MEMORANDUM

To: Responsible Parties for Supply Accounts

From: Jim Houston

Director of Purchasing

Date: 10-30-01

RE: New E-Commerce Process for Ordering Office Supplies

The Stores Department has entered a primary vendor agreement with Staples, Inc. to provide office supplies to the campus under the state contract. You or your designated representative will be able to order supplies electronically through the Staples Business Advantage program, and your order will be delivered by Receiving and Stores the next morning. Since this will eliminate the need to maintain a stock of office supplies at the Stores Warehouse, you will no longer be charged a Stores markup on your orders. You will pay only the actual state contract price for your supplies.

I am sure all of you are familiar with Staples, Inc., the company that originated the office superstore concept. The StaplesLink.com Internet ordering site is state of the art and ensures full access to customer pricing, inventory availability and order status.

This system will be the primary means for acquiring office supplies for the campus. The Stores Department will have a mechanism in place to respond to emergency needs where materials pick up on the same day is required. However, in all instances state statutes require use of the state contract sources. Departments will be encouraged to utilize the Staples system exclusively due to its ease, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

We anticipate implementation of this new system on or about January 1, 2002. Training opportunities for the system will be provided in December. At this point, for control purposes, we request that you identify the persons in your area who will be authorized to place supply orders on the attached accounts. For each of the individuals authorized please include their name, email address, delivery address (building and room number), and telephone number on the attached form. If multiple persons will be authorized, just make additional copies of the form. Should any of the individuals identified leave University employment or be transferred from your department, please inform the system administrator in the Stores Department. Should new accounts be assigned to your area of responsibility in the future, please call the Stores systems administrator, and those can be set up for you. If you will require any internal request approval process, be sure to identify the hierarchy. Please return this form no later than November 16, 2001, to the Stores Department System Administrator. We look forward to working with you in this new and exciting venture. Please do not hesitate to call me if there are questions.