To Tritons. From IPPS.
Thank You for Another Great Year
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Yep, you're getting a puppy! We hope our annual video brings a bit of joy to you, our campus clients, and colleagues as we wrap up 2024 and prepare to ring in a new year together. See you in 2025.
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Thank You for Your Continued Support of IPPS!
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Kacy Marume
Director, Marketing and Client Experience
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I am honored to deliver the final opening message of the 2024 IPPS Quarterly series. I want to start by expressing my gratitude to each of you, our valued readers, for taking the time to stay informed about the latest developments within the IPPS universe. We appreciate your engagement and hope that our newsletter continues to provide you with valuable insights and interesting
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information. We also want to thank you for your ongoing participation in events and learning opportunities like Camp IPPS, Office Hours, and Hot Topics.
As we close out our 10th anniversary year, I would like to extend my appreciation to the IPPS teams for their dedication, client-centric approach, innovative spirit, and adaptability during a year of significant organizational change. The IPPS staff, affectionately known as IPPSters, have consistently demonstrated resilience and a commitment to excellence, which is deeply ingrained in our organizational culture.
As we look ahead to 2025, our focus on continuous improvement remains unwavering. We are excited to introduce system and process enhancements, such as digital gift cards and improvements to the foreign wire transfer request form. We will also be offering more training and learning opportunities and will continue to leverage artificial intelligence to drive efficiency. Additionally, we will continue to collaborate with teams like PaymentWorks, Oracle, and other higher education peers to share best practices and drive system improvements. We are also looking forward to working more closely with the broader RRSS organization to learn from others and share our expertise.
We are proud to continue supporting the outstanding work you are doing across campus, from groundbreaking research and education to our collective pursuit of equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives. Thank you for a great 2024, and we look forward to our continued partnership in 2025. Go Tritons!
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Reimagining Core Bio Services
Streamlined Access and Sustainable Solutions for UC San Diego Labs
Core Bio Services is now a part of Integrated Procure-to-Pay Solutions (IPPS) within the newly established Residential, Retail, and Supply Chain Services (RRSS) department. This transition represents a significant step in strengthening the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of the services we deliver to the lab and research communities.
By integrating Core Bio Services into the IPPS framework, we are unlocking new potential for enhanced service delivery. Core Bio Services is collaborating with Strategic Sourcing and existing supply chain experts to identify key opportunities for operational improvements. Our goal is to align with the strengths of IPPS to create a more seamless and impactful service for all clients.
Here’s what you can expect from this transition:
- On-Demand Fulfillment: New options like self-serve kiosks and same-day delivery aim to provide faster, more accessible service, empowering labs with immediate access to essential supplies
- Data-Driven Product Selection: Leveraging data insights to streamline product offerings that reflect real usage patterns, ensuring that labs have access to what they need when they need it
- Sustainable Practices: Prioritizing environmentally responsible procurement and delivery methods that support UC San Diego’s sustainability goals
It is just the beginning of our journey to reimagine Core Bio Services and better meet the evolving needs of our dynamic lab and research communities. We’re excited to share more improvements in the near future as we continue to build a service model that truly aligns with client needs and environmental goals.
Please reach out if you have questions or want more information about our services. We are grateful for your ongoing support as we work to enhance the value we deliver every day.
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Securing Our Energy Future
Key Infrastructure Agreements in 2024
The Facilities Management Procurement team has achieved significant milestones in 2024, successfully securing two critical agreements that strengthen our energy infrastructure and ensure seamless operations of our facilities.
Powering Forward with Renewed Turbine Maintenance Agreement
In a strategic move for UC San Diego's power generation capabilities, we've renewed our partnership with Solar Turbines to maintain two turbines at the Central Utilities Plant. The renewed agreement not only ensures operational reliability but also demonstrates our commitment to fiscal responsibility through smart negotiation:
- Implemented a cost control mechanism that caps annual price increases at 4% or CPI (whichever is lower)
- Successfully negotiated down from an initial 6% increase proposal
- Achieved immediate cost avoidance of $38,763 in the first year
Optimizing CNG Operations Through Strategic Partnership
Through a rigorous competitive RFP process, Clean Energy has been retained as our compressed natural gas (CNG) substation operations and maintenance provider. This partnership ensures the continued smooth operation of our substation, which serves both the UC San Diego fleet and the greater San Diego community.
The agreement brings substantial benefits:
- Maintains continuity of service with a provider who deeply understands our infrastructure
- Delivers remarkable cost efficiency with annual savings of $384,000
- Project total savings of $1.1 million over the three-year contract period
These agreements represent our ongoing commitment to maintaining robust energy infrastructure while optimizing operational costs. Through strategic negotiations and partnerships across Operations Management and Capital Programs, we continue to ensure reliable service delivery while achieving significant cost savings for the university.
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Payment Compass Retiring in Early 2025
Continue Using PaymentWorks and Transcepta
The time has come to retire Payment Compass, which will happen in early 2025. Payees will continue to register and update their information on file via PaymentWorks and will use Transcepta to submit invoices. Information about the phase-out is being communicated to both payees and campus, with more formal announcements coming in the next couple of weeks and in the new year.
We encourage payees to use PaymentWorks to maintain their profiles and check payment status. For campus, we suggest using Oracle to check payment status.
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Campus Partnership Program
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Partnerships With Purpose
2024 Recap
New CPP Team Member
The Campus Partnership Program (CPP) team is happy to report that our year started strong with successfully hiring a fully dedicated Campus Partnership Program Manager, Trisha Almado. Trisha took on this completely new role that marks a significant milestone in the program's growth and development. Since joining our team, Trisha has hit the ground running, building great relationships with our existing campus partners and laying the groundwork for future collaboration. With a strong foundation in place, the CPP is well-positioned to make a meaningful difference in the months to come.
University Credit Union
Our partnership with University Credit Union (UCU) continues to evolve and flourish, bringing valuable financial resources and opportunities to our campus community. Monisha Donaldson, Coley Curtis, and Enrique Alcantar make up the UCU Growth team at UC San Diego. The Growth team is supported by talented student ambassadors, who play a vital role in advocating for financial wellness amongst their peers.
Together this year, the UCU team delivered a multitude of financial literacy sessions to many groups across campus, empowering Tritons with essential knowledge and skills to manage their finances effectively. They also actively participated in numerous orientations and tabling events, engaging with the community and promoting their services. But what's truly impressive is that they've gone above and beyond their contractual commitments, providing sponsorships and support for various campus initiatives, such as the Camp BFS Campfire Social and Alumni Affinity Council Homecoming Mixer. Their dedication to our community is truly valued.
UCU's membership has grown over 70% since the beginning of 2024! As their membership continues to expand, they'll be able to invest in bigger and better initiatives, ultimately giving back to our students and their families, faculty, staff, alumni, and the rest of the campus in meaningful ways. We're excited to see the impact of this partnership continue to grow in the years to come!
Visit the University Credit Union for UC San Diego website or stop by the UCU Banking Hub at Price Center if you’re interested in becoming a member or if your department is interested in partnering with them!
Amazon Hub
The Amazon Hub relocated from the UC San Diego Bookstore to the Theatre District at the beginning of the year. With the significant move, the CPP team spread the word through a website update and newsletters to help Amazon maintain a strong presence at UC San Diego and attract new customers.
To further engage with the Triton community, Amazon recently participated in its first tabling event on campus, bringing a wealth of swag and freebies to share with students, faculty, and staff. The event was a huge hit, and they look forward to collaborating on many more activations and initiatives in the future.
Read more about the benefits of the Amazon hub and start using them today!
Stay Tuned for Exciting New Partnerships in 2025
The Campus Partnership Program is growing! Two new campus partners have recently joined our family, and we can't wait to share more about them. Stay tuned for future newsletters, where we'll be highlighting the ways in which they will enhance our campus experience. For now, we'll just say that they bring a refreshing wave of energy to our community, but you'll have to wait until next time to learn more!
Have a Campus Partnership Idea? Share It with Us!
Do you have a great idea for a campus partnership that could benefit our community? We want to hear from you! We're always looking for new and innovative ways to collaborate with businesses and organizations. If you have a suggestion for a potential partnership, please submit it through our online form. Your ideas can help shape the future of our campus community, and we look forward to reviewing your submissions!
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University Credit Union 2025 Scholarship
University Credit Union is offering three $5,000 scholarships to current and incoming full-time junior college, undergraduate, and graduate students who are members (or have a parent/guardian who is a member). This year's scholarships include:
- Al Aubin Advocacy and Advancement for Underrepresented Scholars Scholarship: Awarded to an applicant who has advocated for or supported underrepresented students in higher education
- Jane Permaul Women in Leadership Scholarship: Awarded to an applicant who has demonstrated leadership in eliminating barriers for women
- University Credit Union Financial Advantage Scholarship: Awarded to a student who plans to use their education to positively impact their community
The application period is open from November 4, 2024, through February 25, 2025. For more details and to apply, please visit the UCU Scholarship website.
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Concur 2.0 by the Numbers
Saves 600 Hours and 700,000 Clicks Annually
Concur 2.0 went live on April 8, 2024, and we fully deprecated the old system as of November 1, 2024. We redesigned the entire system to be more streamlined, provided better accounting code visibility, and significantly reduced the amount of time spent on both Requests and Expense Reports in Concur. Since the April launch date, we've saved our campus clients over 25 hours of work and about 345,000 clicks, equating to an annual savings of around 600 hours and 700,000 clicks!
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Trade Street Unveils Automated Conveyor System
Paving the Way for Scalable Growth
After extensive planning, our Trade Street facility is on the cusp of unveiling a state-of-the-art automated conveyor system in Receiving & Distribution. This cutting-edge technology arrives at a crucial time as our campus population continues to expand rapidly. The new conveyor's autonomous features are set to modernize our package processing capabilities, dramatically improving efficiency to meet the escalating demands of our clients. Initially, the system will
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autonomously handle packages with purchase orders on their shipping labels, which currently represent 62% of our total volume. As the system's machine learning capabilities evolve, it will progressively master the ability to process items by reading recipient names. We project that this advancement will ultimately lead to over 90% of our package volume being processed without human intervention. This innovative solution not only streamlines our operations but also positions us to seamlessly accommodate future growth, ensuring we maintain our commitment to exceptional service delivery. The implementation of this automated conveyor system marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to leverage technology for operational excellence.
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Mail Services Showcases Excellence in Package Delivery
Residential Communities Benefit from Outstanding Team Effort
The bustling residential communities at UC San Diego are witnessing an unprecedented surge in package deliveries, with the campus postal service team rising to meet growing student needs. In fiscal year 2025, the campus is projected to process an impressive 166,861 packages across its 15 residential communities.
The team has already demonstrated exceptional capabilities of successfully handling over 42,000 deliveries in just the first three weeks of the fall quarter. This notable achievement highlights the dedication of our committed staff and IPPSter volunteers, whose collaborative efforts span multiple departments. Their dedication not only keeps our delivery system running smoothly but also plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall campus experience for our diverse student community.
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Small Business & Sustainability
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Small Business Expo III 2024
UC San Diego Small Business Development Office Celebrates APEX Day
The UC San Diego Small Business Development Office (SBDO) joined small business leaders, lenders, and government agencies at the Small Business Expo III on October 24th at the Handlery Hotel in San Diego. The event united small business leaders, lenders, and government agencies, providing attendees with resources, networking opportunities, and procurement options to support and grow regional small businesses.
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Engaging Discussions & Insights
This year’s Expo marked the celebration of APEX Day, an annual initiative aimed at empowering local small businesses to leverage regional opportunities for success. Attendees were treated to a series of expert-led discussions that addressed pivotal strategies for business growth and sustainability within the San Diego area.
Support & Lending
The Expo provided a platform for businesses to connect with essential small business resource centers and specialized lenders. These organizations offered insights into accessing capital and tailored support services, critical to navigating the unique challenges faced by small enterprises.
Networking Opportunities
Representatives from the UC San Diego SBDO enjoyed connecting with fellow participants and industry leaders. The Expo's emphasis on networking allowed attendees to establish connections with peers, stakeholders, and key players in the regional small business ecosystem.
Procurement Information
One of the most valuable sessions imparted in-depth information on government contracting opportunities. Experts shared how small businesses can enter the government procurement space, understand eligibility requirements, and engage in the bidding process, opening doors to lucrative contracts.
Building a Stronger Small Business Community
The Small Business Expo III was a huge success, fostering a collaborative environment where small businesses could gain invaluable resources and guidance. The UC San Diego Small Business Development Office is committed to supporting local entrepreneurs and small businesses and looks forward to the continued success of these initiatives.
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Custom Build Furniture Program
Update Your Office
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Surplus Sales operates a sustainable Custom Build Furniture program that focuses on reutilizing modular Steelcase furniture from departments that no longer need it. We breathe new life into these pieces, making them available to departments facing budget constraints that prevent them from procuring new furniture. To contact this program, please email the Surplus Sales Custom Build Furniture team directly at surpluscustombuild@ucsd.edu.
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Surplus Sales Secondhand News
Join Our Email List to See What's "New" at Surplus Sales
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UC San Diego Surplus Sales is San Diego's resource for sustainable procurement. Our vision is to be the leading provider of sustainable and affordable surplus goods and services to the community. We help the community save money while also reducing the university's environmental footprint. On a global scale, our efforts contribute to the circular economy and the responsible stewardship of the planet's resources. Subscribe to our email list to get the latest news and updates about our products and services.
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Description: Docking station
Manufacturer: DELL
Details: Tested. Includes Charging Cable
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Search by the keyword "Holiday" to check out our Holiday Decoration stock.
Find cute and affordable decorations for this holiday season!
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New Hot Topics Announced
2025 Schedule
New Foreign Wire Transfer Form
Date: January 15, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM
Familiarize yourself with Payment Services' updated electronic foreign wire request form for both travel and non-travel wires. The form has been reconfigured to minimize errors, reduce input fields, and streamline processing. In this training, you'll learn how to submit travel wire requests and receive a detailed explanation of how to request foreign currency payments.
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Booking Travel
Date: March 12, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM
Learn How to Travel the Triton Way!
Explore all the options available through the Triton Travel program, whether you book online in Concur, over the phone with our partner agencies, or through our dedicated SWABIZ page for Southwest Airlines. These options are also available for personal travel, giving you the flexibility you need.
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Expense Reconciliation
Date: April 9, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM
This training will cover the process of expense reconciliation for UC San Diego business travel using Concur. Participants will learn how to create and submit a Travel Expense Report that is linked to an approved Travel Request. The report can include expenses such as Travel & Entertainment Card transactions, out-of-pocket costs, and payments to guest travelers. We'll review the steps for certifying and submitting the report within 45 days of the trip’s conclusion, in compliance with UC Travel Policy.
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Kristen Weidler
By Ayaka Ikeda
I'm excited to shine a spotlight on Kristen Weidler, our Associate Director of Logistics, whose journey at UC San Diego began before her graduation in 2014 with double degrees in Biology and Psychology. Kristen was a student employee at Roger’s Market in Revelle, and after graduating, she joined UC San Diego's temporary pool.
Even though she studied STEM in college, her natural interest was business and finance. Her adaptability and eagerness to learn propelled her through various roles within the university - from administrative operations to finance, business development, and data analytics, before expanding into project management. As Associate Director, she oversees multiple critical teams, including Campus and Student Mail services, Passports, Moving Services, Surplus Sales, and the Logistics Business Operational Excellence team. Her role encompasses team supervision, financial management, strategic planning, and business development. Kristen particularly enjoys the mentorship aspect of her position, engaging in one-on-one sessions with her team members to ensure each unit meets its goals and initiatives.
When asked about bridging the gap between her science background and current role, Kristen shared an interesting perspective: her biology and psychology degrees proved unexpectedly valuable in IPPS, particularly in understanding laboratory equipment and connecting with scientific staff across campus. While much of her expertise was developed through hands-on experience, Kristen has consistently invested in her professional growth, earning a Finance Certificate from UC San Diego, completing Project Management Bootcamp, and achieving Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification. Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Operations Management at the University of Arkansas, she believes in balancing practical experience with formal education.
Throughout her career, Kristen has spearheaded several significant initiatives, including comprehensive Recharge Rate Reviews that revitalized Logistics' service pricing models and successfully implemented a Last Mile Dashboard, which optimized package delivery incentive reconciliation. One of her proudest achievements has been managing the expansion of The Trove locker program, which began during COVID and has since grown to multiple campus locations, including Revelle. Looking ahead, Kristen is particularly excited about the strategic planning she's implementing for Surplus Sales, applying concepts from her Master's studies to develop comprehensive mission and vision statements, conduct cultural and SWOT analyses, and establish measurable goals. Her approach to business planning is methodical and purpose-driven, ensuring that each initiative is grounded in solid business principles and contributes meaningfully to organizational success.
Beyond her professional achievements, Kristen maintains an active lifestyle that began with her years playing club and high school soccer - a passion she continues today as a member of a soccer league every Sunday. As a Bay Area native and a devoted 49ers fan, and occasionally attends San Diego Wave matches. This year marked a noteworthy milestone as she participated in her first San Diego Pride parade in Hillcrest, an experience she describes as authentic, liberating, and meaningful. Drawing from her own post-college challenges, Kristen has become a dedicated mentor, particularly passionate about supporting women, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented individuals in the workplace. She openly welcomes conversations about everything from resume building to interview preparation and personal growth, channeling her experience into helping others navigate their career paths and thrive with fulfilled lives. Her commitment to nurturing talent extends to student retention, where she actively advocates for creating pathways for student employees to transition into contract or temporary positions, helping to bridge the gap between academic and professional life.
From her early days as a student to her current role as Associate Director of Logistics, Kristen's journey showcases the power of continuous learning and adaptability. Her unique combination of academic knowledge, hands-on experience, and ongoing passion for social justice enables her to excel in both the technical and leadership aspects of her work. Whether implementing innovative logistics solutions or mentoring emerging professionals, she brings the same dedication to everything she does. Kristen's story reminds us that while career paths aren't always linear, a commitment to growth and giving back can lead to meaningful success.
Check out the IPPSter Spotlight Archives for more articles like this.
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