Purchase Orders
A purchase order is a promise to pay for goods and services that is sent to a vendor in order to process an order before payment is received. A purchase order MUST be used to procure goods and services unless prior authorization has been obtained from the office of the Vice President of Administration and Finance or is travel and entertainment related. Staples and Sodexo are the only vendors which we do not use a purchase order and do not need to be preapproved. The Business Services department has separate Staples Order Forms to complete for such purchases (explained further below). The VP of Administration and Finance must sign all purchase orders. Any purchases made by an employee without the consent of the VP may not be reimbursed!
The following steps explain how to process a PO. (The entire process may take up to 3 business days.
Please plan ahead.)
- Research the goods or services needed.
- Complete a WHITE purchase requisition form (include vendor name, address, fax number, part or item number, description of the goods or services, and price. Include any special shipping instructions) See example. We encourage all staff and faculty to type the purchase requisitions to ensure accuracy and legibility.
- Have appropriate personnel sign the requisition.
- Submit to Business Services or to speed up the process, submit the Purchase requisition directly to Anne Beck, Chief Financial Officer/Vice President for signature. Her office will send the signed purchase requisition back to Business Services.
- Once returned from VP’s office, the PO will be generated and faxed to the vendor. POs are processed daily.
- The yellow and white copy of the PO will be sent to the originator.
- When the product is received, sign and date the yellow copy of PO and forward it to Accounts Payable for payment. If you ordered goods and/or services using a PO, the yellow copy is returned to Accounts Payable. Please sign the yellow copy, write the date that the goods were received, and return the form to AP in a timely manner. By signing the yellow copy you are stating that the goods were received and the vendor should be paid! NEVER sign a yellow PO if you are not positive the goods were received.
- Keep the white copy for your files.
- If you happen to receive an invoice for items purchased via a PO, please forward it to Accounts Payable.
Please note that an invoice total may be different than the price listed on the original PO. This may be due to shipping costs and price variances. The final cost of the goods and services will appear on the invoice and will also appear on the monthly budget reports. The purchase requisition form is available on the public directory in the Business Services folder and on Blackboard and should be copied on WHITE paper.
Credit Application
Credit applications are available from Business Services. It may be necessary to send a credit application to a new vendor so a PO will be accepted. If a new vendor requires the completion of their credit application, please contact Allison Thomas.
Tax Exempt
CCS is a non-profit organization and is tax exempt. Our tax exempt ID # is available from Business Services, as well as a tax exempt letter. We can provide a copy of a W-9 form, the Request for Tax Payer Identification and Certification if necessary.
Approved Vendors
Due to the diverse nature of the College there are only two vendors which we require you to use, Staples for office supplies and Continental for catering. Otherwise each department is free to utilize whichever vendor(s) they see fit. The procurement of goods and services should meet college needs at the lowest possible cost consistent with the quality needed for the proper operation of the various departments. In general, purchases should be handled in a manner that creates the greatest ultimate value per dollar expended.
Office Supplies
Staples is the preferred office supply vendor and supply prices have been pre-negotiated. To order supplies, please complete a white office supply form, available on Blackboard. Some departments that place orders regularly have been given access to order office supplies online through Staples. If you believe your department should have access, please contact Allison Thomas in the Business Services department and she will arrange the access. Orders are placed daily and are usually delivered the next business day. Please have supply requests to Purchasing by noon. A full catalog is also available upon request. Supplies are delivered to each office by the maintenance staff.
Copy paper, Envelopes and Letterhead
Please use the office supply form to request copy paper, CCS envelopes and CCS letterhead. Department letterhead should be ordered through Business Services if back-stock is running low.
Business Cards
Business cards are ordered through the Publications Department.
Coffee and Water Supplies
The college provides coffee (regular and decaf), tea, hot chocolate, sugar, cream, sweetener, styrofoam cups, coffee filters and stirrers. Supplies are available from the Business Services Office. Orders are placed bi-weekly with the vendor. If a special event is occurring, please call ahead so ample supplies are on hand. Water coolers are strategically placed around campus. The water vendor is Staples with DS Water. The
delivery company will bring the water to campus every other week.
Catering
Continental is our ONLY authorized vendor for catering. We have negotiated our contract with them based on the fact that we will always use their catering services.
Flowers for Approved Occasions
The College has guidelines in place regarding the purchase of flowers for certain approved occasions (birth, get-well, death, etc.). All requests must be submitted to the Human Resources Office for approval and processing on behalf of the entire College Community. The use of departmental funds for this purpose is prohibited.