Purchasing/Stores Glossary of Terms

Glossary Terms Beginning with "P"

PAF
Personnel Action Form

PAS
Purchasing/Accounts Payable System.

PI
Principal Investigator.

PMA
Preventive Maintenance Agreement.

PMAW
Purchasing Management Association of Washington.

PO
Purchase Order.

PR
Personnel Request - form sent to Personnel office to request filling of a vacant position within the department.

PR1
Paper purchase requisition used when not placing an on-line order.

PR3
Request for Shared Purchase(s).

PR4
Budget Number Change Request form.

Packing List
A document which itemizes in detail the contents of a particular package or shipment.

Packing Slip
Paperwork included with an order which lists all items being delivered.

Patent
A grant made by the Register of Patents of the United States under the authority of federal legislation to an inventor, which gives the patentee the exclusive right to make, use, and sell the patented article. Per Diem - Daily allowance for food and lodging when traveling on University of Washington business.

Per Diem Advance Advance for food and lodging while in Travel status.

Performance Bond
A contract of guaranty executed subsequent to award by a successful bidder to protect the University from loss due to his/her inability to complete the contract as agreed.

Personal Services Contract
Refers to an agreement with an independent contractor for the rendering of specific types of services.

Petty Cash
A fund used to assist University departments in making small expenditure purchases.

Prepaid
A term denoting that transportation charges have been, or to be, paid at the point of shipment.

Prepay and Add
Shipping instructions issued by buying staff when placing orders requesting that the vendor pay the shipping charges and add them to the invoice they submit for payment.

Price Agreement
A contractual agreement in which a purchaser contracts with a vendor to provide the purchaser's requirements at a pre-determined price. Usually it involves a minimum number of units, orders placed directly with the vendor by the purchaser, and a limited duration of the contract (usually one year).

Price
The amount of money that will purchase a definite unit of quantity, weight, or other measure of a commodity.

Price at the Time of Delivery
A term used in sales contracts when market prices are so volatile that a vendor will not give a firm price or use an escalator clause, but will only agree to charge the price that he is charging all customers for similar purchases on the day he ships or delivers the goods in question.

Pro Forma Invoices
An invoice prepared by a vendor in advance of a sale to show the amount of the invoice which will be rendered to the purchaser if the sale is consummated. Used extensively in the publishing area and foreign purchases.

Procurement
The process of obtaining goods or services, including all activities from the preparation and processing of a requisition, through receipt and approval of the final invoice for payment The acts of preparing specifications, making the purchase, and administering the contract are involved. See Purchasing Cycle.

Project
On the Stores Order Form and Stores Online Ordering System. It is an optional field used by departments for internal cost accounting to identify buildings, labs, and projects. Up to six digits long.

Property Disposal Request
Notification of sale of state owned property. See University of Washington Policies & Procedures, Purchasing Department, Procedure 7.3.15.

Proposal
An offer made by one party to another as a basis for negotiations for entering into a contract.

Public Bid Opening
See Bid Opening.

Public Record
All information about University activities that is available for public inspection. Copies of public records and documents must be requested from the University of Washington Disclosure Office.

Public Works Bid
Bid for building or grounds work, construction, alteration, repair or improvement other than ordinary maintenance.

Purchase Order Number
Also known as a P.O. Number. A number assigned to an order University Stores is placing with a vendor.

Purchase Order
A purchaser's document used to formalize a purchase transaction with a vendor. A purchase order, when given to a vendor, should contain statements as to the quantity, description, and price of the goods or services ordered; agreed terms as to payment, discounts, date of performance, transportation terms, and all other agreements pertinent to the purchase and its execution by the vendor. Acceptance of a purchase order constitutes a contract.

Purchase Order
Also known as a P.O. A Purchase Order is an order placed by University Stores through a vendor.

Purchase Requisition
See Request for Purchase.

Purchasing Agent
An administrator whose job includes soliciting bids for purchases and making award of purchase contracts; Buyer. This is a "generic" term, and does not imply a particular HEPB position title.

Purchasing Cycle
The cycle of activities carried out by a purchasing department in the acquisition of goods and services. See Procurement.

Purchasing Ethics
Moral principles that apply to the personnel of the Purchasing Department and all people who are involved in the purchasing process, particularly with the respect to the use of government funds and relationships between buyers and sellers.

Purchasing
A University department, Purchasingis responsible (along with Stores) for the procurement of materials, equipment, supplies and services for all departments of the University of Washignton.

Purged Requisition
A requisition that has had no activity for six (6) months or that has been canceled by the department.