UC IRVINE ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES & PROCEDURES

UC Business and Finance Bulletins
BUS-43, Materiel Management Purchase Transactions, Part 3

UCI Administrative Policies & Procedures

Sections 707-10, Purchasing Procedures

A. Purchase Requisition

Requisitions are submitted electronically using UCI’s Purchasing/Accounting system (PAL). In order to use PAL, the person responsible for requisitioning departmental purchases must attend a training workshop and have appropriate access to the system. Information for requesting access can be obtained from Office of Information Technology .  

B. Completing the Purchase Requisition

Cost information for items may be obtained from the appropriate buyer. Requests may be made by letter, e-mail, or phone.

1. Special Considerations

a. Materials should be delivered directly to the department. Use Zot Code, if appropriate, or specify entire campus street address in the "deliver to" box.

b. Describe items specifically and thoroughly. Include quantity, unit of measure, name of article, size, grade, finish, etc.

c. Equipment - Requisitions should indicate either "for expanding facilities" or "for replacement." If replacing equipment, include:

• Equipment to be replaced; identify by name and serial number, if available.

• Intended disposition of such equipment if it is to be traded-in. Include the current location of the equipment and when, and with whom, Procurement Services should arrange inspection.

d. Blanket Orders

Requisitions for specific needs over a period of time, such as recurring services, are referred to as blanket orders. Blanket orders for amounts less then $1,000 are discouraged. Departments with a Low Value delegation are encouraged to place these orders on an as-need basis using PAL and/or PalCard. Blanket orders for large dollar amounts are subject to the same requirements (formal competitive bidding, justification, etc.) as other high value purchase orders.

Completing the blanket order:

(1) Indicate the begin and end date of the blanket order. An order cannot be issued for more than one year at a time, unless it is covering the period of a grant (not to exceed three years).

(2) If the blanket order is for maintenance of equipment, indicate type of equipment, location, serial and property number.

(3) Include the name and telephone extension of a contact person.

(4) Indicate the dollar amount of the blanket order. The dollar amount of the blanket order must be established to cover the full term of the order. If the order is a renewal, the previous year's usage may help determine the amount.

Blanket order renewals can be processed using the CPY TXN in PAL. PAL access to the requisition transactions is required.

e. Use of Brand Names

While brand names may help simplify the preparation of requisitions for many supply type purchases, brand names should be used for descriptive purposes only, and should be followed by the words "or equal" when more than one brand is acceptable as a measure of quality.

f. Sole Source and No Substitute Requisition

When a specific item is necessary and substitutes will not meet specifications, a sole source justification is required. The justification needs to describe the situation and/or the technical reasons for the sole source request. Justifications may include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• Additional components or parts needed to match existing.
• Necessary to meet physical design requirements.
• Conforms to University standard.
• Compliance with the University's standard.
• Essential characteristics not found in items from other manufacturers.

As with other acquisitions, Procurement Services will also need to determine that the University is paying a reasonable price, as defined in UC Business and Finance Bulletin BUS-43, Part I.

2. Approvals

a. All requisitions must be approved by an authorized departmental representative.

b. On multiple-page requisition forms, only the last page of the requisition should be signed.

3. Distribution of Requisition Forms

Send original and remaining copies, with carbons attached, to Procurement Services.

4. Information

For further information, consult:

a. Procurement Services for purchasing information.

b. Accounting Office regarding budgets and accounts.

C. Requisitions Requiring Special Handling

• Narcotics, Controlled Substances and Carcinogens
• Hypnotics
• Radioactive materials
• Precious metals

D. Purchase Order Change Request

1. The Vendor name cannot be changed with a POCR. The order must be canceled via a POCR and a new order issued.

2. "Closing" the order via a POCR will automatically release the lien.

3. POCR's change only purchase order information and have no effect on payments already made. To correct ledger information, see UC Accounting Manual, F-235-45.

4. POCR's to change quantities and prices must be specified for individual line items. The total will be recalculated based on the change. Changes cannot be made on "Order Total" only.

5. Split accounts are entered into PAL by percentage. If a specific dollar amount is required on accounts, the percentage should be determined including applicable tax and submitted on the POCR.

6. POCR's received to make changes to a purchase order that is already received, paid and closed will not be processed. The "NO CHANGE ORDER WILL BE ISSUED" box will be checked and signed by Procurement Services and returned to the department.

E. Completing the Purchase Order Change Request

1. Purchase Order No. - A purchase order number is required to identify the purchase order being changed.

2. Dept. & Contact - Type the department's name and the name of the person to contact if questions arise concerning the POCR.

3. Telephone - Phone number of the department contact person.

4. Date - Date the POCR is prepared.

5. Vendor - The name of the vendor from the original purchase order.

6. Vendor No. (VCK) - The vendor number assigned by the PAL system that appears on the printed purchase order above the Vendor name.

7. Original Date of Requisition - If available, the original date the requisition was submitted to Procurement Services.

8. Full Accounting Units (FAU) - Indicate changes to be made to the account(s) on the original purchase order. In the "P/F" space, indicate whether or not the full amount of the encumbrance should be released.

a. Enter a "P" (partial) to increase or decrease the encumbrance by the amount of this particular transaction only.

b. Enter an "F" (full) to have the encumbrance balance set to zero.

9. Order Should Read

a. Describe all changes to be made to the body of the original purchase order. Changes must be made by original item number. Include only items to be changed and enter information as it should appear with the changes. Be specific and include all modifications to quantity, unit of measure, description, catalog number, unit price and total amount. Example: If the original order was for 5 ea. legal tablets 8 ½ x 11" @ $2.50 ea., then information to change quantity, description and unit price would be typed in the Order Should Read space of the POCR:

QTY	UOM	DESCRIPTION		UNIT PRICE	TOTAL						

10 	ea.  	Writing tablets 5"x8"  	$1.95	  	$19.50

		Cat.# AB-123

b. If items are being added or deleted from an original order this format should be used:

Add item 4:

1	ea.	Filing Boxes 		$5.50		$5.50 

		Cat. #  ZA-22			


Delete Item 2:

3	bxs.	Staples			$ .79		$2.37

10. Indicate Reason For Change/Comments - Indicate the reason for the change(s) you wish to be made. (Example: Additional item required to complete installation.)

11. Department Approval and Date Approved - An authorized departmental representative must sign and date the form authorizing Procurement Services to make the requested changes.