About Your Department

Guidelines for placing small dollar orders aka "Confirming Requisitions"

	Your Responsibilities What You Need to Know Before Purchasing Anything Purchasing Ethics Who Can Purchase? WA Statutes/Authority Delegation Agreement Signatures Confirming Requisitions Special Requirements Commodities Restricted Items Your Purchases Tracking Purchases Receiving Purchases Returning Purchases

Please also see: Who Can Purchase?

What is a small dollar order? – A small dollar order is any order that falls within the department’s direct buy limit (currently set by statute at $3300). As of July 1, 2009 our policy will prohibit any order under $3300 from being placed in PAS with some exceptions. Please see exceptions at (link to the exceptions here). If you are placing a small dollar order as an exception in PAS please see the instructions below.

What does confirming mean? – Confirming is purchasing jargon that simply means that an order has been placed with a vendor by a UW department before it has been entered in PAS and forwarded to Purchasing. When you mark a requisition in PAS as confirming, this tells Purchasing staff that the order has already been placed. Purchasing’s role then is reduced to setting the order up into a payable status so that Payables can process invoices against that order.

Instructions

Before you place your order in PAS please consider eCommerce options (ProCard and eProcurement) for help determining the appropriate method, see the Procurement Guide to Goods and Services at: http://www.washington.edu/admin/purchstores/purchtrix/

Placing small dollar (Confirming) Orders with a Vendor

1. Get a requisition number from your department's authorized person.
2. Call vendors, identify yourself and your department. Note the name and phone number of each vendor's salesperson.
3. List the items and quantities you need, obtain price quotes and estimated delivery dates.
   • Ask for "educational discounts" or a payment discount (e.g., 1% if paid in 10 days). Otherwise, the University's standard payment terms are 30 days after receipt of the invoice, by Accounts Payable, or the goods, whichever is later.
   • Do not disclose prices to competitors or attempt to have vendors lower their prices because of the price another company offers you; this is considered an unfair practice.
   • Ask about shipping costs and methods (e.g., UPS) as well as any other charges including fuel surcharges, inside delivery, special handling etc.
4. Place the order with the vendor which best meets your price and delivery needs.
   • Verify the vendor's full company name and address.
   • Give the vendor the requisition number to use as the order number on their invoice. Tell them to address the invoice to:

     University of Washington
     Accounts Payable
     3917 University Way NE
     Seattle, WA 98105-6692
     206-543-4500
     

   • Emphasize that the invoice must show the requisition/order number, or it will be returned to the vendor.
5. Give the vendor your exact departmental delivery address and any special delivery instructions, including:
   • Give directions to the nearest load zone or loading dock. If you do not know the nearest loading area, you can call Parking Services (206-543-1543) can help you with locations or directions can be obtained at gatehouses at the entrances to campus.
   • If the vehicle is unmarked, drivers must obtain a parking permit from a gatehouse.
   • If the delivery is going to take more than 30 minutes, make arrangements in advance with Parking Services at 206-685-1543.
   • Parking is prohibited on campus sidewalks, grounds, and roadways.
6. You are responsible for routine status checks, material problems, and late deliveries. For prolonged problems, contact the Buyer.

Entering Confirming Requisitions Online

1. Enter confirming requisitions online in PAS immediately. If a vendor bills for an item but the requisition is not entered or complete, the invoice will be rejected by Accounts Payable and/or late payment charges billed to your department.
2. Follow the standard on-line PAS requisition entry format, except mark "X" in the Confirming box on the General Data screen so that Purchasing does not duplicate your order.
3. Mark "Y" in the attachment box if you have a vendor's order form. Mail the form, with the requisition number, to Requisition Entry, Box 351130, immediately.
4. Indicate in Comments if the vendor requires a written order before shipping and one will be issued by Purchasing.
5. Regularly check PAS for any requisitions that need completion or correction. Confirming requisitions are routed electronically through established review processes and may be rejected if the purchase is not in compliance with granting agency or UW policies.
6. Forward any invoice sent directly to your department by the vendor to Accounts Payable, Box 351130, immediately.

Change Orders

1. Send a memo or e-mail to the Buyer immediately if there are any changes in price or quantity, or if any items are added or deleted. Include:
   • requisition number,
   • vendor name, and
   • description of the changes/dollar adjustment that should be made.

   Remember:  the revised order total may not exceed $3,300.

2. If items are exchanged or returned, fill out and submit a Returned Goods Memorandum .

Restricted Items

Restricted Items - All Budgets

You may not use confirming orders for these items at any cost. Any questions about items that are authorized for confirming orders should be directed to the appropriate commodityBuyer.

• Facility maintenance and repair: contact Facilities Services for all buildings and grounds work. If you are located in off campus rented facilities, contact the UW Real Estate Office.
• Furnishings: carpeting, window coverings and shelving.
• Hazardous items: radioactive chemicals, lab refrigerators, pressure vessels, biological safety cabinets, fume hoods, and other hazardous materials. If you need to purchase disposal services, contact Environmental Health and Safety.
• Printing and copy/duplicating: book binding, graphic design, photocopying, printing--contact Publications Services. Petty cash may be used as an option for copying services from off-campus vendors up to $200.
• Telecommunications: contact Communication Technologies for all telephone equipment and services, including cellular and portable phones and radio pagers.
• Vehicles: purchase of vehicles, aircraft or vessel charter. For rental of vehicles in Seattle, contact UW Motor Pool; for rentals during travel status, refer to UW Travel Contact the Buyer for all aircraft or vessel charters.
• Goods or services from other University departments: contact the specific department, such as from Media Services, which will charge your budget by CTI, JV or ISD.
• Term Contracts: orders for a specific period of time, such as open orders, standing orders and maintenance contracts, must be set up through Purchasing. (See Recurring/Repetitive.)
• Services provided by University employees, or any temporary services which involve an employer/employee relationship, must be paid through UW Payroll. For personal services where no employer/employee relationship exists, refer to Administrative Policy Statement 59.1, Contracting for Outside Services, and the Payments to Individuals using Check Request Forms University of Washington 1570 or University of Washington 1571 Web page.