Matheson Gas New Delivery Service Model

Updated Supplier Guide

If you have any comments, questions, or feedback, please email unlprocurement@unl.edu or contact Hollis Anderson at 402-472-6308. Please direct your questions to us rather than to the Matheson driver.

Maggie Witt
Director, Procurement Services & Strategic Sourcing

New Matheson Gas Delivery Service Model: Effective July 10, 2017

• Scheduled delivery days assigned by campus sector
• Approved orders in eSHOP by 11:00 am the workday prior to scheduled delivery day will be delivered on scheduled day
  • If there is no order in eSHOP, Matheson will not stop
• Grace period: July 10 through October 1, 2017
• Right-size dewars for volume requirements – filled to the size of the container
  • Full refills only – no partial refills (safety concern)
  • Exceptions may be considered – see Questions and Answers
• Will be billed per size of dewar, not per volume dispensed

To receive delivery on your scheduled day please ensure:

• Order is approved and released to Procurement Services (via eSHOP) by 11 am the day before scheduled delivery day
• Customer account number is in External Notes section
• Building address is in Ship To section
• Delivery location is in Unloading Point section
• Delivery day is in Requested Delivery Date section

Note: If your order is received by Procurement after 11:00am, delivery will occur the following week, unless other arrangements are made.

Questions and Answers

Q. Who was invited to the presentation hosted by Procurement  on May 11th at Beadle Center to discuss the changes to Matheson Gas delivery services?

Procurement Services invited over 300 people at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, including all e-SHOP users – shoppers, requestors, and approvers – who placed orders with Matheson Gas in the past year, to attend this informative session. We sent an email reminder that week. The update was also presented to the eSHOP Super Users Cabinet on May 18^th and again to all eSHOP users who have ordered Matheson Gas in the past year on June 8th at Hamilton Hall.

Q. When do these changes – new schedule and fees – take effect?

The new delivery service model begins July 10^th with a grace period that ends September 30^th. During this period, the campus sectors will begin to adapt to the new process and communicate any questions or feedback to Procurement for adjustment considerations where needed. Beginning October 1st, charges will go into effect for deliveries that are requested outside the standard model.

Q. How was the delivery route established?

The route was based on order volume and delivery records.

Q. Did you consider discussing high volume needs with users before establishing the new schedule?

Yes, best practice models show that delivery schedules are most efficient.

Q. We have all appreciated the next day orders and having such a drastic change is hard for us. Have other delivery models been considered?

This is why we are using a grace period. By determining the problem areas, finding out what works well and what needs improvement we will optimize delivery schedules. There will be no extra charges during the grace period to ease transition.

Q. Cutting off the grace period in the middle of the semester might be hard. Is it possible to extend the trial period for a whole semester to capture what goes on in an entire semester?

We will consider this request.

Q. When do I need to place my order to receive it on my assigned delivery day?

Orders need to be approved and released to Procurement Services via eSHOP by 11 am on the day before your assigned delivery day. Orders may be placed prior to this day as well with no fee assessed.

Q. What is the significance to an 11 am cut off time for orders?

Time is needed for Matheson’s system processes as well as the logistics in the shop where gas packs are filled and loaded for delivery in an efficient manner.

Q. What is the definition of emergency delivery?

The need for a delivery not on your assigned day

Q. What if a department needs more gas delivered on an emergency basis?

There will be opportunities for emergency orders to be delivered with a charge/fee.

Q. Why is the extra charge necessary?

The extra expense for our account is not the cost of the gas but in the logistics of servicing our account.

Q. How do I notate a rush delivery request in eSHOP?

Type your request into the External Notes as you would other requests such as picking up empties.

Q.If I am ordering for two separate buildings, will I have two deadlines?

It is possible depending on where the building is located and which sector and/or campus the building location is within. Please see the campus maps on Page 1 for reference. Reminder that you can place orders any day of the week, keeping in mind the delivery dates for the various sectors.

Q. How will Matheson Gas deliveries be completed around holidays?

There will be a one (or two) day consideration based on the number of holiday dates. For example, if your regular delivery day is Monday, expect your delivery on Tuesday. If your order date is normally Monday, order on Tuesday and expect delivery on Wednesday.

Q. If a damaged tank is delivered on Friday then will we get a same day delivery of another tank so we can run our processes over the weekend?

Yes, Matheson will take care of it.

Q. What is the justification for this change?

In our current service model, UNL users place orders to Matheson via e-SHOP which process later in the day, and there is limited or no ability to plan a scheduled route for next day delivery. This results in the Matheson driver crisscrossing all over our campuses in widely varying or unpredictable patterns that can be redundant and costly. Our current cost-to-serve ratio is much higher than comparable Matheson customers and could ultimately result in higher prices to the university. By working with our supplier and streamlining the process, not only does Procurement hope to lower Matheson’s cost-to-serve the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but also to minimize the impact of future price increases and increase sustainability by reducing our carbon footprint with a more efficient delivery model.

Q. Have you looked at having an extra charge for big users versus someone who orders a tank once a month?

At present, we have simply looked at the university as a whole. We do not want to penalize any specific area for their use, but rather establish a fair and consistent method to service the entire university efficiently and effectively, while minimizing our cost to serve. We will discuss this idea and review the possibility. We want to encourage ideas and work with everyone regarding options for delivery days. Please send your questions, comments, and feedback to unlprocurement@unl.edu.

Q. What does it mean to use “right-size dewars for volume requirements”?

A “dewar” is a container used to hold gaseous product, which range in size to accommodate varying volumes and types of product. This statement means to fill to the full capacity of the container, not less than the full size. Some of the issue involves filling the dewar to the proper amount.

Q. How long does the gas pack last?

Thirty days in the best of circumstances. Cryogenic liquid containers, also referred to as liquid cylinders, are double-walled vacuum vessels with multilayer insulation in the annular space. They are designed for the reliable and economic transportation and storage of liquefied gases at cryogenic temperatures, typically colder than –130°F (–90°C). There are two primary advantages of a liquid container. The first is that it contains a large volume of gas at a relatively low pressure compared to a compressed gas cylinder. The second is that it provides a source of cryogenic liquids that can be easily handled. Cryogenic liquid containers are often incorrectly referred to as Dewars. Dewars are open, non-pressurized vessels for holding cryogenic liquids.

The cryogenic products normally found in liquid containers are liquid nitrogen (LIN), liquid argon (LAR), liquid oxygen (LOX), and liquid helium (LHE). Carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide are also available as refrigerated liquids in similar containers.

Although these containers are well insulated, heat will continuously leak into the product, due to the extremely large temperature difference between the cryogenic liquid and the ambient environment. The heat leak will cause some vaporization to occur. Vaporized product, if not used, will collect in the vapor space above the liquid and build pressure. This is referred to as head pressure. The head pressure will build in the container and periodically vent via the pressure relief valve. Vaporization rates will vary and may be as low as 0.4% or as high as 3% of the container’s volume per day. This is a normal and safe function of the container.

Q. Dewars may occasionally be intended to be partially filled. Therefore, this is not a cost concern, but a functionality – these dewars are being used to store cells. Can Matheson train someone at the University on how to handle the liquid nitrogen?

Matheson can provide training to UNL staff to handle these safely but would first like to visit those accounts to determine the type of cylinder / container being used.  At present, Matheson sees this as a big safety concern on the UNL campus which needs to be explored further. This topic will require further discussion between Matheson, Procurement, EHS, and the researchers.

Q. What about special order such as liquid helium, dry ice and CO2?

Matheson is willing to work with those accounts to ensure that they are properly handled. Please contact Harlan Schriner at Matheson for these considerations.

Q. What is the most urgent concern?

Safety! Safety is Matheson’s #1 priority; student, staff and faculty safety is critical. Gas packs and elevators are two of the main concerns.