learn about payee management, including how to select which payees to use, how to best use PaymentWorks, and how to engage with small and diverse businesses.

Fiscal Close

Date: May 3

Hours: 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Learn how best to prepare your transactions to meet the fiscal year deadlines for the Procure-to-Pay and Travel & Expense spaces in our next Hot Topics session.

Passport Satellite Office for UC San Diego Affiliates

Get $3 off passport photos with your university ID

The UC San Diego Passports Satellite Office is located inside the Cashier's Office, Student Services Building, Suite 170. The Passports Satellite Office is open to UC San Diego staff, faculty, health, students, and alumni, and accepts walk-ins only. Remember to bring your UC San Diego ID card to receive $3 off your passport photo. For a full list of services, hours, accepted payment methods, and directions, visit the Passports Office on Blink.

 Role Changes

Kristen Weidler

Interim Assistant Director, Campus & Student Mail

Kristen Weidler has assumed the role of Interim Assistant Director overseeing both Campus and Student Mail. For the last seven years, Kristen’s career has evolved within Logistics from a Temporary Employee focusing on administrative duties, to Business Development & Financial Analyst, to leading our Logistics Business Operational Excellence team to now, Assistant Director.

I always say that Kristen is the engine that makes Logistics run. Without her, we would not be seen by campus leadership and our clients as the innovative organization we have become. Kristen has played a strategic part in everything we have accomplished over the last 7-8 years and there is not one unit within Logistics that she has not supported in some capacity. This is the next evolution in her career trajectory and I am pleased that she is willing to take this on. - Robbie Jacob, Director, Logistics

 Welcome New IPPSters

Kari Balcer

Travel and Entertainment Analyst

Kari began her professional career working in the hotel industry for 11 years. She drew on her hotel management experience to enhance her knowledge of multiple departments. Kari's passions are serving people and creating relationships. She also enjoys traveling and spending family time exploring different sights. Welcome Kari!

Shana DeSilva

Travel and Entertainment Analyst

As a Manager of a Real Estate/Business litigation law firm for six years, Shana successfully managed cases, clients, and company finances. Shana was born and raised in Los Angeles, but obtained her Bachelor's Degree abroad in Sweden. She is a dog enthusiast, foodie, and a travel wanderlust who loves hiking. Shana is passionate about helping people, personal growth, mental health, and social justice. Welcome Shana!