ANTS - Monthly Reports and Letters

Introduction: Once a month, reports based on dates are pulled and letters are generated based on date and vendor criterion. This is necessary to track the status of awards as well as track the process of the renewal letters. Note: U Stores Buyer has separate procedures. See the end of this document.

  1. Pull and Print Master Report by Date Range. The Master Report is used by Files to track which letters have been sent and received.
    1. Open ANTS
    2. Click on Expiration Preview by Date Button
    3. Enter a Range of Dates to search for Awards Expiring (or pull date) in that range.
    4. Enter the 1st date ie: 06/01/2001 (typically the 1st day of the month) **Remember to key the year as four digits. ie: 2001
    5. Click OK
    6. Enter the 2nd date ie: 06/30/2001 (typically the last day of the month) **Remember to key the year as four digits. ie: 2001
    7. Click OK
    8. Leave the Area box blank
    9. Click OK
    10. Leave the Buyer box blank
    11. Click OK
    12. Print out report
    13. Review for any Special Comments in the Renewal Issues column for any special instructions.
    14. Write on the printed report the date range used to pull the Master Report at the top left corner under Criteria Used

  2. Pull and print department letters by Date Range. This report generates letters to departments for any Awards that have a pull date within the date range requested. Use the same date range that was used to generate the Master Report for the month. ANTS pulls information from the Award Notice records and merges it with the form letter. These letters notify departments that their Award (contract) is due to expire soon and will need action soon.
    EXCEPTION: Any letters for U Stores Buyer should be printed, but NOT mailed. Put them in the U Stores Buyer mail slot. U Stores has their own tracking system so ANTS letters would be duplicates.

    1. Click on the 1st button under Department that looks like a letter
    2. Enter the 1st date ie: 05/31/2001 (typically the last day of the previous month) **Remember to key the year as four digits. ie: 2001
    3. Click OK
    4. Enter the 2nd date ie: 07/01/2001 (typically the first day of the next month) **Remember to key the year as four digits. ie: 2001
    5. Click OK
    6. Leave the Area box blank
    7. Click OK
    8. Leave the Buyer box blank
    9. Click OK
    10. Print out the department letters

  3. Departmental Letter Process
    1. Check the letters printed against the report for any discrepancies. Report any discrepancies to the PA and they will research the problem.
    2. Write the number of renewal options remaining for award on the Master report. If the number of options to renew is blank, have the PA research the problem and provide the required data.
    3. If there are no renewal options left:
    4. Fax the departmental letters to the corresponding departments and file the copies in the RX folder.
    5. Enter the date the departmental letters were faxed on the Master report.
    6. Keep the original letters with the Master Report and wait for the responses.
    7. If the department doesn't respond within 2 weeks, pull the filed original letter and send a 2nd Notice. Stamp Department Letter with "SECOND REQUEST" stamp and re-fax. Update the Master report with the second date. If no response is received after the 2nd 2 week period, bring the Original letter to the buyer for further action.

  4. To print a single 1st request
    1. Click on the 1st button under Department that looks like a letter (NOTE: 2nd Notice button is not functional.)
    2. Refer to the Master report to get the information about the specific award number.
    3. Enter the expiration date from the award for the 1st and 2nd date boxes that pop up.
    4. Click OK after each instance
    5. Enter the Buyer for the specific award. Be sure to spell the Buyer name correctly or there may be errors.
    6. Enter the specific Area from the award notice. This will bring up a small grouping of letters for the delinquent department.
    7. Print the letters and send them to the appropriate department.
    8. Write the date of the 1st request on the Master report.

  5. Receiving Department Letters
    1. Check to see what the response is on the departmental letter.
    2. If the department response says NO, then write "Dept No" on the Master report after the departmental contact field.
    3. File the NO responses with the original award.
    4. If the department response says YES, then write "Dept Yes" on Master report after the departmental contact field.

  6. Vendor Letters - The Vendor Letters are sent to vendors after the department has indicated they wish to renew the Award AND there are available options to renew the Award. Refer to the Master Report to find those Awards that are candidates for a Vendor Letter.
    1. Click on the 1st Vendor Button that looks like a letter. (NOTE: 2nd Notice button is not functional)
    2. Enter award number, leave out the area number.
    3. Print the letter - These are printed individually, not as a batch.
    4. Fax mail the letter to the vendor. (Use the mail only if you have to)
    5. Write on the Master report when the Vendor letter was sent. File the original letters in the RX folder.
    6. If after two weeks there is no response from the vendor, pull the origianl letter and stamp letter with "SECOND REQUEST" stamp, re-fax the letter and update the Master Report with the date of the 2nd Request.
    7. Once the vendor letter is returned, the Award can be crossed off the Master Report. If no response is received after the 2nd request, give the letter to the Buyer, note as such on the Master Report, and cross off the Award.
    8. By end of the month, or so, there should not be any open lines, if there are, research any open lines.

  7. Receiving Vendor Responses to the Vendor Letters
    1. Match the Original Vendor letter with the RX folder and give all to the buyer. The departmental response letter will already be filed in the folder.
    2. Buyer will write up information for the Change Order to renew.

    3. The Purchasing Assistant will complete the renewal based on the Buyer's instructions. Typically that means doing a Change Order in ANTS and updating the tracking information.
  8. File finished Master reports by month and keep for one year

U Store Tracking Process:

Stores already has a tracking process for their own awards. The U Stores Buyer also does awards for departments other than stores that will also need to be tracked.

For both Stores awards and NON-store awards, the U Stores Buyer will provide the tracking information on requisitions as they are processed. The Buyer will update this information as contacts are renewed.

For NON-Stores Orders, the U Stores Buyer will sign the letters the same as described above for other buyers and letters will be forwarded to the department.

For Stores Orders, letters will be printed, but not mailed out. Just give the stack to the U Stores Buyer who will have the "Dept Response" - Yes, No, etc., completed and return the completed department letters to Files.

Files will log responses to department letters for non-stores departments on the Master Report and proceed with the vendor letters as described above.

Files will log the U Stores Buyer responses on the Master Report, and proceed with vendor letters as described above.

Basically, the only difference between Stores letters and NON-Stores letters is that the non-stores letters are mailed out and the Stores letters will be held here for the U Stores Buyer to review and complete.

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Last Revised: October 24, 2001
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