Policy Statement

Purpose and Scope

The goal of the UTD Purchasing Department is to secure the best goods and services available for the lowest possible price in fulfillment of a requisitioner's needs and in accordance with established policies and procedures.

To achieve this goal, Purchasing requires the use of the purchase requisition which, if properly completed by a requisitioner, can relate to Purchasing everything they need to know to satisfy these needs in minimum cost consistent with desired quality.

Approved Signatures List

Purchase Requisitions cannot be processed without an approved signature. An "Authorized Signatures List" is generated by the Budget Department and is available in the Purchasing Department. This list includes the names of individuals authorized to approve purchase requisitions. Purchase requisitions not signed by the proper authority will be returned.

Planning Quantity Purchases on Requisitions

The cost of processing a single purchase requisition, when considering the manpower and material involved, is considerable. Therefore, by combining as many items on one requisition as is feasible and in accordance with Purchasing regulations and procedures, the average administrative cost per item could be substantially reduced.

You are encouraged to avoid piecemeal orders for similar items. This can be done by anticipating your requirements and checking to see if others in your department are planning to order like items. This action will not only reduce processing costs, but may result in UTD qualifying for "quantity discounts" by buying larger quantities of similar items at a time.

Purchases of $1,000 or less should be purchased via the Purchasing Card Program whenever possible.

Preparation of Purchase Requisition

This procedure provides instructions for completing UTD's Purchase Requisition form. This form is submitted to the Purchasing department to request the procurement of goods and services from external organizations.

Your compliance with the instructions listed below and with the provisions of other policies and procedures throughout the Purchasing section of this Manual is essential to enable the Purchasing Department to comply with applicable regulations and to fulfill your requests as efficiently and promptly as possible.

The number of each instruction below corresponds with the number assigned to the appropriate section of the sample Purchase Requisition shown as Exhibit E12.

1. Date:
   Enter the date the requisition was prepared.
2. For Early Requisitions Only:
   Enter "For delivery and invoicing after September 1" if the requisition is submitted prior to the end of a fiscal year and is to be paid from subsequent fiscal year appropriations (see "Fiscal Year-End Orders").
3. Requested By:
   The requisitioner must print or type his/her name.
4. Approved:
   The individual(s) authorized (according to the Approved Signatures List) to obligate budgeted funds for the listed account must sign here. This signature indicates his/her concurrence with the requisition, its estimated cost and that the funds are available.
5. Suggested Supplier:
   

   If known, print the complete name and address of a vendor who may competitively bid on the requested items. Include a business phone number and a reference name within the company, if available.

   If more than one vendor is known, include the appropriate address information on a sheet of paper and attach it to the Purchase Requisition. Note that the Purchasing Department reserves the right and responsibility to issue the Purchase Order to the supplier who best meets the needs of the University and otherwise complies with current purchasing regulations.

6. Delivery Required:
   Mark "URGENT" if normal times are unsatisfactory and provide a realistic need date. The terms RUSH, ASAP, etc., are non-definitive and requisitions so marked will receive routine handling. "URGENT" orders should be hand carried to Purchasing.
7. Account Distribution:
   

   Indicate the budget account to which the cost of each item is to be charged. Care must be taken to ensure sufficient funds are available in the indicated account to pay for requested items and that a complete account number is furnished.

   A budget account consists of the following sections

   • Budget Fund Number
   • Sub Account Code (Use Subaccount Code Manual)
   
   

   Example:

   • XXXXXX XXXX
   • 123456 4230

8. Deliver To:
   
   • The name of the individual who is to receive the goods should be printed here. If this person is different from the requisitioner, print (REC) after the intended receiver's name. If the requisitioner and receiver are one and the same, no notation is required after the name.
   • Room Number: Include the building and room number to which merchandise buildings:
     

     AB	Activities Center
     AD	Administration Building
     AS	Art Studio Building
     BE	Lloyd V. Berkner Hall
     BK	Bookstore
     CN	Conference Center
     EC	Engineering & Computer Science Bldg.
     FO	Founders Building
     FA	Founders Annex West
     FN	Founders North Building
     SF	Founders Shop
     GC	Cecil and Ida Green Center
     GR	Cecil H. Green Academic Hall
     JO	J. Erik Jonsson Academic Center
     HH	Hoblitzelle Hall
     MC	Eugene McDermott Library
     MP	Multipurpose Building
     NB	North Office Building
     PF	Playing Fields Buildings
     PP	Physical Plant Building
     PG	Police Building
     UR	University Residence
     TH	University Theatre
     VG	Vehicle & Grounds Maintenance Shop
     SU	Student Union Building
     SB	Service Building
     GG	Garage/Grounds Building
     CA	Callier Center - Building A
     CB	Callier Center - Building B
     CC	Callier Center - Building C
     CD	Callier Center - Building D
     CE	Callier Center - Building E
     CF	Callier Center - Building F
     CG	Callier Center - Building G
     CH	Callier Center - Building H

9. Items:
   Print the number of the item listed on the requisition. If it is the first item listed, print "1"; if it is the fourth item listed, print "4."
10. Quantity and Unit:
    Note the quantity of this item needed in its normal unit of issue. Beside the number of units needed, write the unit of issue. Some useful examples are:
    • ea - each
    • rl - roll
    • ca - can
    • ctn - carton
    • pkg - package
    • cs - case
    • st -set
    • bx -box
    • cwt - hundred weight
11. Part or Catalog Number:
    Vendor manuals are available for your use in Purchasing to research manufacturer's part or catalog numbers. If you cannot locate an appropriate number, contact Purchasing for assistance. The part or catalog number must include all letters, numbers, dashes, slashes, etc., to ensure the correct part is procured.
12. Description:
    

    A complete and accurate description of the item being requested is perhaps the most critical portion of a requisition. The description may be either a "catalog" or "common sense" notation of essential features.

    Care must be taken when writing a "catalog" description to omit parts which tend to limit competition of an item. When a catalog description is to be used, the following information should be included

    • Catalog date
    • Catalog page number
    • Catalog master reference number
    • Vendor the catalog was obtained from
    
    

    When writing a "common sense" description, a catalog description can be used as a guide to list features such as dimensions, brand name, color, height, weight, model number and accessories. All purchase requisitions will be assumed for the item(s) described or their equivalent unless the requisition specifies an exact item and is accompanied by proper written justification.

    If special features on an item tend to either make bidding restrictive or available only from one vendor (sole source), the requisitioner must prepare a written justification. This document should accompany the purchase requisition when submitted to Purchasing. If it is to be a sole source justification, mark the Description area "Sole Source."

13. Estimated Unit Price:
    

    Indicate the estimated cost of one unit of issue of the item described and not the estimated total cost of the item. At the bottom of this column, compute the estimated total cost of all requisitioned items.

    If you do not want to exceed a specified total purchase order cost, include the following statement at the bottom of the description section

    "Total cost must not exceed $________."

    Purchasing will not exceed that figure without first contracting the requisitioner for approval.