Department of Biological Sciences Stockroom FAQ’s
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General
Q. Is this a University of Pittsburgh Stockroom?
A. Yes, specifically, this is the Department of Biological Sciences Stockroom.
Q. Why did the Stockroom change their operating procedures?
A. There are many factors that were taken into account prior to implementing changes to the Stockroom.
- Process improvements to streamline ordering: The PantherBuy system is a web-based procurement tool which links authorized University of Pittsburgh purchasers to contracted suppliers, like the Biological Sciences Stockroom. The University uses this system to streamline the process of purchasing goods.
- Account Number Validation: Within the PantherBuy system, the account number will be validated on all orders ensuring they are active and valid. This eliminates problems on the back end invoicing process due to invalid or inactive account numbers, which prevents payments to be made for up to 3 months.
- Proper Authorization: Pantherbuy is an enterprise wide Purchasing/Financial system that permits authorized users to purchase items against university accounts. Accordingly, PantherBuy is mandated to follow University of Pittsburgh policies 10-02-05 and 10-02-06 governing user access to the system. The old method of purchasing from the Stockroom did not provide the necessary security to ensure purchasers were authorized to make those purchases at the time the orders were being placed.
- Chemical Tracking: The University’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) is mandated to track Chemicals of Interest on campus. PantherBuy will allow EH&S to track the chemicals that are soldfrom the stockroom.
- Going Green: The elimination of paper orders helps the University stay greener.
Q. Why does the punchout look like Fisher Scientific’s punchout?
A. The Stockroom is operated with inventory management support from Fisher Scientific and as such, our PantherBuy system is integrated with the Fisher Scientific inventory management system known as RIMS. Our Stockroom catalog is run off of the Fisher Scientific software platform, which is why it mirrors the regular Fisher Scientific punchout.
Q. Does that mean I can order any Fisher Scientific item from the Stockroom punchout?
A. No, only items that are stocked in the Stockroom are available in the Stockroom punchout. Currently, the Stockroominventories around 600 of the most frequently purchased items by Stockroom customers. For a complete list, please login to PantherBuy, and select the category or supplier you are interested in purchasing from the “Company Wide Hotlist” drop down box.
Q. Can I purchase non Fisher Scientific items from the Stockroom?
A. Yes, the Stockroom catalog is made up of the same assortment of items as it was previously. A committee of individuals reviews the Stockroom orders routinely to adjust the selection according to demand and user wants and needs.
Q. If I have a Hotlist saved in my FisherScientific punchout on PantherBuy will that carry over to my Stockroom Hot List?
A. No, since the Stockroom punchout is a separate vendor in PantherBuy, Hotlist’s from other suppliers, including Fisher Scientific, are not accessible within the Stockroom punchout.
Q. I used to buy a VWR brand item from the stockroom. Why was it replaced with a different brand?
A. A cross departmental team lead by the Department of Biological Sciences was created to oversee, direct and manage the Stockroom implementation. During that time, a sub team was assigned responsibility to review the current inventory, determine appropriate stock levels and evaluate products for cost saving opportunities. If the product you used to buy from the stockroom has been replaced by a different brand, it was approved as an appropriate “technical equivalent” product by the sub team.
Q. What if I do not want to accept the new brand of product in the stockroom?
A. If you were previously ordering a VWR brand item and wish to continue using that particular product you may order through the VWRHosted Catalog on PantherBuy. For additional help searching the new VWR Hosted Catalog please try that following Did You Know article. DAVINNA LINK TO SEARCH DYK
Q. Can I still place my order directly by going down to the Stockroom?
A. No, walk up orders are no longer accepted. All orders can be placed directly in the Stockroom punchout on PantherBuy from the convenience of your desktop.
Q. Can I still pickup my orders directly by going down to the Stockroom?
A. Yes, the pickup feature is still available. Once your order is placed and completed by the Stockroom personnel you will receive an email notification from hat your order is ready for pickup.
Q. Can other University of Pittsburgh campuses order from the Department of Biological Sciences Stockroom?
A. No, this Stockroom is only for the University of Pittsburgh Oakland campus.
Q. How do I figure out the new part number if I only have the old Stockroom part number?
A. The old Stockroom part numbers are being phased out; however, the Stockroom punchout can help you find the item you are looking for even if you do not have the new part number. Simply, login to PantherBuy, select the Stockroom punchout, click on “Place Rapid Order”(located in the upper right hand corner or Home page) and enter the old Stockroom part number you have. The system will cross reference the old part number and direct you to the new part number.
Searching the Stockroom punchout
Q. How do I search for items in the new punchout? DAVINNA
A. There are numerous ways to search for your items in the Stockroom punchout. Please click here to view the Did You Know article that contains comprehensive list with screen shots of the search capabilities available.
Q. What if I can’t find an item that I used to buy from the Stockroom?
A. If you have the old Stockroom part number you can enter it in the “Place Rapid Order” feature to locate the current part number. If you do not have the old Stockroom part number you can perform a key word search or try searching one of the Stockroom Hotlists. To search a Stockroom Hotlist by category or supplier click on “My Hotlist” (located in the upper right hand corner)and use the drop down box in the “Company” Hotlist section to try and locate your item. Each list in the drop down box is grouped by either product category or supplier. Once you locate the list you would like to search click “Activate”. All products sold by that supplier or within that category will be listed. For more assistance, please email the Stockroom for assistance at .
Q. I order the same items repeatedly, is there a feature to efficiently reorder these items?
A. Yes. There is a feature on the Stockroom punchout that allows you to save lists of favorites for quick order purposes. The feature is called: “My Hotlists”. You can create multiple “Personal”Hotlists depending on your shopping preference.
Q. How do I use the Hotlist functionality? DAVINNA
A. Please click here to view the Did You Know article on Hotlists.
Q. How do I use the Place Rapid Order feature?
A. If you know the Fisher catalog number, Manufacturer or Supplier part number, or the old Stockroom part number, you can place that information in the available box along with the quantity you would like to order. As long as the part exists in the Stockroom inventory, you will be able to add it to your cart.
Q. Why does my initial search result show more items than actually appear when I click on the product link I want to order?
A. The results that appear initially are inclusive of all the products that meet that search criteria available from Fisher Scientific. After clicking on the link, the system will only show you those products that are currently available from the Stockroom.
Checking Outof the Stockroom
Q. Can I add items from other PantherBuy suppliers in my shopping cart with my Stockroom items?
A.No, because of the subcode account restrictions associated with the Stockroom you can only add items from the Stockroom to your cart and checkout. If you place items into the same shopping cart from other suppliers your order will fail. This applies for all suppliers in PantherBuy and therefore all vendors must have their own shopping cart.
Q. Can I add notes to my Stockroom order?
A. Yes. You can enter an internal and an external note to an order. An internal note can be seen only by the UniversityAccount Approvers or Department Buyers and are NOT sent to the Stockroom. Internal notes can be used to communicate information to the Departmental Buyer regarding the specific grant, account, or lab that the specific order is associated. An EXTERNAL NOTE can be added to the requisition, and WILL be seen by the Stockroom.Bernie to validate.
Q. How do I find out if my order was processed?
A. All orders entered into the PantherBuy system will receive an email confirmation from letting you know your order was received by the Stockroom.The email acknowledgement serves as a final notice that your order successfully made its way through the system.
Q. What is subcode 6088 and why does it have to be used in the Stockroom punchout?
A. Subcode 6088 is the subcode that is designated “Interdepartmental Non-Overhead Bearing Supplies”. Purchases made on this subcode are exempt the indirect fee charged to researchers by the University. Purchases from the Stockroom are considered Interdepartmental Charges (IDC’s), therefore if any other subcode is used, the cart will be returned to the requisitioner in PantherBuy. In order to successfully place your stockroom order, subcode 6088 must always be used.
Q. While viewing the punchout checkout, why did I get logged out and my cart emptied?DAVINNA
A. This is a common error user’s encounter while shopping in a punchout. For helpful tips to avoid this, please click here to learn more about this topic.
Delivery/Pickup
Q. Is there a delivery fee?
A. Yes, there is a $3.00 fee, which will be noted as a Handling Fee on your Purchase Order.
Q. Is the delivery fee applied to orders that are picked up?
A. No, but you will have to manually edit your order in PantherBuy checkout process to change it from a delivery to a pickup to ensure you are not charged the delivery fee.
Q. How do I change my order to pickup?
A. After your cart is returned to the PantherBuy application, click on Review. In the Supplier / Line Item Detail section and underneath Bio Sciences Stock Room, you will see “Stock Room Delivery Fee”. Click on Edit and select “Stockroom Pickup: US” and you will be returned to your active cart. The Handling will be $0.00. If you would like to set up your preference to default to pickup, you can do so in the Supplier / Line Item Detail section. Underneath Bio Sciences Stock Room, you will see “Stock Room Delivery Fee”. Click on Edit and select “Stockroom Pickup: US” and check “save as my preferred”. Select “save”.
Q. How do I change my order to delivery?
A. Your order is automatically defaulted to include the delivery charge, unless you changed and saved your preference to default to “Stockroom Pickup: US”. After your cart is returned to the PantherBuy application, click on Review. Underneath Bio Sciences Stockroom, you will see “Stockroom Pickup”. Click on Edit and select “Stockroom Delivery Fee: US”. Select “save”. You will be returned to your active cart. You will now be charged the $3.00 Handling fee and your order will be delivered.
Q. My order was submitted as a delivery and I decided to pick it up. Will I be refunded the $3.00 handling fee?
A. No, unfortunately once your order is submitted the handling fee cannot be refunded.
Q. My order was submitted as a pickup and now I need it delivered. Can it be delivered?
A. No, unfortunately once your order is submitted as a pickup it cannot be changed to a delivery.
Non Stockroom Items (formerly Special Orders)
Q. Can I place an order for an item that is not in the Stockroomcatalog? MICHELLE
A. No, only items that are available in the Stockroom punchout can be purchased. The Stockroomis unable to accept non-stocked items to be ordered through the Stockroom punchout. This was formally known as a Special Order. To learn more about this topic click here (create PDF or link to the return policy on the site)
Q. What should I do if I have an item that I need to order that is not available in the Stockroom?
A. Ordering from suppliers in PantherBuy is very easy. Login to PantherBuy…DAVINNA
Q. What happens to the item(s) I used to order regularly from the Stockroom as a special order?
A. A review of 12 months of special orders was completed that resulted in #### items being added to the general Stockroompunchout. These items are now in stock and available for purchase in the Stockroom. All remaining items that did not meet the stocking cutoff criteria are readily available for purchase directly from the suppliers in PantherBuy.
Q. How do I know if my item is now stocked at the Stockroom?
A. When shopping the punchout, there is a selection Stockroom item Hotlists available for you to search. Simply click on the “My Hotlists” link at the upper right hand corner of the web page, and use the drop down box in the “Company” Hotlist section to try and locate your item. Each list in the drop down box is grouped by supplier. Once you locate the list you would like to search click “Activate”. All products sold by that supplier or within that category will be listed. You may also search using a Manufacturer part number or with a key word description.
Q. If there is a new item that I want to purchase from the Stockroom will the Stockroom add my item?
A. Currently, the Stockroom cannot accept requests to add items to the Stockroom inventory, though; an implementation team is working on the development of a process for future requests.
Returning an item to the Stockroom
Q. Does the Stockroom have a return policy?MICHELLE to create link
A. Yes. To view the complete return policy click here (create PDF or link to the return policy on the site)
Q. How do I initiate a return?MICHELLE
A. Initiating a return is simply and easy in the new stockroom punchout. Simply, login to PantherBuy, click on the “RETURN REQUEST” LINK, complete all the required information and hit “submit”. Someone from the stockroom will contact you shortly with regarding the status of your return.
Q. What if I no longer have my packing list, can I find out my original order information in PantherBuy?
A. Yes, you are able to view all of your order history in PantherBuy. To view a specific order you must be logged into the PantherBuy system, click the History Tab, click the PR History tab and type the PO number in the PO field. If you do not have the PO number, while logged into the PantherBuy system, click on the History tab, click the PR History Tab, place a check mark in the Filter box to choose a date range, and then click Search to find your requisition.
Q. When will I get credit for my return?
A. Your return will be processed the day of the receipt of return back to the Stockroom. The credit will appear on your next level report after that date.
Q. Does my original account have to be credited for my return?
A. Yes, the original account used to make the purchase must be used to issue the return.
Q. What if my original account is now closed?
- You must contact Research Accounting at 412-624-6040and request that the account is re-opened. Once the account is re-opened, the credit can be made. The funds can then be transferred to a different account. Once the funds have moved request Research Accounting close the account.
Q. If I originally picked up my order, how do I get the item back to the stockroom that I want to return?
A. If you are located in the Life Science Complex and originally picked up your order you will need to walk down and physically return your item. After you submit your return request it will be reviewed the Stockroom Coordinator to validate. If it is approved, you will receive an authorization approving your return and providing specific instructions to return the product. Please do not return your item until your request has been approved. Items without the proper return authorization paperwork will not be accepted by the Stockroom personnel.
Q. If my order was originally delivered how should I returnthe item back to the stockroom?
A. If your order was delivered, the Stockroom personnel will arrange for your approved return to be picked up by our delivery driver the next time they are in your building. After you submit your return request it will be reviewed the Stockroom Coordinator to validate. If it is approved, you will receive an authorization approving your return and providing specific instructions to return the product. Please do not attempt to return your item until your request has been approved. Items without the proper return authorization paperwork will not be picked up or accepted by the Stockroom personnel.
Q. Is there a restocking or delivery fee to return an item?
A. No, the stockroom does not charge any fee’s for the return of approved items in re-sellable condition.