Buying Goods & Services
Apple Inc. Changing Procurement Procedures on January 1, 2023
Beginning January 1, 2023, Apple Inc. (Apple) is implementing a global change to its procurement procedures to improve efficiency and order tracking. As a result, Apple will only accept purchase orders initiated in MAV eSHOP.
All purchases must start by creating a cart in MAV eSHOP. Do not create regular/special item requisitions in UTShare for Apple Inc. Any “regular” POs dispatched to Apple will be rejected by the vendor, and the end user will be directed to initiate a new requisition/cart in MAV eSHOP. This change is not unique to UTA.
This does not apply to the purchase of Apple products made through the UTA Bookstore (Follett).
If you have not used MAV eSHOP, please review the MAV eSHOP Shoppers Knowledge Base article or contact Knowledge Services at 2-2155 or knowledgeservices@uta.edu.
Ordering Office Supplies - Mandatory Campus-Wide Agreements
Office Supplies Definition: A consumable item/product used regularly in an office environment to support the department which can often be refilled or replaced.
The Office of Procurement Services has exclusively contracted with two certified HUB vendors for office supplies:
- Today's Business Solutions, an OfficeDepot partner; and
- Summus Industries, business partner with Staples.
Both suppliers offer a wide variety of office products to meet the administrative needs of your department and the campus and provide the University with significant savings and excellent customer service.
All UTA departments can order supplies for desktop delivery directly from either supplier via MAV eSHOP, the University's online shopping portal. For more information, please visit the MAV eShop dedicated webpage.
Procurement Card (ProCard) purchases are being monitored for compliance. Cardholders must utilize these suppliers if they can fulfill the need/product.
Please note that these vendors are our exclusive partners and use of these contracts is mandatory.
If you have any questions, please email your dedicated buyer, Procurement@uta.edu, or PaymentCard@uta.edu.
Expanded Use of Purchase Orders for Payments
To improve contract compliance and spend management, Purchase Orders (PO) will now be required to make payments against many contracts for goods and services that were previously payable using a non-PO voucher. The following are examples of the contracts that will require a PO for payment:
• Contracts established through Procurement Services via an RFP or RFQ process
• International Student Recruitment Agreements
• Agreements that UTA will execute based on another UT institution’s contract (e.g., “piggy-backing).
Requiring a PO for payment will promote improved visibility and audit of vendor invoices to ensure compliance with the terms of the agreement and the contract rates. In addition, it will ensure that adequate funds have been encumbered to cover the University’s obligations under the agreement.
There are exceptions to this requirement. Contracts that do not require a PO include:
• Revenue generating contracts
• Revenue sharing contracts (e.g., where the supplier collects fees for service from end-users, not the University directly, and then shares a portion of those fees back to the University with no actual payment from the University to the supplier)
• Contracts that do not come through Procurement Services and are paid as non-PO voucher payment as allowed per Best Value Purchasing Procedure BF-PGS-PR-01, Section IV. H. Purchase of Goods/Services Not Requiring a Purchase Order.
For assistance in determining if PO is required, please email Procurement Services or contact your department’s dedicated buyer.
Exclusive Agreement with Pepsi
The University has an exclusive agreement with PepsiCo, Inc. (Pepsi) for the sale and distribution of beverages, including bottled water, at UTA facilities and events. It is a violation of this exclusive agreement to expend University funds on beverage products other than those available through Pepsi, or to have any such products provided at University sponsored events. The only exceptions are:
- University athletic events (including e-sports) not held on campus and involve co-sponsorship by other organizations or business entities
- College Park District restaurants
- Private events held on campus in which a third party provides the University compensation for use of a facility
A complete listing of available Pepsi products can be found in the PDF below:
In addition, nutrition reports, fact sheets and more can be found at:
https://www.pepsicobeveragefacts.com/home
For additional information, please contact Sr. Contract Specialist Charlie Brooks at charles.brooks@uta.edu or 817-272-2194.
How to buy, receive and pay for various goods and services!
Procurement procedures are written for three (3) buying processes; two (2) processes for buying which do not require purchase orders, and one (1) process for buying which requires a purchase order.
Buying without a Purchase Order
- The preferred method utilizes the Purchasing Card (ProCard) Program in which individuals use credit cards issued to them for departmental purchases of $4,000 or less (including freight). Reference Purchasing Card (ProCard) Program ( Procedure BF-PGC-PR-12) for information.
- An alternative method for purchases that do not require a purchase order, regardless of the dollar value, is the voucher payment program for certain types of goods and services as specified in Reimbursements and Payments Other Than for Travel and Purchase Orders ( Procedure BF-PGS-PR-08). Reimbursements are restricted to departmental purchases of $2,000 or less (including freight).
Buying with a Purchase Order
- Regardless of the dollar value, purchase orders are initiated by individuals within departments by entering a Requisition into UTShare. Require compliance with the requirements detailed in Best Value Purchasing Procedures ( Procedure BF-PGS-PR01).
- For training tools on processing of requisitions in UTShare, see UTShare Financial Topics – Purchasing Goods and Services.
Buying Process Steps
Regardless of the buying process used, all purchases undergo a four step process; 1) correct initiation of order, 2) validation of receipt of correct goods and/or services, 3) tagging of capital equipment and controlled items, and 4) authorization for payment.
Ordering
- Small orders of $4,000 or less may be done by individuals within departments utilizing a ProCard credit card.
- Orders with a value in excess of $4,000 (including freight) must be secured with a purchase order, and are initiated at the department level with the entry of a Requisition into the UTShare system.
Each method has various advantages and restrictions, and persons placing orders should refer to Best Value Purchasing Procedures ( Procedure BF-PGS-PR01), for more information. Requisition entry may necessitate setting up a new supplier in UTShare. Reference Vendor Set-Up and Maintenance ( Procedure BF-PGS-PR-11) and UTShare Financial Topics – Manage Vendors, for additional information.
Receiving is a formal method for documenting acceptance of goods from suppliers. After a purchase order has been dispatched and the items delivered, the items must be received. The receiving process involves recording the items delivered and comparing the shipment to what was originally ordered through the purchase order. Departments will perform the desktop receiving process for items $5,000 or less.
Desktop receiving can be accomplished by using the Receive Items page or the Manage Requisitions page. The Receive Items page will only allow the creator of the requisition to receive their own line items. The Manage Requisitions page is used to receive line items regardless of who created the requisition in the department.
- Small orders of $5,000 or less are usually delivered to Central Receiving and delivered to ordering department. Validation of completeness of shipment and usability of received goods is the responsibility of the department. Return of defective shipments and damage claims are covered in Damages and Shortages ( Procedure BF-PGS-PR07). Desktop receiving will need to happen at the departmental level for small orders. See Desktop Receiving at UTShare Financial Topics – Desktop Receiving for instructions on how to accomplish this step.
- Orders above $5,000 are usually received by Central Receiving. Central Receiving checks the shipment, prepares the Receipt and delivery ticket, and delivers the shipment to the requesting department. Reference Damages and Shortages ( Procedure BF-PGS-PR07) for directions in checking delivered merchandise and notifying appropriate departments of any discrepancies.
In general, services do not have to be “received” in UTShare as they are not tangible items. Once the services have been completed to the department’s satisfaction, creation of a payment voucher serves as the certification of receipt and subsequent payment for the services. In some instances, the “receive” flag gets set to “on” in UTShare. In those cases you will have to actually create a receipt in the system (or contact your Buyer to have the receipt flag turned off) in order to create a payment voucher.
- Small orders of $5,000 or less may contain controlled items which must be tagged for inventory control purposes. Asset Management must be notified to provide tags for all controlled items in any shipment accepted by a department. Controlled items are listed in Reimbursements and Payments Other Than for Travel and Purchase Orders ( Procedure BF-PGS-PR-08 , Section II).
- Orders above $5,000 may contain capital equipment as well as controlled items. If a shipment is received by Central Receiving, the tagging process will begin as part of the shipment processing. If a shipment is received by the requesting department, Asset Management must be notified to provide tags.
All purchase order payments are to be processed by departments and must be paid for in a timely manner.
- The process for payment authorization for ProCard purchases may be found at, UTShare Financial Topics – Purchasing Card (ProCard).
- If the purchase was done with a direct invoice for non-PO item purchases, the payment authorization process is delineated in, UTShare Financial Topics – Create Non-Purchase Order Voucher.
- If the purchase was done with a purchase order, refer to UTShare Financial Topics – Create Purchase Order Voucher, for information.
- All purchase orders are authorized for payment when the receipt, if required, is completed by Central Receiving or the ordering department. UTShare will run a process to match the invoice/voucher to the purchase order and receipt to proceed with payment to the supplier. For those purchases not requiring a receipt, UTShare will run a process to match the invoice/voucher to the purchase order to proceed with payment to the supplier.
Additional Information regarding Payment Processing
Processing of payments to suppliers in a timely manner is necessary to avoid late payment charges. Refer to the following resources for assistance in payment processing, and, select Procurement Services (Administrative Offices) on the contact us screen to reach your Accounts Payable representatives for additional help, should the need arise.
- The current late payment penalty may be found at Prompt Payment Law Interest Rate.
- Receipts denominated in foreign currency will require conversion to U.S. Dollars. Reference OANDA, for the currency converter service utilized by UTA.
Additional Procurement procedures are available for processes that are unique to specific situations or need expanded delineation of specific requirements or restrictions.
- Transactions with employee restrictions are delineated in Transactions with Employees ( Procedure BF-PGS-PR-03).
- Guidelines for the payment of, or exemption from, taxes applied to UT Arlington purchases may be found in Tax ( Procedure BF-PGS-PR-04).
- Instructions for acquiring departmental gasoline credit cards for use for UT Arlington vehicles may be found in Gasoline Credit Card ( Procedure BF-PGC-PO-01).
- Information on purchasing computing equipment can be found at Emergency Centralized Computer Distribution Procedure ( Procedure IT-PR-01).
All state agencies are encouraged to make a good faith effort to increase purchases and contract awards to certified Historically Underutilized Businesses. It is the policy of UT Arlington to maximize opportunities for HUB firms to provide materials, supplies, equipment, and services to the university. The various methods used to promote HUB participation in procurement processes are found in Contract with Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) ( Procedure BF-PGS-PR09). HUB certified suppliers may be found in the following listings.
- Listings of HUB suppliers that have been certified with the Comptroller of Public Accounts may be found at the Texas Centralized Master Bidder List.
Additional resources are available for buying goods and services at UT Arlington.
- Your department’s assigned procurement specialist (buyer) may be found at Find a Buyer.
- Employees responsible for preparing requisitions, performing desktop receiving and preparing payment vouchers should attend training sessions offered by Business Affairs Training & Development Training Classes and Events. A variety of detailed training tools are available at Business Affairs Training and Development.
- A list of all the Procedures may be found at Procedures Index.
- A list of all the forms referenced in the Procedures may be found in the Forms/Exhibits Index.
Calendar
End User Resources
In addition to the links and presentations below, Procurement Services staff would be happy to come visit your department in person to present these or any other topic of interest. Please contact your Buyer if you are interested in arranging an informative session for your team.
Helpful Links
The Business of Buying at UT Arlington
Procurement Timelines Overview
FAQs and Helpful Hints
UTShare Requester Helpful Hints
UTShare Requisition Entry Checklist
Procurement Issues and Processes
Instructions for Summus/Dell Orders and Custom Quotes
For more detailed information and training on specific procedures and functionalities, please visit: https://www.uta.edu/business-affairs/training/index.php
Newsflash!!!
Please review the news and information below for the latest updates from Procurement Services! Check back periodically as this information will be updated as needed!
ORDERING DELL PRODUCTS
Dell orders are processed through Summus Industries, Inc. Summus is a long-time UT Arlington, UT System and Dell partner, as well as a certified HUB vendor in the State of Texas. OIT approved Dell products are available on the University’s Dell Premier Page which can be accessed through the MAVeSHOP shopping portal. In order to gain access to MAVeSHOP, please contact the designated Requester(s) in your department. These are the users who can enter requisitions into UTShare and control access to the shopping portal for each department.
ORDERING APPLE PRODUCTS
Procurement and Payment Services is pleased to announce a new partnership for purchasing Apple products through our HUB partner SHI. The easiest way to procure your Apple products is via the University’s eShop portal at https://www.uta.edu/business-affairs/procurement/MAV-eSHOP.php
Click on the SHI tile and you can search for Apple products.
SHI is also a great source for any of your computer peripheral and other technology needs. Our local representative’s information is provided below. If you can’t find what you’re looking for on their punchout website, need a custom quote, or have any other questions or issues, please contact:
Lindsay Claussen
512-366-2928
Lindsay_Claussen@SHI.com
