Procurement Pulse - March 2026
Procurement Pulse
Volume 2, Issue 2 | From the Office of Procurement and Contract Management
Publication Date: March 2026
From the Office of Procurement and Contract Management
System Workflow Approvals
Why Approvals Must Happen in JAGGAER — and Why Bypassing Them Should Be RareJAGGAER is Minnesota State’s approved e-procurement system for purchasing and sourcing activities. While there are limited circumstances where approvals may need to occur outside the system, bypassing approvals in JAGGAER should be the exception — not the norm.
Approvals within the system are not administrative hurdles; they are essential controls that protect the institution, the buyer, and the approver.
Why approvals must occur in JAGGAER
Audit controls and defensibility
JAGGAER generates a reliable audit trail documenting who approved a transaction, when it occurred, what was approved, and whether required steps were completed in the correct order. Approvals occurring outside the system cannot be reliably validated during audits.
Visibility to all required approvers
Workflow routing ensures approvals reach the correct individuals based on role, threshold, and procurement type. Approvers can see prior approvals and documentation, reducing rework and delays.
Segregation of duties
The system enforces separation between requestors, buyers, approvers, and contract reviewers—an essential internal control protecting the institution.
Consistency across campuses
Using the system ensures procurement policies are applied consistently across Minnesota State institutions.
Data integrity and reporting
Procurement data from JAGGAER supports spend analysis, supplier management, audit responses, and compliance reporting. Approvals outside the system break the data chain.
When bypassing approvals is acceptable
- System outages
- Urgent operational emergencies
- Situations explicitly approved by Procurement and Contract Management
In these situations, documentation and reconciliation in JAGGAER must occur afterward.
Find Suppliers Meeting Specific Requirements
Introducing the Procurement Market Research SolutionSelecting the right procurement approach starts with understanding the market. The Office of Procurement and Contract Management has developed a Market Research solution to help campuses identify potential suppliers before pursuing single-source requests or competitive solicitations.
What this solution does
Users submit mandatory requirements (what the solution must do) and preferred requirements (what would add value). Procurement then conducts structured research using publicly available sources to identify suppliers capable of meeting those needs.
The result is a comprehensive Procurement Market Research Report summarizing market conditions, supplier capabilities, and sourcing recommendations.
What the research delivers
- Procurement-ready interpretation of requirements
- Market landscape overview
- Supplier capability analysis
- Single-source defensibility assessment
- Procurement risk analysis
- Recommended next steps
In a recent example evaluating Public Safety Training and Certification Management Software, the research identified multiple viable suppliers and concluded that single-source procurement was not defensible, recommending a competitive sourcing event instead.
Why this matters
- Avoid unsupported single-source requests
- Develop clearer, performance-based requirements
- Strengthen audit defensibility
- Reduce procurement risk
- Accelerate sourcing decisions with evidence
How to request market research
Submit requirements using the Market Research Intake Form:
Information Beat
Zero-Dollar Contracts
What information to include in a requestA zero-dollar contract typically applies to agreements such as clinical placements or campus parking arrangements. When submitting a ticket request to add a zero-dollar vendor to Marketplace, please include the following information to help ensure the registration can be completed efficiently:
- Vendor name
- Vendor address
- Contact name, if applicable
- Contact job title, if applicable
- Phone number and email address (helpful but not required)
- Website address, if the individual or organization has one
Why Complete Information Matters
Faster registration and fewer follow-upsProviding complete vendor information up front helps reduce follow-up questions, improves processing efficiency, and supports cleaner vendor setup in Marketplace.
Use this checklist whenever you submit a request involving a zero-dollar arrangement so Procurement can review and register the vendor as efficiently as possible.
Inside Workday Procurement
Sourcing Sync
Procurement Month at Minnesota State
A month of pride, purpose, and profound influenceEvery March, Minnesota State recognizes the dedicated procurement professionals who help ensure public resources are managed responsibly, ethically, and efficiently. Across our campuses and the system office, procurement professionals strengthen public trust, support local economies, advance innovation, and reinforce the Board of Trustees' commitment to governance excellence.
This month, we honor the procurement professionals working behind the scenes whose efforts shape outcomes that affect millions. You are connectors, problem-solvers, and stewards of the public trust. Your work strengthens Minnesota State and the communities we serve.
Procurement Month Observations
Governor Tim Walz has issued a proclamation declaring the month of March as Procurement Month in the State of Minnesota. Minnesota State will formally observe Procurement Month at the March Board meeting, and procurement professionals may also use the recognition template for their records.
Celebrate Procurement Month
Recognition, reflection, and professional growth- Acknowledge the hard work and accomplishments of your procurement team on campus.
- Participate in professional development opportunities, such as the NAEP EPIC Conference and free webinars.
- Subscribe to or join a national procurement organization, such as MNNIGP, NAEP, or PPA.
- Reflect on your procurement processes and identify opportunities for improvement.
Using Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Your Solicitation
A practical way to strengthen drafting, analysis, and supplier outreachProcurement professionals are not experts in every industry or expenditure category, which can make it difficult to understand all of the specifications, certifications, parts, and questions needed to support staff and faculty requests. Developing solicitation materials can be time-consuming, overwhelming, and resource-intensive.
Microsoft Copilot can help streamline this work. Copilot is the OGC-approved Microsoft O365 AI application currently available to campuses through the Bing browser.
Copilot can help analyze prior solutions, identify cost-saving opportunities, generate solicitation content, tailor language to the institution’s needs, improve accuracy, suggest suppliers to invite, and reduce compliance risk. Used appropriately, it can free staff to spend more time on strategic decision-making.
Suggested ways to use Copilot
- Draft specifications, deliverables, timelines, evaluation criteria, and cost breakdowns.
- Summarize technical specifications in plain language.
- Insert compliance language for privacy, FERPA, accessibility, and cybersecurity.
- Create scoring rubrics and flag items that may require an addendum.
- Identify potentially exclusionary language and recommend function-based requirements.
- Suggest suppliers, including diverse suppliers, that may fit the need.
AI Prompts Across the Solicitation Lifecycle
From market research to post-award transition planningExamples for drafting and evaluation
- Generate specifications for a solicitation for a specific service or product.
- Develop vendor questions based on scope and requirements.
- Create a scoring rubric with weights.
- Identify project risks, budget ranges, and information suppliers need to quote effectively.
Examples for managing the solicitation
- Create supplier engagement agendas and demo scripts.
- Draft responses to vendor clarification questions.
- Develop interview agendas and meeting introductions.
- Position sourcing goals in ways that encourage innovation.
Examples for post-award and transition
- Create negotiation strategies for pre-award supplier meetings.
- Draft kickoff agendas with roles, metrics, and reporting cadences.
- Develop transition plans for onboarding, migration, training, and acceptance testing.
- Identify implementation and contingency-planning questions before contract award.
Additional support:
- Reference Minnesota State’s Generative Artificial Intelligence guidance document.
- Submit a ticket to Minnesota State IT for technical questions related to generative AI.
- Join the NED Generative AI Community to connect and collaborate with peers.
Sourcing Radar
Open sourcing activity and newly awarded master contracts.
Newly Awarded Master Contracts
Recently executed agreements available for campus useCommonLook Awarded
Purpose: Solution supporting the Title II accessibility requirements mandate.
- Vendor: Carahsoft
- Contract No.: MNSCU-2026-058892
- Term: 1 year
Sourcing Events in Progress
Active solicitations and evaluation activitySupplier Diversity
Building New Partnerships Through SADBOC
How one connection created a win-win outcomeEach year, the Small and Disadvantaged Business Opportunities Council (SADBOC) hosts a government procurement fair designed to connect small, diverse, and emerging businesses with public agencies and prime contractors. Sponsored by the Federal Executive Board's SADBOC, the event supports supplier diversity by opening doors to historically underrepresented firms.
Staff from the Minnesota State Facilities Design and Construction team attended the 2025 SADBOC Government Procurement Fair and met Khalid Omar, owner of Shini Cleaning LLC, a growing firm offering services that include construction final cleaning.
At the time, the Facilities team was preparing for completion of the system office remodel and wanted a thorough deep clean before staff moved into the new space. Because the anticipated contract value was under $25,000, the system office had flexibility to work directly with a small business to scope the work and keep the project within budget.
Khalid proved to be a collaborative partner from the beginning, helping refine the scope, adjust approaches, and balance cost with results. Once awarded the work, Shini Cleaning delivered ahead of schedule, on budget, and with high quality and safety.
The Facilities team would gladly partner with Shini Cleaning again. This relationship did not happen by accident—it came from intentionally showing up at SADBOC, meeting new vendors, and being open to new partnerships.
Join Us at the 27th Annual SADBOC Government Procurement Fair
Date: April 9
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Earle Brown Center, Brooklyn Center
Why attend?
- Build relationships with small, diverse, and emerging vendors
- Support supplier diversity across Minnesota State
- Learn more about procurement practices, contracting, and market opportunities
- Network with other agencies, institutions, and community partners
If you are interested in attending or volunteering at the event, please reach out to the Procurement Office. Suppliers interested in participating can also register for the event.
Honoring Women in Business
Celebrating partnership and impact during the system office remodelIn honor of Women's History Month, Minnesota State is proud to highlight its partnership with Image360, a woman-owned small business that played a meaningful role in the successful remodel of the system office at Wells Fargo Place.
From September 2024 through July 2025, the system office underwent a significant remodel. Because the landlord solicited, contracted, and managed the larger construction project, Minnesota State had limited opportunities to directly target diverse suppliers. One of those opportunities was signage.
To maximize participation from diverse suppliers, the signage work was intentionally divided into three packages:
- Design
- Furnish and install code signs
- Furnish and install room and wayfinding signs
Image360 was awarded the design package and spent approximately three months collaborating with the project team and Communications and Marketing to develop a cohesive signage program. Using a sheltered market approach, bids were then requested from two diverse suppliers for the remaining work.
Image360 received Package 2, and another diverse supplier initially received Package 3. When that supplier later encountered fabrication issues and withdrew, Image360 stepped in on short notice and successfully completed Package 3 as well. The total value of the three signage packages was approximately $27,000.
After construction, the team also needed a mosaic art wall outside the new Board of Trustees room representing all 33 Minnesota State institutions. When the original vendor could not meet the timeline, Image360 again stepped in—designing, manufacturing, and installing the wall within weeks at roughly half the original cost. This additional work totaled approximately $12,000.
This partnership reflects Minnesota State's commitment to supporting women-owned businesses and strengthening supplier diversity across the system.
We are collecting stories that reflect meaningful engagement with the supplier diversity program throughout Minnesota State. If you or your team has a story to share, we encourage you to submit it to the Procurement Office.
Marketplace Administration
Starting a Contract Amendment
What to expect when you select “Amend”The amendment process begins after selecting “Amend” from the Contract Actions menu within a contract record.
In the initial Amend Contract window, the system may notify you that field configurations have changed since the original contract was created. This occurs when the Procurement team has updated custom fields or administrative settings after the contract was originally established. This notification is expected and will not affect the contract template or amendment functionality.
The same screen also asks whether you would like to include the latest attachment versions. This option helps ensure approvers can easily reference the original contract documents. However, including the latest attachments in the amendment does not mean they must be sent out for signature.
If attachments are included but should not be sent out with the amendment, open the Actions menu for the specific attachment within the Attachments tab and change the setting so the attachment does not print with the full contract.
Using an Amendment Template
How to switch from the full contract to an amendment templateIncluding the latest attachments only brings forward the previous contract PDF and does not automatically change the main document to an amendment template. If you need to use an amendment template instead of the original services contract template, a few additional steps are required.
- Navigate to the Attachments page.
- Check whether the current Main Document is a full services contract.
- The Main Document is indicated by the crown icon in the print order column.
- If necessary, select Unassign as Main Document or delete the document from the Actions menu.
Once there is no Main Document assigned, the system will allow you to upload a new Main Document. At that point, select Use a Template to choose from one of the Marketplace amendment templates.
Procurement Planner
Minnesota State Professional Development Opportunities
April professional opportunitiesApril 9 at 10:00 AM
OGC Webinar on AI Clauses in Software Contracts
April 9 at 1:30 PM
April 9 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Annual SADBOC Government Procurement Fair at the Earle Brown Center (Register)
External Professional Development Opportunities
Shared for awareness and explorationNote: The following opportunities are shared for informational purposes. Content may or may not directly apply to Minnesota State. For applicability questions, please contact the Procurement and Contract Management team through the Service Desk: Search - Marketplace (minnstate.edu)
Center for Procurement Excellence – The RFP Doctor
- March 19 – A Primer on Alternative Delivery
- April 16 – Looking Deeper into the Supply Chain
- Effective Evaluations
- Market Intelligence for Public Procurement
- Navigating Post-Award Supplier Debriefs
- Navigating Recruitment Challenges in Public Procurement
- Supplier Inclusion Program Strategies New Programs
Stay Connected
Questions or Ideas? Email us at procurement@minnstate.edu.
Resource Hub: Access policies, templates, and training materials on our Procurement Community Site (internal employee access only).
Suggest a Topic: What would you like to see in future editions? Share your feedback at procurement@minnstate.edu.
Thank you for being part of Minnesota State's procurement community. Together, we are building a more efficient, equitable, and resilient supply chain that reflects the diversity of our students and communities. Stay tuned for our next edition in April 2026.