General Purchasing Process

Purchase Orders are written after the receipt of an authorized requisition.  The vendor must be in the state financial system to be processed.  If they are not on the system, they must fill out a NYS substitute W-9 form and return it to Procurement.  This may take a few days to a few weeks, depending on the turnaround time.  Once a requisition has been submitted and approved, a purchase order will be generated then mailed or faxed to the vendor.  The goldenrod copy of the PO will be sent to the department making the request.

It is sometimes necessary to make changes to a purchase order (PO) after the order has been sent to the vendor and before the PO has been closed.

Some reasons for changes are:

• Price has changed.
• Description has changed.
• Part # is wrong.
• Vendor can no longer supply one or more of the items.

If a change order is required, the following steps should be taken:

• Department sends to Procurement an email, fax or written note giving the details of the change.  This should include the PO#, vendor name, the change and the reason for the change.
• If the additional encumbrance is more than $20.00, approval for the expenditure must be obtained from the department account manager.
• Procurement will make the change on the SUNY purchase order system, reprint the purchase order and resend copies.

Please note that a change order cannot be completed after the order has been received and paid for.

DEFINITION

A split funded order is one in which some payment will come from State Funds and some payment will come from Research Funds.  It involves a special process and should only be used when absolutely necessary.

CONSIDERATIONS

• If any amount of State Funds (even as little as $1.00) are used to purchase equipment, title will be vested with the state and will be recorded on the SUNY Property Control System as a NYS asset.
• The order can be split ONLY if the sponsors' policy allows title to the equipment to ultimately vest with SUNY.  If title must vest with sponsor, the purchase may not be split.
• Equipment with title vested with SUNY cannot be transferred from state control.
• Equipment with title vested with SUNY may be used as a trade-in only toward the purchase of another SUNY funded equipment purchase.
• The Project Director may want to consider the possibility of separating the purchase of stand-alone components of a system rather than splitting the cost of one item.  If this option is chosen, the SUNY purchased components cannot be transferred from state control, but the Research Foundation purchased components can.  Note, this could be a problem if the components work together to perform one function.
• Applicable SUNY flexibility rules and regulations (bidding requirements, sole/single source, etc.) must be followed as appropriate for the TOTAL dollar amount of the item being purchased.

PROCEDURE

• Send a requisition to Procurement Services for the total amount.  Indicate on the requisition the account numbers and the amount for each funding source.  Department must verify that funds are available in both funding sources and that the split funding is allowable by the grant.  Attach all relevant information including quotations received, item information, etc.  All SUNY purchasing requirements will be followed depending on the total dollar amount.
• Procurement will type up a state purchase order for the state funded amount, and a "mock" purchase order for the Research funded amount, indicating in the body of both purchase orders, the total amount, and the funding split information and the two purchase order numbers.
• Procurement will send out both purchase orders to the vendor at one time.
• A copy of the purchase orders will be sent to the Research Foundation requisitioner.
• If the item qualifies as equipment, the equipment must be recorded on the State Property Control System as a State asset.  Research Foundation contribution amount, purchase order numbers and award number will be noted in the asset record.
• Vendor must submit two separate invoices for payment by State and Research Accounting.

When it is determined that a return is necessary, the following steps should be taken:

• Repackage the item with the original packaging, if possible.
• Mark the package with the purchase order # or attach a copy of the purchase order to the package.
• Contact Procurement Services giving the reason for the return, the purchase order #, and the vendor name.
• If you have contacted the vendor, please ask for a Return Material Authorization (RMS#), or an Authorization to Return (ATR) tag.
• Send the item with the return information to Procurement Services.
• If the item is large, please contact Procurement Services with the information and send the item to the Central Receiving area.
• Procurement Services will attach a blue return slip to the package, contact the vendor for pickup and change the original purchase order.

• Most deliveries resulting from purchase orders for equipment and supplies placed with vendors are currently being delivered to Buffalo State College, Clinton Center.  If there are special delivery instructions, please contact Procurement Services.
• After receipt at Clinton Center, the items will be delivered to the ordering department by campus mail.
• It is the department's responsibility to open and check the items for completeness and damage immediately upon receipt of the item(s).
• If the delivery is ok, the department must sign and date the goldenrod copy of the purchase order and send it to Accounting for payment.  It is important that this be completed in a timely manner.  No payments to the vendor can be made until the goldenrod copy is received by Accounting.
• If the delivery is partial, please note quantities received on the goldenrod and send a copy to Accounting with notations.  Keep the goldenrod until the order is complete and return the signed and dated copy to Accounting.