The BrownBuys Marketplace features the University’s online catalog with Strategic Suppliers*. BrownBuys is accessed through Workday by typing Connect to Supplier Website in the search bar. Shopping in BrownBuys is similar to shopping online, and offers many benefits:
- Access to multiple Strategic Suppliers, products, and centrally located catalogs. Placing an order through BrownBuys means there is no need to obtain quotes, coordinate supplier registration, or negotiate pricing because strategically negotiated contracts are in place with these suppliers for the items in the punchout catalogs
- It is easy to identify and place orders for discounted contracted items
- The prices have been negotiated based on historical and forecasted University usage
- Required approvals automatically routed in Workday
- Electronic ordering and invoicing are completed automatically in Workday eliminating the need to reconcile Pcard transactions for orders that previously would have been placed using a Pcard
- Supplier performance is monitored by Brown’s Strategic Sourcing Category Managers
BrownBuys is available to all faculty and staff. If you are new to ordering, please consult with your departmental cost center manager or department administrator to confirm the accounting information you will need to know before placing orders.
*Strategic Suppliers: This designation indicates that the University has negotiated competitive pricing and appropriate legal terms and conditions with the supplier. We are moving away from the term “Preferred Supplier” and using “Strategic Supplier” to be clear that the designation of these suppliers is not based on user preference.
The following Strategic Suppliers are live and available for processing orders in BrownBuys*:
- Agilent – lab supplies
- America To Go – catering/food
- B&H Photo Video
- BioRad – lab supplies
- CDW
- Connection – IT supplies
- Dell – IT supplies
- Fisher Scientific – lab supplies
- Genesee Scientific
- Graybar – IT supplies / industrial supplies
- Life Technologies (ThermoFisher Scientific – Invitrogen) – lab supplies
- Qiagen – lab supplies
- Sigma Aldrich – lab supplies
- VWR – lab supplies
- WB Mason – Office supplies
*Reminder – BrownBuys Punchout Orders & Remote Working: Orders should not be placed with WB Mason or other BrownBuys suppliers if no one will be on campus to receive them at the location they are being delivered to. Departments should not be contacting punchout suppliers to make special delivery arrangements, as individual requests cannot be accommodated.
Questions about BrownBuys can be directed to Purchasing@Brown.edu.
BrownBuys Training Information
Job Aids are available through Workday Learning.
SPC Provides Contracts and Procurement Virtual Open Hours monthly through Workday Learning. During these sessions, BCM and BrownBuys subject matter experts will be available to help with any questions you may have and provide assistance in using BCM. It is encouraged that attendees bring some work to the sessions. Please select this link to enroll. Nearly 400 seats are available in morning and afternoon sessions. Please check Workday for a schedule of sessions by clicking on the link above.