Equipment and Supplies
PURCHASING
Each employee who may need to requisition equipment, supplies, or services must be familiar with the College's purchasing procedures and work closely with the Purchasing Agent (x263), Facilities and Receiving Assistant (x386), and with Accounts Payable (x267) to complete the purchasing process. Purchasing follows a structured process to comply with the laws and regulations of the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina Community College System. These regulations can be accessed from the State of North Carolina Purchasing Manual, found on-line at http://www.doa.state.nc.us/PandC/
No employee is authorized to purchase goods or services without a purchase order unless the purchase is less than $25.00 and can be made from petty case funds (See "Petty Cash", Business Operations, SECTION III.) Purchase orders are prepared by the College Purchasing Agent from an authorized requisition form. Any employee who does not follow this process can be held personally liable for the cost of the equipment, supplies or services ordered.
SELECTING VENDORS
STATE CONTRACTS. Many items are covered under State Term Contracts, with the vendors and pricing pre-determined. Term contracts can be accessed on-line at http://www.doa.state.nc.us/PandC/
NON-CONTRACTED ITEMS. If an item is not listed on a state contract, the item(s) can be purchased from any registered North Carolina E-Procurement vendor. E-Procurement is the internet system NC Community College"s have been mandated to purchase through. A search for registered vendors can be done on-line at http://www.ncgov.com/eprocurement/asp/section/registered_vendor_search.asp
A good faith effort should be made to solicit from a HUB vendor. A "HUB" vendor is a historically underutilized business in which at least 51% of the business is owned by a minority, woman, or disable person.
Bid Process. Depending on cost, some items must be bid. An item costing $1,500.00 or more, or a total order to one vendor costing $1,500.00 or more, should be competitively solicited through at least three vendors. Per North Carolina State law, item(s) costing $5,000.00 or more should be solicited through a written bid request, to be prepared by the College Purchasing Agent. Item(s) exceeding $10,000.00 must be submitted for approval to the North Carolina Department of Administration.
REQUISITIONING PROCESS
The College's requisitioning process ensures that an accurate and legitimate purchase is done with authorization that funds are available in budgeted monies to pay for the expenditure. Requisition forms are available from the Purchasing Office. Employees should follow the process outlined below:
1. Determine where the item can be purchased.
a. If an item is on a state contract, complete the requisition form with contract information available on the internet at http://www.doa.state.nc.us/PandC/.
b. If an item is not covered under state contract, determine if bidding is required. For item(s) costing $1,500.00-$5,000.00, a minimum of three quotes should be obtained on the item(s). If the requisitioner chooses to obtain these, the information gathered should be attached to the requisition. If the requisitioner does not obtain quotes, the request should be marked "Request for Bid". Recommended vendor(s) can be listed on the requisition.
c. If an item is not covered under state contract and bidding is not required, the items can be requested from any registered "E-Procurement" vendor, with respect to the "HUB" policy under 3.2.4.1.
2. Complete the requisition form to include the following information:
a. Date, requesting department, contract number (if applicable), budget category, recommended vendor, and line item code.
b. Item-ordering information, including a complete description of the item(s), unit cost, total cost, shipping and handling, and sales tax.
c. Signature of the division dean or department head.
d. If an item is equipment (costing $1,000.00 or more), the proposed location of the item should be listed on the requisition.
3. The division dean or department head forwards the requisition to the Vice President for Financial and Administrative Services for approval. The requisition is then forwarded to the College Purchasing Agent.
4. From the requisition, the Purchasing Agent completes a purchase order that is transmitted to the vendor with copies sent to the employee requesting the item(s), their division dean or department head, and the Facilities and Receiving Assistant.
5. The employee requesting the item(s) verifies that the received order is correct and complete.
a. When the employee receives the item(s) requested, the employee should return the white receiving record (prepared by the Facilities and Receiving Assistant) that should be attached to the order.
b. If there is a discrepancy between what is received and what is listed on the white receiving record, or if an item is damaged, the employee should notify the Facilities and Receiving Assistant or the Purchasing Agent immediately. (See "Receiving Goods and Services," Business Operations, SECTION III.)
Employees should note:
- Request services and repairs with the same requisition and purchase order procedures. (See "Equipment Orders and Repairs", Equipment and Supplies)
- The requisitioner should keep their sent copy of the completed purchase order and requisition. The information may be needed for further orders or inventories.
- In the Instructional Division, purchases must be linked to annual departmental goals and linked to the College's biannual priorities. If requests for equipment, supplies, and services (including travel) are not submitted on department goals forms prepared each spring, they will not be included in the budget and cannot be requisitioned.
If an employee finds that a vendor will not accept a purchase order (such as for pizza purchases for club activities) an invoice for the purchase can be attached to a Request for Issuance of Check form. Prior approval should be obtained before committing to such purchases. Request for Issuance of Check forms should also be used to process items such as registration fees, honorariums for speakers, etc. Use of this form should be limited and is not intended to circumvent the purchasing procedures outlined above.
RECEIVING GOODS AND SERVICES
All goods ordered by the College should arrive at the Shipping & Receiving Department in the Student Center. As equipment and supplies are received, they are matched to the proper purchase order and verified as soon as possible. After the Facilities and Receiving Assistant verifies that the good(s) match the item(s) as ordered on the purchase order, the clerk attached a white Receiving Record to the item(s), which is then delivered to the employee who requested the goods as noted on the shipping label or the purchase order.
Returning the Receiving Record. The person receiving the goods should sign the Receiving Record, which acknowledges that the order has been received and verified. The record should be returned to the Facilities and Receiving Assistant via the person making the delivery or through campus mail. Without verification of receipt of the goods, the Accounts Payable Accounting Assistant will not be able to pay the vendor.
Discrepancies in Order. If the person receiving the goods finds that there is a discrepancy in the order or that the order has missing parts, he or she should contact the Facilities and Receiving Assistant or the Purchasing Agent immediately.
Defective Merchandise. If the goods do not operate properly or are defective, the person receiving the goods should notify the Purchasing Agent. Returns of merchandise because of vendor or College error are handled by the Purchasing Agent with the assistance of the person ordering the item(s). See the description of Parcel Services in "Mail Procedures," Physical Facilities, SECTION III.
Receipt of Services. The procedure for receiving services, such as repair of equipment, is the same as the procedure for receiving goods, with the exception that the person requesting the services may not receive a Receiving Record, as the services do not come through the Shipping & Receiving Department. The person requesting the services should notify the Facilities and Receiving Assistant when the services have been completed, providing the appropriate purchase order number.
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