Purchasing processes
Purchasing
Our standard purchasing guidelines.
Purdue Fort Wayne departments have an established internal process for purchasing authorizations and staff trained to enter orders in the Purdue purchasing system. Purdue Fort Wayne staff should always follow their unit procedures before initiating any purchase of goods or services.
Purchasing steps
Know the process and all the details.
Here are the steps for using the Purdue Purchasing system:
- Your unit should follow your internal purchasing authorization and record-keeping process. If there are any special requirements that should be addressed with facilities, Purdue Information Technology, or shipping and receiving, please make those contacts before purchasing the goods or service.
- The requisitioner for your unit initiates the shopping cart in the Purdue Purchasing system.
- Orders that are $10,000 or more must follow a formal bid process. Units should contact Purchasing to discuss this purchase with the appropriate agent.
Note: We recommend contacting Purchasing if vendor suggestions are needed.
Departments may make incidental purchases by using a Purdue University MasterCard. See detailed information about requesting a card, acceptable uses of the card, reporting a lost or stolen card, and more. The PCard program for Purdue Fort Wayne is managed through Purchasing in partnership with departmental business managers. Business managers must approve requests and changes to PCards.
Having a vendor invoice your unit for goods or services may be the best method depending on the situation. Here are some instances where a ZV60 payment is ideal:
- Vendor is not in the Ariba P2P system and we do not intend to issue more than a couple of annual orders
- Emergency or repair services (typically these costs are unknown until the issue is serviced)
- Item purchased is not an allowable expense on the department’s PCard
- Vendor does not accept PCards or charges an additional fees to use them
If the vendor sends the invoice directly to your unit, the following information will help determine if a ZV60 is required:
- Do not create a ZV60 form if the order was done through Ariba and a purchase order was created. Simply note or highlight the purchase order number on the invoice and forward it to Purchasing. If you are not certain that a purchase order was created, contact Purchasing. We will need to know the vendor name, what time frame the order might have been placed, and the cost center.
- Do not create a ZV60 form if you contacted the vendor and paid by credit card.
- The ZV60 form should be used only when a purchase was made without a purchase order or PCard payment.
If there is a legitimate reason, typically proprietary, that restricts the purchase to a specific brand or service, of which only one vendor can supply such goods or services, a Special Purchase Request Form must be completed. Attach any supporting documentation, with proper signatures, and send to Purchasing. The purchasing agent and director will review the form and discuss any questions with the requester. If approved, the order request will continue through the purchasing process. If this request is not approved, the requester will be notified that the order will go through the bidding process.
Follow the Ariba Procure-to-Pay (P2P) system return process whenever ordered items need to be returned or canceled. It is critical whenever items need to be returned that you do so within the vendor’s allotted grace period. This is typically within 30 days of the item being shipped to us. Please follow these steps in a timely manner to ensure that returns are correctly handled and to avoid payment issues.
When using links to Ariba’s QRC, follow this format for the username:
username: boilerad/yourPurdueaccount (e.g., boilerad/celick)
Office Depot Returns
Contact Office Depot at 888-263-3423 for approval to return the item(s) and obtain an Authorization to Return number (ATR#). Write the number on the outside of the box and contact shipping and receiving at extension 16158 to pick it up. Refer to the Office Depot Return Process for additional information.
The ordering department must process a return receipt in Ariba P2P. Use the Receiving in Ariba QRC to process the return. If you are unsure of how to process this receipt, contact Purchasing.
Other Returns on Items Just Received
Complete the Return Authorization Form. Contact the vendor to obtain approval and an RMA number. Verify the return shipping address and request a return shipping label, if applicable. Attach a copy of the RA form to the box and request pickup of the item(s) by shipping and receiving.
The ordering department must process a return receipt in Ariba P2P. Use the Receiving in Ariba QRC to process the return. If you are unsure of how to process this receipt, contact Purchasing.
If an item is being replaced, you will need to process a receipt in the system once the replacement arrives, otherwise Purdue will not pay for that item.
Other Order Situations
Periodically you may have submitted purchase orders where the vender no longer carries the item and/or the department wants to cancel the item or purchase order. To do so, follow the steps in the Ariba P2P system so that the affected purchase order reflects the changes.
Item not available
If an item ordered is no longer available from the vendor, process as a Close Partial purchase order receipt in P2P using the Receiving in Ariba QRC. If you are unsure of how to process this receipt, contact Purchasing.
Cancel an item or order
If you discover that an item or purchase order that you have submitted needs to be canceled, the
vendor should be contacted immediately. The vendor phone number is listed on the purchase order. Then process a Close Partial or Close Entire purchase order in Ariba P2P.
Returns on used items
Purdue IT typically handles any computer warranty returns on equipment they service. Contact the Help Desk for more information.
For Purchase Requisition Forms
Before sending a Purchase Requisition Form to Purchasing for processing, be sure to have signatures from the following:
- Person authorized to approve disbursements from the funding account used
- Department business manager
Purchasing Contracts
Contracts should be sent to the contracts administrator for review and signature. The administrator will require that the owner of the contract (employee within the department whose responsibility it is to abide by the contract) also review the contract and complete and sign the Contract Ownership Form to indicate their approval to agree to make this purchase and/or agree to the terms. This step can be done after the completion of contract negotiations but before the administrator will sign the agreement or forward for proper signature.
Contracts that have a value of over $100,000 will need to be signed by the vice chancellor for financial and administrative affairs.* The contract administrator will facilitate that process.
*The value of a contract is the amount of money the contract is expected to cost the university. For multi-year contracts, that amount would be multiplied by the number of years.
Purchase requests that total $10,000 or more must be competitively bid unless there is an emergency repair situation or there is a proprietary component. Purchasing is the only authorized entity on campus that can perform these services. It is important to get Purchasing involved early to allow time for the process to be followed and items to be ordered and delivered. If installation is required, additional time will be needed. Some items can take several weeks between the time of purchase and the goods arriving.
Note: We recommend that units contact Purchasing to get multiple quotes on any purchases where the university does not have contract pricing, the cost of the items is such that the unit may realize significant savings ($1,000 or more), or in cases where the unit needs suggestions on vendors. The purchasing agent involved may also elect to bid a purchase where it is determined best practice.
Request Process
- Purchasing agent for the commodity verifies the specifications.
- The Purchasing agent determines if the purchase requires a request for quotation (RFQ) or request for proposal (RFP). Most Purdue Fort Wayne purchases do not require the solicitation of bids. In these cases, vendor selection is based on the department’s preference, existing vendor contracts, and the Purchasing staff’s knowledge and experience.
- Purchasing will issue a RFQ or RFP if any of the following apply.
- Order totals $10,000 or more
- Order falls under the state public-works statutes (any project for which contractual labor is used on site to construct, alter, repair, or improve facilities owned or leased by the university)
- Unit and agent believe it to be the best business practice
- The RFQ or RFP is issued to a pool of qualified vendors chosen by the agent and the requester. Once the bid request is issued by Purchasing, there should be no communication between anyone other than Purchasing and the bidding vendors unless approved by Purchasing.
- Responses are reviewed and vendor(s) chosen based on price, delivery terms, availability, and other specifications stated in the RFQ or RFP.
- Awarded vendor will be contacted, and a purchase order issued.
- Purchasing agent will notify the other participating vendors that the bid has been awarded.
Timing
Allow a couple of weeks for the purchasing agent to pull information together, identify vendors, and submit the bid. Allow at least an additional week for the vendors to respond. More complicated bids, such as those involving design or requiring vendors to come on-site, will require additional time. If the bid is done in a rush fashion, some vendors will not be able to participate due to the rushed timeline. A rushed process may result in higher costs to the unit.
Please allow time for the purchasing staff to complete all steps necessary for a purchase. The amount of time needed varies greatly but is affected by the nature of the items being purchased, the dollar amount of the purchase, whether an RFQ is necessary, and Purchasing’s workload. Do not expect Purchasing to place an order on the same day the requisition form is received.
Before requesting a new vendor be added to the Ariba system, ask these questions:
- Are there already vendors in Ariba that provide these goods or services? Please contact the purchasing agent that handles the commodity in question to identify current vendors and compare pricing.
- Do we use this vendor on an ongoing basis?
- If you do not expect to use a vendor several times a year, it’s not practical to add them to Ariba.
- If we use the vendor exclusively for repairs on an as-needed basis, it’s better to pay via PCard or ZV60.
- Does the vendor accept purchase orders?
Departments may make incidental purchases by using a Purdue University MasterCard. See detailed information about requesting a card, acceptable uses of the card, reporting a lost or stolen card, and more. The PCard program for Purdue Fort Wayne is managed through Purchasing in partnership with departmental business managers. Business managers must approve requests and changes to PCards.
For Purchase Requisition Forms
Before sending a Purchase Requisition Form to Purchasing for processing, be sure to have signatures from the following:
- Person authorized to approve disbursements from the funding account used
- Department business manager
Purchasing Contracts
Contracts should be sent to the contracts administrator for review and signature. The administrator will require that the owner of the contract (employee within the department whose responsibility it is to abide by the contract) also review the contract and complete and sign the Contract Ownership Form to indicate their approval to agree to make this purchase and/or agree to the terms. This step can be done after the completion of contract negotiations but before the administrator will sign the agreement or forward for proper signature.
Contracts that have a value of over $100,000 will need to be signed by the vice chancellor for financial and administrative affairs.* The contract administrator will facilitate that process.
*The value of a contract is the amount of money the contract is expected to cost the university. For multi-year contracts, that amount would be multiplied by the number of years.
Having a vendor invoice your unit for goods or services may be the best method depending on the situation. Here are some instances where a ZV60 payment is ideal:
- Vendor is not in the Ariba P2P system and we do not intend to issue more than a couple of annual orders
- Emergency or repair services (typically these costs are unknown until the issue is serviced)
- Item purchased is not an allowable expense on the department’s PCard
- Vendor does not accept PCards or charges an additional fees to use them
If the vendor sends the invoice directly to your unit, the following information will help determine if a ZV60 is required:
- Do not create a ZV60 form if the order was done through Ariba and a purchase order was created. Simply note or highlight the purchase order number on the invoice and forward it to Purchasing. If you are not certain that a purchase order was created, contact Purchasing. We will need to know the vendor name, what time frame the order might have been placed, and the cost center.
- Do not create a ZV60 form if you contacted the vendor and paid by credit card.
- The ZV60 form should be used only when a purchase was made without a purchase order or PCard payment.
Purchase requests that total $10,000 or more must be competitively bid unless there is an emergency repair situation or there is a proprietary component. Purchasing is the only authorized entity on campus that can perform these services. It is important to get Purchasing involved early to allow time for the process to be followed and items to be ordered and delivered. If installation is required, additional time will be needed. Some items can take several weeks between the time of purchase and the goods arriving.
Note: We recommend that units contact Purchasing to get multiple quotes on any purchases where the university does not have contract pricing, the cost of the items is such that the unit may realize significant savings ($1,000 or more), or in cases where the unit needs suggestions on vendors. The purchasing agent involved may also elect to bid a purchase where it is determined best practice.
Request Process
- Purchasing agent for the commodity verifies the specifications.
- The Purchasing agent determines if the purchase requires a request for quotation (RFQ) or request for proposal (RFP). Most Purdue Fort Wayne purchases do not require the solicitation of bids. In these cases, vendor selection is based on the department’s preference, existing vendor contracts, and the Purchasing staff’s knowledge and experience.
- Purchasing will issue a RFQ or RFP if any of the following apply.
- Order totals $10,000 or more
- Order falls under the state public-works statutes (any project for which contractual labor is used on site to construct, alter, repair, or improve facilities owned or leased by the university)
- Unit and agent believe it to be the best business practice
- The RFQ or RFP is issued to a pool of qualified vendors chosen by the agent and the requester. Once the bid request is issued by Purchasing, there should be no communication between anyone other than Purchasing and the bidding vendors unless approved by Purchasing.
- Responses are reviewed and vendor(s) chosen based on price, delivery terms, availability, and other specifications stated in the RFQ or RFP.
- Awarded vendor will be contacted, and a purchase order issued.
- Purchasing agent will notify the other participating vendors that the bid has been awarded.
Timing
Allow a couple of weeks for the purchasing agent to pull information together, identify vendors, and submit the bid. Allow at least an additional week for the vendors to respond. More complicated bids, such as those involving design or requiring vendors to come on-site, will require additional time. If the bid is done in a rush fashion, some vendors will not be able to participate due to the rushed timeline. A rushed process may result in higher costs to the unit.
Please allow time for the purchasing staff to complete all steps necessary for a purchase. The amount of time needed varies greatly but is affected by the nature of the items being purchased, the dollar amount of the purchase, whether an RFQ is necessary, and Purchasing’s workload. Do not expect Purchasing to place an order on the same day the requisition form is received.
If there is a legitimate reason, typically proprietary, that restricts the purchase to a specific brand or service, of which only one vendor can supply such goods or services, a Special Purchase Request Form must be completed. Attach any supporting documentation, with proper signatures, and send to Purchasing. The purchasing agent and director will review the form and discuss any questions with the requester. If approved, the order request will continue through the purchasing process. If this request is not approved, the requester will be notified that the order will go through the bidding process.
Before requesting a new vendor be added to the Ariba system, ask these questions:
- Are there already vendors in Ariba that provide these goods or services? Please contact the purchasing agent that handles the commodity in question to identify current vendors and compare pricing.
- Do we use this vendor on an ongoing basis?
- If you do not expect to use a vendor several times a year, it’s not practical to add them to Ariba.
- If we use the vendor exclusively for repairs on an as-needed basis, it’s better to pay via PCard or ZV60.
- Does the vendor accept purchase orders?
Follow the Ariba Procure-to-Pay (P2P) system return process whenever ordered items need to be returned or canceled. It is critical whenever items need to be returned that you do so within the vendor’s allotted grace period. This is typically within 30 days of the item being shipped to us. Please follow these steps in a timely manner to ensure that returns are correctly handled and to avoid payment issues.
When using links to Ariba’s QRC, follow this format for the username:
username: boilerad/yourPurdueaccount (e.g., boilerad/celick)
Office Depot Returns
Contact Office Depot at 888-263-3423 for approval to return the item(s) and obtain an Authorization to Return number (ATR#). Write the number on the outside of the box and contact shipping and receiving at extension 16158 to pick it up. Refer to the Office Depot Return Process for additional information.
The ordering department must process a return receipt in Ariba P2P. Use the Receiving in Ariba QRC to process the return. If you are unsure of how to process this receipt, contact Purchasing.
Other Returns on Items Just Received
Complete the Return Authorization Form. Contact the vendor to obtain approval and an RMA number. Verify the return shipping address and request a return shipping label, if applicable. Attach a copy of the RA form to the box and request pickup of the item(s) by shipping and receiving.
The ordering department must process a return receipt in Ariba P2P. Use the Receiving in Ariba QRC to process the return. If you are unsure of how to process this receipt, contact Purchasing.
If an item is being replaced, you will need to process a receipt in the system once the replacement arrives, otherwise Purdue will not pay for that item.
Other Order Situations
Periodically you may have submitted purchase orders where the vender no longer carries the item and/or the department wants to cancel the item or purchase order. To do so, follow the steps in the Ariba P2P system so that the affected purchase order reflects the changes.
Item not available
If an item ordered is no longer available from the vendor, process as a Close Partial purchase order receipt in P2P using the Receiving in Ariba QRC. If you are unsure of how to process this receipt, contact Purchasing.
Cancel an item or order
If you discover that an item or purchase order that you have submitted needs to be canceled, the
vendor should be contacted immediately. The vendor phone number is listed on the purchase order. Then process a Close Partial or Close Entire purchase order in Ariba P2P.
Returns on used items
Purdue IT typically handles any computer warranty returns on equipment they service. Contact the Help Desk for more information.
Furniture Purchases
Shopping for new desk chairs?
Whether you’re buying new office furniture or requesting reconfigurations or repurposed furniture for your department, you should always start with Jennifer Schillo, purchasing director. The furniture design and purchasing process takes time, but before you get started, you will need to know your budget and the requirements for the space you’re furnishing.
Project Considerations
- Purchasing staff does not provide installation services. Departments are responsible for additional installation charges that may arise.
- Departments are responsible for submitting all required work orders, such as computer moves, data and telephone drops, painting, and floor cleaning.
- Commercial furniture is made to order and not returnable.
Reconfigurations and Repurposed Furniture
- Save departmental funds by using furniture removed and saved from other units.
- This furniture is used and will typically not be brand new.
- Furniture supply extraction charge applies. No charges will be made without department approval.
Installation
- Clean out any furniture that is to be moved or removed must be cleaned out prior to the installation appointment.
- Computers, desktops, overhead units, and files must be removed. Desk drawers must be emptied.
- Installers will not begin work if the furniture is not emptied.
- The installation company may charge a fee for additional, rescheduled appointments.
- Furniture will be installed as illustrated on the approved drawings. Do not ask the installers for additional work or changes without consulting the purchasing designer or agent.
- Installations include inspection of new furniture for damage, wiping down new items to remove dust, and removal of all packing materials and cardboard. Installations Do not include deep cleaning of furniture or equipment.
Note: Freestanding furniture such as filing cabinets, one-piece desks, chairs, or storage cabinets do not require an outside installation company and can be handled by warehouse operations in Facilities Management.
IT Equipment
Purchasing tech and accessories.
- Contact the Help Desk by submitting a New Equipment Purchasing Form. There are restrictions on the types of computing equipment that may be ordered for use with the PFW network, including laptops. Your request will be assigned to the appropriate employee, who will contact you for further details. A quote will be requested from an approved vendor and sent to your email.
- Place requisition in Ariba. Always attach your quote to the Ariba requisition, even if you have referenced it in the title and/or line-item description.
- Include a comment in the Summary tab of the requisition that notes who in Purdue IT reviewed and advised on the purchase. Include the Purdue IT advisor’s name, title, phone number, and email address. The summary should not be visible to the supplier, so leave that box unchecked.
- Orders for new computers or laptops are delivered to Purdue IT first to receive the standard initial setup required for all university-owned computers. You must complete receiving in Ariba upon delivery notification from Purdue IT.
The following rules apply to IT purchases:
- All new purchases of IT software, applications, or cloud services must undergo a security review conducted by PSS-IA prior to purchase.
- Any purchase that involves computer hardware, software, and AV equipment must be reviewed by Purdue IT, regardless of price. This excludes peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and flash drives, which can be purchased from the ODP Business Solutions catalog.
- Regardless of price, all technology equipment orders must be made through Ariba. No laptops should be purchased using a department credit card.
Computers
Computers can be purchased from either Dell (catalog vendor) or Apple (noncatalog vendor). Fill out a Project Request Form for a quote from Purdue IT for orders impacting multiple people. See the quick steps for creating Dell and Apple requisitions in Ariba.
Supporting Equipment
Supporting equipment such as computer mice, keyboards, headphones, speakers, and cables should be purchased through the ODP Business Solutions catalog.
Request a printer quote from Purdue IT by filling out a New Equipment Purchasing Form. All printers should be purchased from Cannon IV (catalog vendor). Once you’re ready to order, enter the quote number in the box above the Add Quote to Cart button.
Cost Per Page Plan
All new printers purchased from Cannon IV are automatically placed on a Cost Per Page (CPP) Plan.
Cannon IV’s Cost Per Page (CPP) plan covers toner, service calls, maintenance kits, parts, and labor. Cannon IV will bill your department quarterly for what you print, and charges will be based on the actual volume or usage of each device. All CPP invoices are paid ZV60.
Network printers are added to Cannon IV’s Auto Toner Replenishment Program, which monitors the toner usage levels of the device and automatically ships toner once low levels are reached. For non-networked printers, the end user will be required to report print counts and request toner from Cannon IV by providing them with the C4 ID number assigned to the printer. Toner can be requested from Cannon IV by sending a message to [email protected]. Print-count emails for non-networked printers will be sent to the end user where they can simply enter their printers meter reading.
Cannon IV offers contract pricing on toner cartridges through the catalog in Ariba.
Note: Toner should not be ordered for printers with cost per (CPP) plans.
Printer Maintenance
To request service on a printer, send a message to [email protected]. Cannon IV will schedule a technician to come out and take a look at the machine. For printers not covered by a CPP plan, service is billed at a time and material rate of $90 per hour plus cost of repair parts.
Sam’s Club Purchases
Yes, we have a membership.
Our Sam’s Club membership can be used by Purdue Fort Wayne units if both your unit and business manager approve the purchase and if the items being purchased adhere to Purdue’s guidelines for PCard and business rules. This is especially important when it comes to hospitality purchases or purchases impacting exclusive rights.
Take the following steps to utilize our Sam’s Club membership:
- Discuss your intended purchase with your business manager or supervisor for approval and records
- Send the required email with approval by the business manager prior to membership card pickup. Include your unit name, the items to purchase, and business purpose in the message. We will also schedule a card-pickup time during this email exchange.
- Take the membership card and the appropriate university PCard to Sam’s Club. The sale should ring up as tax-exempt (with some exceptions). The cashier will verify the tax-exempt status.
- If the cashier asks for a purchase order number, inform them you are using a credit card and therefore a purchase order number is not needed.
- You may have to sign twice, once for the purchase and again for any tax-exemption claim.
- Bring the Sam’s Club membership card back to Purchasing to sign the card back in. The card should be returned no later than next business day.
Shredding Services
Shred documents securely.
Shred-it, the university’s shredding provider, comes to campus every fourth Thursday for our monthly shredding cycle. Though shredding occurs on-site, special steps must be taken for unit documents that contain protected health information.
Monthly Paper Shredding
- Shred-it provides units with a locked shredding container that will be picked up once a month.
- Shredding is done on-site, and no materials are taken off campus before the service is finished.
- A standard container (36 inches by 20 inches by 19.5 inches) costs $13.52/month per bin plus 5 percent fuel and 1 percent recycling-recovery surcharge fees.
- Medium (64 gallons [240 liters] at $33.52/month) and large (96 gallons [360 liters] at $67.15/month) containers are available on request.
- Contact Purchasing if you have additional shred documents that do not fit in the locked container.
One-Time Shredding Service
- A Shred-it alternative for the units that do not have a contract or regular need for shredding.
- Shredding is done on-site, and no materials are taken off campus before the service is finished.
- Report needed service to Purchasing for service arrangement. You will receive an invoice for this service.
