To: Katalin
Voros, Operations Manager
Subject: 2007 Year-End Report
Date: 18 January 2008
As the Procurement Manager for the Microlab, my
responsibilities include:
Other duties include
The
following report summarizes activities in these areas.
During fiscal year 2006/2007, an
average of 210 orders per month were placed with an average monthly expenditure
of $143K. This represents a 9% increase in dollar volume purchased over the
same period in fiscal year 2005/2006. Inventory purchases and purchasing in
support of equipment and facilities upgrades and repairs were the focus of our
activity.
Projects/equipment included:
·
Installation of new 2 Centura chambers,
·
Significant equipment development/repair of the following:
asml, edwards, edwardseb3, heatpulses, iondep, lams including Envision upgrade
to lam5, piii, svgcoat3, technics-c (replaced), tylan8, tystar15 and uvbake,
·
Upgrade LN lines, added lines to 1st floor that
measure flow to other research labs in order to measure and recharge for use,
·
Relocated Device Characterization Lab to 490 Cory – N2 and
vacuum facilities added,
·
Assist with Prof. Javey’s laboratory development,
·
Room 145 reconfigured to share space with Prof. Nguyen,
·
EE143 teaching laboratory – purchasing and equipment
maintenance support.
The purchasing team carefully monitors
inventory levels and evaluates alternate sources whenever possible to hold
costs down. E-Bay continues to be an excellent source for both new and used
parts and has introduced us, through their listings, to several used equipment
and parts vendors. This year we have purchased power supplies, equipment meters
and gauges, vacuum pumps and parts, mass flow controllers and computer parts,
especially for older systems, from sources on E-Bay.
During fiscal year 2006/07 we
continued to see significant activity and expenditures in vacuum pump and
mechanical compressor repairs. The Microlab has over 120 vacuum pumps comprised
of turbopumps, cryopumps and cryocompressors - a variety of makes and models -
on systems in the lab. A vacuum pump database, created in 2007 and maintained
by the technical staff, tracks repairs in order to analyze and control our
expenditures in this area. Pump rebuild costs were reduced during this period
through the use of alternate pump refurbishers.
In addition to purchasing, I assisted
professors, graduate students, other universities and industrial members in
sourcing specialized items and in specifying the logistics and arranging for
the transport of high value equipment.
Effective April 1, 2007, U.C. Berkeley Procurement Services increased
the low value purchase authorization (LVPA) for campus departmental buyers from
$2500 to $4999 per transaction. As a result of this increase, UC also
authorized BluCard (VISA credit card) limit increases to $4999.99 per
transaction. These increases have enabled Microlab and Machine Shop purchasing
staff to respond to urgent repair and parts requests, in this value range, in a
more timely manner.
In January 2007 I was invited by
Cathy Jen (Engineering Research Support Organization (ERSO) Business Services
Deputy Director) and Cynthia Weekley (ERSO Human Resources Director) to
participate in the selection of a Buyer IV for ERSO. The selection panel
interviewed and evaluated several candidates and hired Jeanette Witt who joined
ERSO on April 30, 2007. Jeanette is responsible for placing all high value ERSO
orders (over $4999), including those for the Microlab.
In August 2007 Bill Flounders,
Microlab Technology Manager, began the process of procuring of an electron beam
lithography system valued at $1.2M. After comparison of systems, Bill
identified a model from Crestec Corporation in Japan and wrote a sole source
justification for its purchase. Funds from 13 professors in the departments of
Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering were identified and verified
as acceptable for the purchase of capital equipment.
I acted as the liaison with
various U.C. Berkeley offices: Procurement Services – Purchasing and Business
Contracts, Sponsored Projects Office, Extramural Funds Accounting and
Disbursements, and with Crestec Corporation, in arranging all details of the
Crestec ebeam system purchase.
After discussion and revision of several contract versions, Bill
Flounders, Brian Donohue of UCB Business Contracts and Hideyuki Ohyi, the
President of Crestec, approved 2
documents, a Terms and Conditions Agreement and Microfabrication Laboratory Use
Agreement, which were incorporated into the purchase order. In December 2007 an
initial payment was made; delivery of the system is expected the first week of
February 2008.
The database of cleanroom items,
chemicals and technical staff supplies currently contains 1700 items in 60
categories. Lab materials and chemicals, frequently accessed hardware and
plumbing parts and equipment repair parts with long leadtimes are stocked
on-site. The majority of equipment repair parts are ordered on a just-in-time
basis. Periodically we evaluate our current sources and items; we add items
required for new equipment processes and repairs, and research better pricing
for existing items.
Student staff does periodic inventory counting to ensure correct
inventory quantities, while the purchasing staff expedites reorders of depleted
inventory items. Stock reorder levels
are adjusted as changing needs require and budgetary limitations dictate.
Microlab student employees and administrative staff members
assist 315+ graduate/post graduate researchers and industrial researchers with
a variety of questions related to Microlab policy and operating procedures,
with inventory checkouts, equipment and safety tests and new account setup.
Adrienne and I provide supervision and guidance to 2 Microlab student employees
who perform the receptionist/customer service position 24 hours/week. Adrienne
performs these duties in their absence. I maintain a close proximity to our
reception staff where I can monitor and advise regarding information provided
to lab members.
In addition to my customer service duties, I was responsible for the
administrative support of 10 student employees and equipment donation gift
processing.
Adrienne Ruff is responsible for
ordering Microlab inventoried items (chemicals, lab materials, cleanroom
garments, hardware and fittings) which appear on our daily Low Inventory
Report. In addition, she purchases office supplies, and items requested by
technical staff and acts as backup to Machine Shop purchasing when Nancy
Peshette is out. Adrienne is responsible for inventory in 3 storage locations
and supervises the counting and organization of those areas. She interfaces
with other campus units for which she prepares travel and entertainment
reimbursements, telecommunications requests and printed stationary and business
card requests. Adrienne processes lab credits requested by lab members, uses
the CADSWeb Gift Management Module for check deposits for Berkeley Microlab
Affiliate membership payments and coordinates the monthly orientation course
registration. Adrienne also acts as my backup when I am away from the office.
Nancy Peshette works for both the Machine Shop and the Microlab. I
provide guidance with her purchasing duties for the Machine Shop where she is
responsible for ordering and storekeeping inventoried items and materials for
specific jobs. Nancy came to U.C. Berkeley with a working knowledge of machine
shop supply sources and purchasing. She works independently and with high
accuracy in completing her duties.
Staff Development
I continue to attend classes to update my campus training as an
Ergonomics Evaluator. The University renewed the Computer Ergonomics Matching
Funds Program for 2006-07 offering up to $500 per employee in matching funds to
modify computer workstations and purchase new chairs. The Microlab has been
reimbursed for 50% of ergonomic expenditures through this program over the past
3 years.
The Microlab purchasing staff increased its overall monetary
purchasing volume by 9% in 2006/2007 as we continue to support equipment and facilities.
Purchasing of inventoried items, and parts for equipment and facilities repairs
and upgrades created a steady flow of purchasing activity. For next year, we
will continue to evaluate ways of cutting costs while maintaining the high
quality parts and supplies necessary for supporting a semiconductor laboratory.
We will also continue to work with several vacuum pumps repair vendors in order
to determine the most advantageous way of managing this significant
expenditure.