GUIDEBOOK
For
Purchasing
Introduction of Staff...... 1
Purpose, Authority & Policy...... 2
Mission Statement...... 3
Code of Ethics...... 3
Conflict of Interest...... 4
Competitive Pricing Requirements...... 4
Let Purchasing Help...... 5
What is a Requisition?...... 6
What Happens to the Requisition?...... 7
How Long Does it Take?...... 8
Office Supplies...... 8
Planning Ahead...... 9
End of Fiscal Year Expenditures...... 10
Procedures vs. Funding Sources...... 10
Preparing Form a Requisition For Supplies, Equipment or Services....10
Non–Competitive Purchases for Instructional and Other Purposes....12
Contracted Temporary Services...... 13
Emergency Purchases...... 14
Printing From Outside Vendor...... 15
In-House Printing...... 16
Open Purchase Orders...... 17
Equipment Purchases...... 17
Special Responsibilities...... 17
Keep In Mind...... 20
i
St. PetersburgCollege
PURCHASING GUIDE
.i..c.Introduction of Staff
The Purchasing Department of St. Petersburg College operates from the Business Services Wing, EpiCenter - ServicesBuilding, 14025 58th St. N., Largo. The following personnel are available to help you in any way possible:
Title / Area of Responsibility / Name / Telephone Ext.Director of Purchasing / Contracts, bid issuance, audit compliance, guidelines / Paul Spinelli / 3070
Assistant Director / Bid issuance, most state contracts / Diane Francey / 3370
Senior Purchasing Specialist / Information technology / Marsha Eubank / 3308
Buyer / Office supplies, printing, advertising specialties / Lori Keegan / 3266
Administrative Specialist II / Purchasing functions, information technology, / Kimberly Morrow / 3310
President’s Cabinet Member / Dr. Douglas Duncan / 3246
.i..c.Purpose
The purpose of this GUIDEBOOK is to provide a ready reference for employees of the College concerning the procurement (Purchasing) process.
.i..c.Authority
The College's authority to purchase derives from Rules promulgated by the .i.State Board of Education; specific Florida Statutes, Rules promulgated by the .i Board of Trustees;, and Procedures established by President's Cabinet. (This GUIDEBOOK does not replace or amend any law, rule, procedure or regulation.)
The Board of Trustees has authorized the .i.President of St. Petersburg College; to approve purchases (including bids) of services or commodities of not more than $250,000, including purchases exempted from the State Board of Education bidding requirements. The Board of Trustees must approve all purchases that exceed $250,000.
Through the administrative structure of the College, the President has vested withthe Director of Purchasing certain .i.responsibilities and authority for procurement ;of property, supplies and services. Organizationally, the Purchasing Department is under Business Services and the Director reports to the Associate Vice President for Planning, Budget and Compliance.
No other employee of the College may order any materials, supplies, equipment or services, on behalf of the College directly and own his/her own authority except through established procedure. Consequently, the payment of any unauthorized purchase may become the responsibility of the person placing the order. (The use of credit cards in the Pilot Purchasing Card program in the Facilities Planning & Institutional Services department is an exception.)
Note that purchases of goods or services from businesses owned by or associated with College employees may violate the .i.Florida Code of Ethics,; Chapter 112, Florida Statutes. Forward specific questions through administrative channels to the .i.College Attorney;.
.i..c.Policy
The policy of the Purchasing Department is to obtain all supplies, equipment and services at the lowest cost to the College; consistent with the quantity needed, the desired quality and the availability of items at the time of purchase.
.c.Mission Statement
Purchasing and risk management will concentrate on activities, which offer value to the College Community. The needs and desires of our faculty and staff will weigh heavily in our decisions while we remain mindful of our institutional and legal responsibilities.
The President has vested with Purchasing the responsibility and authority for procurement of equipment, supplies, and services for the college. The policy of Purchasing, in recognition of this responsibility, is to obtain in the most expeditious manner possible all supplies, equipment and services at the lowest cost to the college, consistent with desired quality, quantity needed, and availability.
Collectively, we will strive for efficiency and effectiveness in all activities, the achievement of which will ultimately be reflected in the success of the College's prime customers--the students.
.i..c.Code of Ethics
The Purchasing Department, besides applicable Florida law, endorses the Ethics Code of the .i.National Association of Educational Buyers; (NAEB) and the .i.National Institute of Governmental Purchasing; (NIGP), the goals of which are:
1. To obtain the maximum value for each dollar of expenditure, considering the objectives and polices of the institution.
2. To demand honesty in sales representation whether offered through the medium of a verbal or written statement, and advertisement, or a sample of the product.
3. To grant all competitive bidders equal consideration and to regard each transaction on its own merits; to foster and promote fair, ethical and legal trade practices.
4. To accord a prompt and courteous reception in so far as conditions permit to all who call on legitimate business missions.
5. To decline personal gifts or gratuities or other things of value.
6. To be governed by the highest ideals of honor and integrity in all public and personal relationships in order to merit the respect and inspire confidence of the organization and the public being served.
7. To exhibit the belief through example that personal aggrandizement or personal profit obtained through misuse of public or personal relationships is dishonest and not tolerable.
.i..c.Conflict of Interest
Generally, Chapter 112.312-313, Florida Statutes, prohibits the College buying from faculty and staff or members of their immediate families. There are certain exceptions; contact the Director of Purchasing for further information.
.i..c.Competitive Pricing Requirements
All purchases of $5,000 or less shall be made in accordance with good purchasing practices and in the College's best interest. Purchase orders may be issued at the discretion of the director of Purchasing or designee.
All purchases exceeding $5,000, but not exceeding the Category Two threshold amount as specified in Section 287.017, Florida Statutes, require that at least three quotations be obtained by Purchasing, whenever possible, from responsible vendors.
All non-exempted purchases exceeding the Category Two threshold amount as specified in Section 287.017, Florida Statutes, require a formal sealed competitive solicitation requested from at least three responsible vendors, when possible. In addition, competitive solicitation awards exceeding the Category Five threshold amount as specified in Section 287.017, Florida Statutes, must be approved by the Board of Trustees. Whenever two or more such solicitations which are equal with respect to price, quality, and service are received for the procurement of commodities or services, a solicitation response received from a business that certifies that it has implemented a drug-free workplace program as specified in Section 287.087 Florida Statutes, shall be given preference in the award process. In the event it is desired to competitively solicit commodities or services that are included in the exempt from competitive solicitation category, the competitive solicitation process must originate through Purchasing.
The following are exceptions to competitive solicitations:
A. Purchases under Sections 946.515 (PRIDE) and 946.519 (The State Department of Corrections), Florida Statutes.
B.Educational tests, textbooks, instructional materials and equipment, films, filmstrips, video tapes, disc or tape recordings or similar audiovisual materials, graphic and computer-based instructional software.
C. Library books, reference books, periodicals, and other library materials and supplies.
D. Purchases at the unit or contract prices established through competitive solicitations by any unit of government established by law or non-profit buying cooperatives.
E. Food.
F. Services or commodities available only from a single or sole source.
G. Professional services shall include services for, including, but not limited to artistic services, instructional services, health services, academic program reviews, lectures by individuals, environmental matters, attorneys, legal services, auditors, and management consultants, architects, engineers, and land surveyors. Services of architects, engineers, and land surveyors shall be selected and negotiated according to Section 287.055, Florida Statutes. For the purposes of this paragraph, “professional services” shall include services in connection with environmental matters, including, but not limited to the removal of asbestos, biological waste, and other hazardous material.
H. Information technology resources is defined as all forms of technology used to create, process, store, transmit, exchange, and use information in various forms of voice, video and data, and shall also include the personnel costs and contracts that provide direction information technology support consistent with each individual college’s information technology plan.
I. Single source procurements for purposes of economy or efficiency in standardization of materials or equipment.
J. The President or designee may waive solicitation requirements in emergencies when there is an imminent threat to students, employees, or public safety or when necessary to prevent damage to facilities caused by an unexpected circumstance.
K. Items for resale.
L. When soliciting a submittal for competitive offers and only one responsive offer is submitted, the College may purchase such products or service under the best terms it can negotiate.
NON-COMPETITIVE PURCHASES FOR INSTRUCTIONAL AND OTHER PURPOSES
An academic department may, when the integrity and effectiveness of the instructional process requires, specify that "no substitutions or equivalents will be acceptable." Additionally, a non-academic department may, when necessity for compatibility requires, also specify that "no substitutions or equivalents will be acceptable." In either case, justification deemed adequate by the director of Purchasing must be submitted with the request.
In either event, such a request should be received by Purchasing at least 60 days before the item is needed.
.i..c.Let Purchasing Help
The purpose of the Purchasing Department, in part, is to assist College departments in obtaining the goods and services needed to help accomplish the educational mission of the institution.
Simultaneously, the Purchasing Department expends tremendous effort assisting the President with his responsibility to "assure that purchases conform to predetermined standards and specifications and that maximum value is received."
Moreover, Purchasing has the responsibility to the President and the Board of Trustees of ensuring adherence to the laws, rules and procedures that apply to procurement. This supports the College's efforts to receive good audits from the State Legislative Auditor General.
The process begins when Purchasing receives your Requisition but does not end with a purchase order. (The following paragraphs explain how the process works through the PeopleSoft Financial System). Meanwhile, be assured that the Purchasing staff desire to serve you efficiently and expeditiously. Serving you well serves the educational mission of the College. After all, quality education is the College's only product and our students are the customers of that product!
*.i..c.What is a Requisition?
Think of the Requisition as the Doctor's Prescription Blank. Use this form when you need to order supplies, equipment or services from outside agencies or the Follett College Bookstore.Exceptions: For temporary help services use the Contracted Temporary Services Requisition. The Requisition generates a Purchase Order, which automatically encumbers the funds for the expenditure from your budget.
You expect your Doctor to put all the necessary information on the Prescription Blank that will enable the Pharmacist to accurately fill the prescription. Using this analogy, provide on the Requisition as much information as possible about the item(s) being ordered to enable accurate handling of your request. This would include, as applicable, model number, description, size, color, special features, and the date you need to receive the item(s). This includes providing appropriate accounting information: fund number, department number, site number and general ledger code number (G/L). As an example: Fund 10, Department 16903010, Site 01000, G/L 655020.
Send the completed Requisition, signed by the Budget Supervisor or the approved alternate** to Purchasing, EpiCenter. The appropriate Cabinet member is required only to countersign Requisitions for Capital and equipment. Cross-reference all files to avoid duplication of a Requisition.
The.i Vice President for Information Systems;, or designee, approves Requisitions for the purchase of information technology equipment (computers, servers, software, printers, projectors, etc.) before the Requisition can be processed. In addition, the Director of Institutional Advancement approves advertising specialty requests and graphics for printed materials and the Vice Presidentof Facilities Planning & Institutional Services approves any equipment to be attached to or which will require modifications to buildings, including electrical and plumbing requirements and signs.
*Note: #1:When the electronic requisitioning process in PeopleSoft becomes activated in the future, paper Requisitions will no longer be used. Complete instruction on the electronic requisitioning process will be made available to users at the appropriate time.
**Note #2: Any .i.alternate signatures approved by the Budget Supervisor must be on file in writing with the Budget Office.
What Happens to the Requisition?
Once received by Purchasing, a Requisition is date stamped and logged into the requisition database for tracking purposes and then routed to the appropriate staff person for processing. Certain requests are routed to Diane Francey, including most of those that require a bid. All requests in excess of $25,000 are initially routed to Paul Spinelli.
The journey of becoming a purchase order now begins for each requisition. The work of the Purchasing staff to whom it is assigned may include, but is not limited to, obtaining quotes, obtaining clarification from the requisitioner, obtaining information from the manufacturer, bidding if necessary, obtaining approvals from Information Systems, Institutional Advancement, the President or the Board if required and finally, inputting the requisition information into the PeopleSoft financial system, the end product of which is a purchase order that is then transmitted to the vendor. In an effort to speed the processing, Purchasing seeks verbal quotes, electronic quotes or faxed quotes whenever possible.
The inputting of the requisition into PeopleSoft is quite simple. This includes keying in the accounting information, ordering information, ship to information and any special instructions. The system automatically checks the purchase order for budget and if it passes encumbers the funds to be expended. The purchase order is then dispatched (printed) and soon on the way to the vendor. The two most common reasons for a purchase order not to pass budget check include insufficient budget availability (which means a Budget Amendment is in order) or incorrect accounting information (fund#, department#, site# or G/L#). Occasionally an inputting error is the culprit (human fallibility). Copies of the purchase order are then made for the ordering department and for the Purchasing files. (The paperless society is not yet a reality).
An electronic version of the paper requisition can be found on the Financial and Business Services website. However, using that method requires the budget supervisor to send the electronic requisition in email with their approval to . If additional approvals are required, it is the responsibility of the budget supervisor to ensure that the electronic requisition is sent to the appropriate person for additional approval.
For any expenditure in excess of $25,000, the requisition must have attached an explanation of the purpose so that it can be communicated to the President, the Board, or the Vice President Administration/Business and Information Services as approval by the President, the Board or the Vice President Administration/Business and Information Servicesis necessary for all such expenditures.
*.i..c.How Long Does it Take?
Purchasing requires a certain amount of time to process a Requisition. Budget Supervisors have the responsibility to determine their departmental needs and convey this information to Purchasing, in sufficient detail, far enough in advance of the need for the item(s) to enable Purchasing to observe proper procedure.
.i.ALLOW AT LEAST 6 BUSINESS DAYS
for all purchases not in excess of $5000
between receipt of Requisition by and issuance of Purchase Order
(except for on-line ordering of office supplies)
All purchase orders not in excess of $5000 issue according to generally established good purchasing practices. More than one quote is subject to the discretion of the Purchasing staff, but the suggested vendor is usually honored.
.i.ALLOW AT LEAST 2 WEEKS
for all purchases in excess of $5000 but not more than $25,000
which require an attempt to obtain at least 3 verbal or written (faxed) quotations
between receipt of Requisition and issuance of the Purchase Order
.i.ALLOW AT LEAST 4 WEEKS
for all purchases in excess of $25,000 but not more than $250,000 (except exempt from bidding purchases which are usually processed within 2 weeks of receipt) from the time the Requisition reaches Purchasing until issuance of a Purchase Order following approval by the President or the Vice President Administration/Business and Information Services.
A purchase in excess of $250,000 must be approved by the Board. (Generally, the Board of Trustees meets the third Tuesday of each month.)
*Often, a Requisition becomes a Purchase Order the same day it is received.
**OFFICE SUPPLIES
Office supplies, except when grant funds are involved, may be ordered through the College’s Office Supply Contractor’s Internet site. Contact Marsha Eubank @ 3266 for detailed information on this process. For Internet office supply ordering a Requisition for an Open Purchase Order is required so that funds are encumbered to pay for the orders through this method. Grant departments and the Multijurisdictional Counterdrug Task Force Training Program must use the paper Requisition to order office supplies.
The College currently is utilizing the E&I Contract agreement with Office Max. That contract is subject to change at the next bidding cycle. SPC Budget Supervisors will be notified of any change of contractor, or change in terms and conditions of future contracts.
KEEP IN MIND
The department originating the Requisition must allow for the time the vendor needs for .i.delivery of the ordered item(s). Some vendors make deliveries within 1 day after receipt of the Purchase order; many orders, however, require 60 to 90 days or longer lead time, particularly for furniture and custom made products. State Contract vendors usually have 90 to 120 days in which to make delivery.