Purchase Orders
What It’s For
For goods and services costing more than $5000 (exceptions: certain epro vendors; subcontracts) – do not split orders to get around this.
Any contract, including rentals, that requires a signature or covers a particular period of time (if you’re not sure, check!)
Do not receive goods or allow work to begin until a formal Purchase Order has been sent to the company by Purchasing.
You Will Need
- Quote from the company – always required
- Waiver of competition – required if the quote is over $25,000**. The justification is now on the form itself, but if you need more space you can use an accompanying memo. See sole source writing guidelines
- If necessary, there is an informal bidding process we can use instead of a waiver for purchases between $25,000.01 and $100,000.
- Data protection checklist – required for software or IT service purchases
To view a requisition:
Navigator → Finance Menu → eProcurement → Manage Requisitions
To view a PO:
Navigator → Finance Menu → Purchasing → Purchase Orders → Review PO Information → Purchase Orders
Procedure
Send everything, including accounting information, to Robin Whitley.
Note: The company must already be in the vendor database.
To create a PO (this is Robin’s job, but if she’s incapacitated and someone else needs to do it):
- Navigator → Finance menu → eProcurement → Requisition or any BuyCarolina link.
- Choose “Special Requests” in the menu on the left.
- Enter the first item from the quote. Include the catalog number (if there is one) in the item description. You do not have to add the supplier ID here. Click “Add to Cart” when done.
- Continue until you have all the necessary lines. If shipping is “prepaid and add” yet is not specified in the quote, make sure to add a line for it with an estimate of the expense. Click “Checkout.”
- Requisition Name should be “PO – Lab Name – Supplier Name”.
- If you want to modify shipping/accounting for just one line item, click the arrow next to the line item. Fund, Source, etc. are in the Chartfields2 tab. If you are charging a grant, try putting the Project ID in the “SpeedChart” field, which will autofill all those other chartfields.
- Determine whether a PO will need to be received by amount or by quantity; that decision must be specified line by line. If you expect multiple invoices, it is recommended to distribute by amount.
- To add the supplier information and/or to alter the information for the entire order, click “Select all” and then the button labeled “Mass change”. This time, all accounting information is in the Chartfields1 tab. You do not have to fill in all the fields, only the ones where you are overriding your defaults. Again, you can use the “Speedchart” field for grants; you may have to tab a few times to make it autofill the fields. Click “Apply,” leave the button on “All Distribution Lines”, and click “OK.”
- You can make comments on individual line items or on the entire order. Requisition comments should start with the lab name and include contact information for the supplier.
- Make sure to attach the quote and any accompanying documentation.
- PreCheck Budget. If there’s an error, get in touch with the fiscal office.
- If you need to save the order for later, click “Save for later.”
- If you’re ready, click “Save and Submit,” then “Yes.”
- Click “View printable version” in the lower left and choose “Yes” – you do want all the distribution lines to appear. In the resulting screen, choose “Print.”
Send to fiscal office
Printed requisition
Quote
Waiver
Any other documentation
Filing (Account Manager)
File open POs in PO pending folder.
File receipted POs in CFS folder.
Change Orders
Any increases in cost or changes in chartfields must be processed via a change order, which is simply a new requisition that specifies that it is a change to an existing PO.
Printing a finalized PO
Simple way
Navigation: Navigator > Finance Menu > Purchasing > Purchase Orders > Review PO Information > Purchase Orders
- Enter PO# in PO ID field. Search.
- Click “View Approvals” in the very lower left of the screen (directly above “Return to Search” button).
- Click “View Printable Version” link. Choose “Yes” for the popup. PO will open as pdf.
Ridiculous way (If the above doesn’t work because the PO is old, or you need a copy with a signature for some reason):
Navigation: Navigator > Finance Menu > Purchasing > Purchase Orders > Review PO Information > Print POs
- On Purchase Orders Print Page the first time you will need to create a Run Control. Click on “Add a New Value” tab; call it: PO_PRINT and click the Add button. [On subsequent visits, you will need to search for this value instead.]
- On the Print POs Page: Enter the business unit UNCCH and the appropriate PO ID. Then click the Save button. [Note: the next time you Print a PO you will only need to modify the PO ID.]
- Click Run. On the Process Scheduler Request Page, choose Server Name=PSUNX and check the PO Dispatch/Print box. Click OK.
- Click the Process Monitor hyperlink and you will see your “POPO005” job has been queued. Click the Refresh button and your Run Status will change to Success and Distribution Status will change to Posted. At that time, click on the Details hyperlink.
- Click on the View Log/Trace hyperlink. Click on the “popo005” PDF hyperlink. Your Purchase Order will open in a new window and can now be printed.
Resources
Manual
Procurement 101: Required Procurement Documents
Procurement 101: Top 20 Commodity Codes
Procurement 101: Adding Asset Management Information to a Purchase Requisition
Purchase Order Inquiry – looking up PO information
Purchasing Engagement Tool
Sole Source Policy
Sole Source Waiver – Form
SPH Information