Purchasing
Purchasing and Administrative Services
Responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring the University's procurement policies and procedures. Its principal objective is to achieve a balance between reducing product and service expenditures while assuring the acquisition of quality goods and services. The office, in conjunction with Facilities and IT, also creates and ensures standards of quality, safety, and compatibility. Furthermore, it has the overall responsibility of evaluating all purchase requisitions to assure compliance with the University’s spending policy, vendor approval, monitoring the competitive bidding process and providing advice and assistance to the Molloy community concerning the acquisition process.
The purchasing department is responsible for the following University initiatives:
- Final approver for all purchase orders for the University
- Acquisition and management of the University’s fleet of print devices
- Acquisition and management of all furniture purchases and delivery
- Facilitate new automobile lease acquisitions
- Manage cellular device users and facilitate upgrades/terminations on the account
- Management of the American Express V-Card process
- Final approval for all Amazon business account purchase requests and WB Mason (supplies) purchase requests
- Manage gasoline charge cards
- Water cooler rentals (when necessary)
Purchase Orders
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Purchase Order Procedure
As part of Molloy’s internal financial controls, the Purchasing and Accounting departments have implemented the purchase requisition process to help manage requests for purchases. Requests for the creation of purchase of goods and services are documented and routed for approval within the organization and then delivered to the purchasing department.
A Purchase Requisition form is an electronic process initiated by a department via Lion’s Den to notify the Purchasing department of items it needs to order, their quantity, and the time frame for completing the order. It also provides the authorization(s) to proceed with the purchase. You must attach a quote from the vendor with every purchase requisition uploaded to Lion’s Den, including for blanket PO’s. Requisitions not meeting the requirements will be returned for correction. – See Dollar limits and signature requirements
Once the purchase requisition is received and reviewed by the Purchasing department, a Purchase Order is produced. This encumbers the amount against the departmental budget in the general ledger and enables departments to be able to see a more accurate picture of the remaining budgetary funds available for use for the remainder of the fiscal year. However, this does not feed directly into the accounts payable system. Payment authorizations must be completed and submitted upon receipt of goods/services for the vendor to be paid. Upon receipt of the items ordered, it is the department’s responsibility to check the packing slip to ensure all items have been received and that the amount on the invoice matches the approved Purchase Order.
Molloy University requires that competitive bidding be utilized in all instances where goods or services exceed cost limits, outlined in the dollar limits and signature requirements reference guide, and will be purchased from external suppliers. If it is necessary to request a specific consultant, brand name, specific manufacturer, or other sole source as the supplier of a product or service, the department is required to provide the Purchasing department with written justification for the request, including evaluations of the product or service and the supplier(s) and specific evidence of all research conducted in order to make the sole source determination.
[Link to bid form]
[Link to sole source form]
Please ensure that sufficient funds are in the proper operating expense lines of your approved budget prior to any purchases and/or request to purchase is made. Purchasing will be unable to process a Purchase Requisition or issue a Purchase Order unless budgetary funds are available. If necessary, please complete a Budget Transfer in Lion’s Den prior to the submission of a Purchase Requisition.
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Blanket Purchase Orders
A Blanket Purchase Order is a type of Purchase Order the department can use for a vendor which can contain multiple delivery dates or multiple orders throughout the fiscal year. It is normally used when there is a recurring need for expendable goods (i.e. supplies). This is a helpful budget tool that will allow a department to encumber a predetermined dollar amount to be spent at a particular vendor for a specific operating expense line.
Blanket purchase orders are required for all purchases over $1,000.00. Purchase orders should be obtained annually in July for all recurring payments including, but not limited to Utilities, insurance, advertising campaigns, consulting fees, supplies, etc…