Aloha eBUYS FAQs
Vendor And Buyer Frequently Asked Questions Can Be Found Here
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Frequently Asked Questions: Vendors
Have Questions? We are here to help.
What is Aloha eBUYS?
The vision of Aloha eBUYS is, to deploy a best-in-class integrated eProcurement solution that provides streamlined State processes, resulting in improved efficiencies, compliance, and transparency.
Will State Agencies and Jurisdictions be mandated to use Aloha eBUYS?
Once government entities are onboarded to the Program, they will need to initiate their PL & VL purchases through the Aloha eBUYS software.
Are nonprofit organizations or private schools able to use State of Hawai'i contracts?
Please use this link to access the list of nonprofit organizations that are qualified to participate in Cooperative Purchasing with the State of Hawai'i.
Will Aloha eBUYS be the only solution for State Agencies and Jurisdictions to place orders?
The goal is for all buyers that use SPO PL & VL contracts to utilize Aloha eBUYS to initiate their purchases.
Are customers buying from Aloha eBUYS or from individual vendors?
State Agencies and Jurisdictions will buy from contracted vendors through Aloha eBUYS.
Will the Aloha eBUYS platform allow punchouts?
Yes, Aloha eBUYS will allow for internally hosted catalogs or vendor-hosted punchout sites.
Will Aloha eBUYS allow authorized dealers?
Yes. Authorized dealer participation is supported by the Aloha eBUYS Program.
Can buyers compare products from different vendors in the Aloha eBUYS Marketplace?
Yes. The Aloha eBUYS Marketplace allows for price comparison across multiple catalogs.
What if my contract has custom items and services?
If the State of Hawai'i mandates the inclusion of your contract in the Aloha eBUYS Marketplace, Periscope will work with the vendor to properly feature the goods and services under contract. Our Catalog Implementation Team excels at collaborating with vendors offering non-typical catalog products/services, ensuring the representation of your statewide contract in the Marketplace will increase visibility to all Hawai’i government entities.
Will Aloha eBUYS integrate with vendor inventory management and CRM solutions?
Supplier inventory is not managed through Aloha eBUYS. Integrations to participating vendor punchout (ecommerce) platforms is available through the Aloha eBUYS Program.
Are demos of the Aloha eBUYS Marketplace available?
A demo of Periscope's Marketplace software can be requested. Additional training and webinars will also demonstrate the Aloha eBUYS Marketplace.
Can one vendor contract have both a catalog and a punchout?
Each vendor contract can either have a catalog or punchout, but not both.
Can my Aloha eBUYS hosted catalog be changed on demand?
Your Aloha eBUYS hosted catalog can be changed as needed within the scope and terms and conditions of your contract, which will require formal SPO approval.
What is a Vendor Collected Administrative Fee (VCAF)?
VCAF's to fund procurement operations, cooperative programs, and systems are common across the U.S. These fees are a way to modernize the procurement operations and sourcing experience for buyers, as well as improve services to the vendor community. Vendors paying the 1.5% fee will be able to load their catalogs of products or services for searching and ordering by eligible government entities in the Aloha eBUYS Marketplace. Many of those vendors can also benefit from promotional campaigns to public sector buyers and assistance with reporting and remittance requirements.ar
What is the VCAF %?
The fee is 1.5% based on gross purchases that have been invoiced, less any credits, taxes, regulatory fees, and separately stated shipping charges not included in unit prices, procured on, or utilizing pricing and/or other terms of this Contract, regardless of the purchase process.
Can I negotiate the 1.5% VCAF?
To ensure equity and fairness for all vendors, the 1.5% fee is being applied consistently across all PL & VL contracted vendors.
Is the 1.5% VCAF due retrospectively?
Fees will be assessed on sales occurring after the full execution date of your company's Aloha eBUYS Participating Addendum (PA) or PA Amendment.
Are all sales under the VCAF participating contract subject to the 1.5% fee or just sales made through Aloha eBUYS?
All sales made under the contract that include Aloha eBUYS VCAF terms and conditions, are subject to the reporting and remittance requirements of the VCAF Program.
Is the VCAF paid directly to Periscope?
Yes. VCAF reporting and remittance is administered by Periscope on behalf of the State of Hawai’i.
Can the VCAF be paid by credit card?
No. Payment methods will include ACH and paper check options.
Can I reflect the 1.5% VCAF as a separate price line on my contract and/or invoices?
No, all expenses for doing business must be worked into your contract pricing.
Must separate reports be submitted for sales done through Aloha eBUYS and outside of Aloha eBUYS?
No, one sales report will be submitted for all sales (State and County) made under your contract.
Is the Aloha eBUYS Program VCAF mandatory?
The State is mandating participation for all eligible price list and vendor list contract holders.
What is a price list and vendor list contract (PL & VL)?
The SPO procures and manages price list and vendor list contracts on behalf of Executive branch agencies, and any of the other twenty-one chief procurement officer (CPO) jurisdictions, including the Judiciary and the Legislative branches and the counties that agreed to participate in the contracts issued by the SPO. Participating jurisdictions and agencies benefit by obtaining price discounts and other leveraged concessions through volume purchases. In addition, there are the efficiency savings – the administrative, procurement and contract management realized by each agency or jurisdiction, rather than having to solicit individual contracts, resulting in multiple contracts for the same commodity or service. Instead, these processes are managed by the SPO, and all participating jurisdictions and agencies are the beneficiaries of cooperative purchasing.
Will NASPO Fees still be required?
Yes. Any fee collected by NASPO itself is not impacted by the Aloha eBUYS VCAF. Many NASPO participating states charge a separate state-specific fee. Vendors are expected to manage both fee requirements separately.
If my contract utilizes authorized dealers, are those dealers responsible for reporting and paying the VCAF?
No. The prime contractor on each contract is responsible for reporting and paying the VCAF on all sales made under their contract, regardless of whether that sale was made by an authorized dealer under the contract.
How do I know which contract the VCAF Amendment is amending?
Your State of Hawai’i contract or participating addendum will be clearly reflected on the PA Amendment.
What if my company has multiple contracts with the State of Hawai'i?
The VCAF is applied on a contract-by-contract basis.
Does the Aloha eBUYS Program replace existing cooperative contracting programs such as NASPO?
Aloha eBUYS does not replace existing contracts and cooperative purchasing arrangements such as NASPO. However, existing participating addenda contracts will need to be amended to include the Aloha eBUYS VCAF terms and conditions.
Is there a limit to the number of employees in my company who can use Aloha eBUYS?
No, each company can have an unlimited number of users. Vendor and user registration is self-service for each vendor.
How will local businesses be impacted by the new Aloha eBUYS Program?
Local purchasing requirements will be supported by the Aloha eBUYS Program.
Who do participating vendors contact for questions?
Questions can be directed to the State of Hawai'i State Procurement Office at: alohaebuys@hawaii.gov or to Periscope at: vendors@alohaebuys.info.
Frequently Asked Questions: Buyers
Have Questions? We are here to help.
Can Aloha eBUYS help me purchase goods/services using Hawai'i State contracts and National Cooperatives?
Statewide contracts are negotiated and approved by the State Procurement Office. When the State leverages National Cooperative contracts for Statewide use, (such as NASPO, Sourcewell, or GSA), those contracts are made available to any State of Hawai'i public purchasing entity through the State’s participating addenda. Always follow your organization’s procurement rules when purchasing.
Aloha eBUYS has the capability to do bids, quotes, and requisitions.
What if I need help using the system?
Who is Periscope?
Who is mdf commerce?
MDF recently acquired Periscope and is a leader in North American eprocurement.
MDF Commerce Inc. (TSX:MDF) enables the flow of commerce by providing a broad set of SaaS solutions that optimize and accelerate commercial interactions between buyers and sellers. Our platforms and services empower businesses around the world, allowing them to generate billions of dollars in transactions on an annual basis. Our eprocurement, Unified Commerce and emarketplace platforms are supported by a strong and dedicated team of approximately 800 employees based in Canada, the United States, Denmark, Ukraine and China.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or need support, please do not hesitate to reach out.