USDA plans to implement a technical refresh (TR) to the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) System on August 5, 2014. The TR effort does not significantly change WBSCM functionality; however, some parts of the system will be different. The areas most affected by the TR are the offer screen, purchase order display screen, and the supplier self-service page. The overall processes for submitting an offer, creating an invoice, and the advance ship notification (ASN) process have not changed.
Prior to the TR go-live date, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will provide vendors an opportunity to participate in a web-based meeting to receive live, instructor-led training on the changes to WBSCM. The training will focus only on those areas in WBSCM affected by the TR. Class size will be limited to 30 participants. Vendors are encouraged to have all users responsible for submitting offers, invoicing, and ASN creation receive and participate in one of the training sessions.
Please see the attached table for the dates and times for the training sessions. Anyone who wishes to participate must submit their name, email address, company name, and session number to WBSCMAMSHelpdesk@ams.usda.gov . Sign up will be first come first serve. Vendors are encouraged to sign up early to assure receiving the TR training session they desire prior to the go-live date.
Once the meetings are set-up, you will receive an email confirming the session, date and time of the training you selected, or an alternate date if that session is full. Please follow the instructions in the meeting notice carefully for the webbased training as the software will likely be new to all users. In order to start the training on-time, please join the meeting at least 10 minutes before the start time to allow the software to properly install.
After the TR go-live date, AMS will make available to vendors a WBSCM training environment in order to review and practice your business processes within the system. The training environment is available from 1 :00 p.m. Monday through 12:00 p.m. Friday (Eastern Time). The data is refreshed each week. To obtain a login ID and a training data set, please send an e-mail to the WBSCMAMSHelpdesk@ams.usda.gov . A new request must be submitted for each week your company wished to practice using the training environment.
If you have questions regarding the training or external training environment, please contact Sue Olson at 315-946-5074 (office), 202-222-5592 (cell) or send an email to the WBSCMAMSHelpdesk@ams.usda.gov. Thank you.