Purchasing Guidelines

Purchase orders are the preferred method for buying goods and services at Shawnee State University.

All purchase transactions require the preparation of a requisition/purchase order, and properly completed requisitions are extremely important to both the ordering and payment process. All requisitions must be typed.  Adherence to the guidelines and formats included here help insure prompt and accurate handling of these documents in both the Purchasing and Accounts Payable Departments.

• Find out if the vendor will accept a purchase order.

• Complete a requisition, making sure to include your account number; the vendors complete mailing address, phone and fax numbers; and a full description of the items to be ordered (i.e., quantity, part number, fabric type, etc.)

Each department is responsible for its budget.  When filling out a requisition, please check your budget to ensure that money is available for the purchase.  Departments are responsible for putting account numbers and object codes on all requisitions.  Requisitions not having account numbers will be returned to the purchaser, delaying the purchase order process.

All supporting documents and catalog information should be attached to the back of the requisition, preferably stapled to the top of the requisition above the perforation.

The requisition/purchase order is a carbonless form.  Please take care not to add extraneous remarks to the requisition/purchase order unless those remarks pertain to the vendor.  If other notes are necessary, attach them to the requisition on a separate sheet.

The requestor must sign the requisition.

• Obtain  the approval; signature of your budget manager.

All requisitions must be approved by one of the following--president, vice president, dean, director, or chair.

• Remove the green copy of the requisition and retain for your file.

• Send or deliver your approved requisition to the Purchasing Department

• Staff in the Purchasing Department will give the requisition a vendor number and will forward it to accounts payable for budget approval.

• After the budget has been approved, staff in the Purchasing Department will assign a purchase order number to the form, will mail or fax the PO to the vendor, and will return the pink copy to the requisitioning department.

If you wish to hand carry the PO to the vendor, you must attach a note to the requisition, indicating your intention and your phone number.  Staff in the Purchasing Department will call you when the PO is ready.

Distribution of the requisition/purchase order:

Request for Payment (RFP) forms are reserved for vendors who will not accept purchase orders.

• If the vendor tell you they do not accept purchase orders, attach documentation of the items you wish to purchase (i.e., a subscription form, a conference registration form, a catalog page, a print out of a web page) to a completed Request for Payment form.
• Obtain the approval signature of your budget manager.
• Make a photocopy of the approved RFP to the Purchasing Department.
• Send or deliver the approved RFP to the Purchasing Department.
• Staff in the Purchasing Department will give the RFP a vendor number and will forward it to accounts payable for budget approval.
• Staff in accounts payable will prepare a check and will mail it, with any necessary forms (i.e., subscription forms, registration forms, etc.) to the vendor.

Blanket orders are reserved for vendors from whom regular, small dollar purchases are made.

• Two types of blanket orders are available--1) blanket orders established by the Purchasing Department and available to any department on campus and 2) blanket orders established by individual departments for their use only.
• The Purchasing Department has established blanket orders with Wal-mart, Stapleton's, and CVS.
• University-wide blanket orders have a limit of $50 each.
• If you wish to use one of these blanket orders, complete a half-sheet blanket order form and include the vendor's name (Wal-mart, CVS, etc.) the date, a description of the items you wish to purchase (i.e., quantity, part number, etc.) and their price.
• If you do not know the specific item numbers or prices, you can give a general description and a "not to exceed" price.  For example, you might wish to purchase "a desk organizer and file folder labels, not to exceed $50" from Stapleton's Office Products.
• Obtain the approval of the budget manager.
• Hand-deliver the approved BO form to the Purchasing Department, where the purchasing director will provide the final approval.  Most of the time, the director will sign it immediately; briefly, if the, if the director has stepped out.
• You may also establish your own blanket order with a vendor from whom you make regular, small dollar purchases.  Prepare a requisition as described above in item 1.
• Complete a requisition, making sure to include the vendor's complete mailing address, phone and fax numbers.
• In the "description" area, enter the words "Establish a blanket order for FY__/__ for "followed by a brief description of the purpose of the blanket order (i.e., for the payment of monthly copier maintenance charges, etc.)

Important Notes:

• Purchases in excess of $5,000 must go through the bid process.  At $5,000, three quotes must be obtained; at $10,000 a formal bid is conducted.
• Unauthorized Purchases: No individual has the authority to enter in purchase contracts or in any way to obligate Shawnee State University for procurement indebtedness unless specifically authorized to do so by the Vice President of Business Affairs. Unauthorized negotiations are considered as unauthorized purchases and the individual will encounter personal responsibilities to the vendor in accordance with section 3.12 of the Ohio Revised Code.  Exclusive of the Petty Cash procedures, the University will not reimburse officers or employees for the cost of any such purchases on behalf of the University unless previous arrangements to that end have been made.
• Each order made to a vendor should be accompanied with a university purchase order issued by the Purchasing Department at Shawnee State University.
• If an order arrives at SSU's receiving department without a purchase order number the shipment could be refused at the vendor's cost.
• Computer purchases:  University Information Services (UIS) must approve all computer purchases.  Please submit requisitions for computers to UIS, where staff will review the requisition and forward it to the Purchasing Department upon approval.  UIS is located on the ground floor of Massie Hall.  Their phone number is 740.351.3538.
• Changing a Purchase Order: Please consider, carefully, what and from whom you wish to place an order before completing the requisition.  Slight dollar differences, due to shipping charges or handling fees, will be accommodated; however, it is important to remember that PO's encumber specific funds for specific items.  If you, for example, decide you need another van or 15 more T-shirts after a PO has been issued, you need to submit another requisition for the additional amount.  Do not call the vendor and increase your order unless you have written authorization to do so from the director of purchasing.

DO NOT PLACE AN ORDER WITHOUT DOING THE PAPERWORK!!!