UW–Madison Preferred products now available for purchase

Purchasing Services, with the support of an Administrative Excellence team, announced that several UW–Madison Preferred products, including common office supplies such as pens, writing pads, copy paper and remanufactured ink and toner, are now available for purchase. 

The intent of the label UW–Madison Preferred is to direct UW–Madison purchasers to products that maximize institution-wide savings for the university without sacrificing quality or service. 

The Administrative Excellence Office Supplies Team estimates that the university could save $4.7 million over five years by standardizing the selection of some office items, and by substituting some supplies for lower-cost alternatives. 

Remanufactured toner cartridges, for example, are 30 percent less expensive than branded toner and represent a simple green choice to protect the environment. These cartridges are guaranteed by the supplier to match or exceed the quality of an original equipment manufacturer and will not void warranties on printers when used. 

Instructions on how to find and purchase these products can be found in the “Store Lobby” of the Materials Distribution Services (MDS) website, and many are also labeled as “UW-Madison Preferred” under the Staples Advantage link, also accessed through the “Store Lobby.”

Alternative products still remain available for purchase by MDS users that are not part of UW–Madison, such as those purchasing on behalf of UW System or certain state agencies.

To learn more about this and other Administrative Excellence initiatives, see http://adminexcellence.wisc.edu/