Business Office

Purchasing & Campus Services Specialist

Functional Duties:
  • Process campus purchase orders
  • Compile records of income and expenditures for duplicating and mail services.
  • Maintain accounting for postage expenses, vehicle expenses, and telephone expenses for departmental bill back
  • Provide training for campus personal in purchasing on-line
  • Prepare interdepartmental billings for Central Stores purchases
  • Perform backup duties for Printing & Duplicating
Information Related to Purchasing:
Blanket Purchase Orders

To save time and the expense of processing multiple Purchase Orders to the same vendor throughout the fiscal year, a blanket purchase order can be requested. These are done the same as a regular purchase order except under the column on the "Blue Req." called "Item", the following note should be included:

  • Request for "purchases" for the period 07/01/9- through 06/30/9-
  • (Specify "purchases")
  • Note the amount to be encumbered for the year to cover all purchases. Enter that amount under unit cost.
Minority & Female Vendor Selection

The Indiana University System is committed to the increased use of minority and female vendors in the procurement of materials, supplies and services. Employees at I.U. East are reminded that when selecting vendors, the use of minority and female businesses must be considered. The Business Office (Purchasing) can be contacted regarding listing of known minority and female vendors in the area.

Purchase Order Quoting Procedures
  • Purchase of items up to $500:
  • Purchase of $500 to $1999:
    • Three (3) quotations must be obtained (written) by the potential purchaser of the material. The quotes can be documented on the back of the requisition form (Blue req. or electronic req.) or on a separate piece of paper.
  • Purchases $2000 and over:
    • At least three (3) formal written quotations must be obtained before a purchase order is submitted. This documentation must be in the Purchasing Department prior to an order being written. The Purchasing Specialist has electronic means to obtain quotations from potential vendors in a predetermined format from the Purchasing System.
  • Part of the Business Office Purchasing function is to provide service in obtaining quotations and vendor selection. The following criteria should be considered to determine the best quotation.
    • pricing
    • delivery time
    • payment terms
    • freight costs
    • comparable items being quote
Requisitions / Purchase Orders (973-8233)

1. In order to obtain a regular purchase order for expenditures, a requisition form is to be directed to the Business Office (Purchasing) so the transaction can be placed in the computerized Purchasing/ Accounts Payable system. The requisitions can either be in hard copy form ("Blue Req.") or electronically by computer. To obtain your computer sign on codes, see Purchasing Specialist or call Ext. 233.

2. It is imperative that Purchase Orders be issued prior to the actual order placement with a vendor. A Purchase Order number is required on all statements, invoices, and correspondence. "After the fact" or "Confirmation only" Purchase Orders will be kept to a minimum and used only in emergency situations. Failure to obtain a Purchase Order may result in the vendor not receiving payment.

3. Distribution of Purchase Orders:

  • The Purchasing Specialist will submit the white copy to the vendor
  • The Purchasing Specialist will send the pink copy of the
  • Purchase Order back to the department requesting the purchase

4. Hard copy requisitions ("Blue Req.") or electronic Requisitions must be approved by the Account Manager or the Account Supervisor.

Customer service help and training is provided by the Business Office (Purchasing) ext. 233. Included are the requisitions, purchase orders, and bidding process.

Requisition Form
  1. Secretary or personnel responsible for purchase requisition fills out all the fields in yellow. (Click on the first field and type, then tab to the next field.) Only fill out the fields in yellow! The actual totals and final total will calculate and fill in automatically.
  2. When fields are complete, click on the “Send for Approval” button at the bottom of the form. An email will automatically pop up in Outlook with the completed Purchase Requisition attached. Fill in the email address of the Dept Head/Account Manager needed to approve the PO. Click send.
  3. The Dept Head/Account Manager who receives the email will need to open up the pdf attachment in the email. Dept Head/Account Manager clicks in the light grey area (I certify that funds are available within the account charged) and types their name, tabs over and types the date. Dept Head/Account Manager then goes to the bottom of the form and clicks the “Send Form to Margie” button. An email will automatically pop up in Outlook with the completed Purchase Requisition attached and Margie Santner’s email address is automatically filled in. Click send.
  4. If mistakes are made during typing in the form – there is a “reset form” button at the bottom of the form to clear all the fields.
  5. If further help is needed in using this form, contact Beth Hofmann at x555.