Except in unusual cases, all purchases of equipment and services
should be made through the University, and not by personal funds
or credit cards. The purchase order process has been streamlined
so it should be fast. Because of the need for a valid authorizing
signature, a printout of the electronic purchase order must be signed
and submitted at the same time the electronic purchase order is
e-mailed. All requests for purchasing with personal funds or credit
cards should be described in an e-mail message to Mary Erickson, Mechanical Engineering Business Administrator,
requesting approval.
Here are the basics for issuance of a PO:
1. Fill out an electronic Requisition form, which
is an Excel spreadsheet. Depending on your browser this link may
open as an Excel spreadsheet within your browser (confusing!), or
as a stand-alone Excel document. However I suggest you download
the file to your hard disk (right click on PC, click-hold on Mac).
In any case, after you fill it in, save it with a descriptive filename
on your own hard disk. You will want to keep it for next time you
order from the same vendor. Also you will need to be able to locate
the file in order to e-mail it to Ms. Sinta Kulanda, the department's
new Accounting Assistant. For a sample of a completed Requisition
form, e-mail Sinta.
2. E-mail the form to Sinta (s-kulanda@northwestern.edu).
Sinta will enter the order into the CUFS system electronically (that's
why it is important that it be e-mailed). After several layers of
approvals, the order will be faxed (or, if a FAX number is not available,
mailed) to the vendor.
Note: When the PO is faxed or mailed out of NU
Purchasing, both the requester and the account owner will receive
e-mail from Sinta, for notification and review.
3. Authorization. This depends on how the account
owner has set it up. By default, the physical signature of the account
owner is required, so you need to print out a copy of the Requisition,
and sign it (if you are the account owner) or get it signed by the
account owner. (This is in addition to e-mailing the Requisition.)
This signed print out must be delivered to the ME office before
processing can begin.
Note: account owners may arrange variations on
authorization. For instance, for LIMS lab, students should e-mail
a completed Requisition to their advisor, who will forward it to
Sinta.
4. Quotes from vendors. Often you have set up
an order with a vendor, either by phone or web, prior to pursuing
a PO. In this case be sure to put the quote number or order number
on the Requisition so that the vendor can associate the incoming
PO with the existing quote or order.
5. In a hurry? Many vendors will ship based on
a PD number, even one given over the phone. You can get a PD number
from the ME office if the vendor is an existing NU vendor.
A PD is a promise that a bona-fide PO is coming later. Complete
the process as above to make good on the promise. Also,
to avoid duplicate shipments in this situation, put the PD number
on the Requisition, and write CONFIRMING in the special instructions.
6. Packing Slips and Invoices. The vendor will
not be paid unless the ME office receives either
an original invoice or a packaging slip signed and dated to the
effect that all the materials ordered have been received. Caution:
if a partial order is received, be sure to note this so that your
grant is not charged for a completed order.
FAQ:
- The vendor wants to know to whom
to send the Invoice (a.k.a. Billing address).
Have original invoices mailed
to the address below. (Fax'd or photocopied invoices are not
sufficient.)
Department of Mechanical Engineering Dept., Tech B224, 2145
Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208.
- I didn't get a Packing Slip, or
I lost it.
You can sign and date the Invoice, or just write, sign and
date a detailed memo to the ME office verifying receipt of the
order.
- What if I don't know the vendor's
FEIN number? What is an FEIN number, anyway?
The FEIN (Federal Employer Identification Number) is the vendor's
tax ID number. If you are ordering from a company you know has
already done business with NU (e.g., you have ordered from them
before, you know someone else has ordered from them before),
then that company's FEIN is already in the system. Skip this
step. If you aren't sure, ask the vendor for their FEIN when
you are gathering information for your order - all salespersons
know their company's FEIN.
- What information should I request
from a new vendor?
Vendor's full business name, mailing address, sales contact
(name, phone, and fax), FEIN number. Put this all on the Requisition.
- I don't have the vendor's fax
number.
If it's a vendor NU deals with a lot, don't worry about it.
Otherwise, it will improve the odds of getting your PO filled
quickly and accurately if you find the name of the person expecting
your order and the best fax number, and put this information
on the Requisition. All University POs go out by fax.
- What's a CUFS number? What CUFS
number should I use?
A CUFS number designates which account the money is to be
taken from. Ask your advisor which one to use.
- What's an "object" (in
the CUFS number)
Within an account, purchases of different types are categorized
by "object". Many grants restrict how much money is
spent on various types of expenditures, and this is how that is
tracked. You don't have to supply an "object" number,
someone will fill that in later.
- Who's name goes in "order
placed by"?
The person who wants the stuff being ordered (you!)
- What about Travel Expense (T&E)
reimbursement?
Tape all receipts to 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper. Staple these
sheets to a completed Travel Expense Report. Sign the report;
faculty must sign the "approval" line. Deliver it
to the ME office along with a signed print out of the requisition
form. This system has not yet been automated, but an Excel version
of the NU Travel Expense Form is available at http://nuinfo.northwestern.edu/finsys/polcydoc/travelmenu.htm.
This link also has Northwestern University's Travel Policies
and Procedures in a PDF document.
- What about purchases on credit
cards?
Do not use credit cards for purchases without prior written
approval from Mary Erickson. The new ME electronic purchasing
system is very efficient. It is Northwestern University policy
that all purchases be preceded by a purchase order.
Also, NU's Standards for Business Conduct http://www.northwestern.edu/ethics/.
If you feel it is necessary not to use the University's purchasing
system, contact Mary Erickson and special handing will
be discussed.
- I already set this order up on
the web. Can I just refer to the order number instead of typing
all the items into the Requisition?
No, we're tracking every item ordered. See if you can reformat
your list to match the column layout of the Requisition, and
copy/paste it in. Also - very important for accuracy - if you
have set up an order, put the quotation number or order number
on the Requisition. You can be sure that what you put on the
Requisition will be transmitted accurately to the vendor (it's
all electronic), but it goes there by fax! When the vendor reads
the fax, they may make mistakes. Avoid this by giving the vendor
the order number, so they can look it up instead of typing it
from the fax.
- I ordered a Dell computer and
the quotation is huge! Do I really have to list all this stuff
on the requisition item-by-item?
No, just put the main things, and refer to the e-quote number.
- I'm ordering more than 20 items
Fill out a second Requisition, left blank except for the list
of items. Note on the first page "special instructions"
panel that there is a second page attached.
- Can I modify the layout of the
Requisition in Excel?
Please don't. It's read into a database, and that won't work
if you modify it.
- Can I still use an old version
of the Requisition form, when a newer version is available?
Possibly; however, priority will always be given to requisitions
using the electronic purchasing system.
- Comments, questions, suggestions
on all aspects of the purchasing process in the Department of
Mechanical Engineering:
Contact: Mary Erickson
October 2, 2005
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