Springfield Schools

Springfield Public Schools Purchasing Department

Purchasing Procedures

Requisition (Pick Ticket)

Used to enter requests for inventory/supply items through the Supply Center. Deliveries are made weekly to each site while school is in session. Any questions concerning items available for use, or requests to add items to inventory, should be directed to the Supply Center at 523-0433 or internal extension 36633. Note: If inventory/supply items that are available through the Supply Center, they must be ordered through the Supply Center. Again, if you are not sure if an item is stocked at the Supply Center please call. Employees are welcome to pick items up directly from the Supply Center, after a request has been entered, if they can not wait until their normal delivery.

Invoice Entry

Used to pay for a purchase that dose not exceed $999.99 to any one vendor. This process is used for small dollar purchases that do not require a Purchase Order.

**Please Note: Certain vendors may only accept a Purchase Order. If you have a vendor requesting a Purchase Order, than a Requisition must be entered.

Invoice Entry Processing

The delivery receipt serves as the supporting documentation to process the invoice for payment. Each delivery receipt must have a signature, date and quantity received. If shipment arrives without a delivery receipt, then it is the site’s responsibility to generate a delivery receipt.

Requisition (Purchase Order)

Items that are being requested using a purchase order document issued by the purchasing department. This purchase order contains specific information regarding product description, quantity ordered, price and shipping charges. All orders over $999.99 must be entered on a Requisition by the site. The sites are not to place orders over $999.99. Only the Purchasing Department is to place orders over $999.99 on an official Purchase Order document issued by the Purchasing Department and signed by the Coordinator of Purchasing.

Select correct Vendor using district vendor file (if in question, please contact Accounts Payable for assistance.)

Vendor for Bid: All materials, equipment or services in excess of $9999.99 must be formally bid by the Purchasing department. Sealed Bids normally take 30-60 days, please plan accordingly.

Complete delivery date.

Notation for freight should be made on the purchases order as a separate line item or entering the information in the appropriate field on a detail line when entering an item.

Discounts should be entered in the appropriate field on a detail line when entering an item.

Enter complete and descriptive product information …i.e. brand, model #, color, size, features, etc. Requests will be put on hold if it is not complete or is missing any information and/or documentation.

Contact company before entering the purchase order to verify current cost of items and shipping costs. If no shipping charge, please indicate.

If free items are to be received, a line item should be entered on the purchase order request advising of such. This is to expedite payment.

Reference attachments or order forms that need to accompany purchase orders.

DO NOT PHONE IN A PURCHASE ORDER. If an order needs to be expedited, please call the purchasing department for assistance.

Please include on the purchase order any additional instructions or information pertinent to the transaction using the text field. If requesting order to be faxed, please reference fax number and name of person or department order is to be sent.
All orders greater than $999.99 require bids. Bids must be solicited before a requisition can be entered. It is the sites responsibility to make sure this happens. Bids may be obtained by the sites if they are under $10,000.00 or they can enter 999999 in the vendor field which will indicate "Vendor For Bid" and the Purchasing Department will solicit the bids. Once each Requisition has been approved, Purchasing will generate a Purchase Order document and mail or fax this PO to Vendor. The phoning/faxing of a Requisition without the approval of Purchasing is against Policy and can lead to the revoking of all Purchasing privileges.
Purchases between $1000 – 9999.99 no longer require bid documents and/or sole source paperwork to be sent to the Purchasing office. These documents should be kept on file at the site/department requesting the goods or services for a period of 3 years. Purchases over $9999.99 will still have to be formally bid by the Purchasing Department. The Purchasing Department will conduct random audits to verify bidding practices are in compliance with Board Policy.
Requests being generated against existing contracts/bids need to reflect contract number or Bid # in the text for reference. Over 50,000 Requests are processed annually, your help in identifying existing or previously bid items is greatly appreciated. Requests without this information may be subject to delay.
Sole Source purchases – the requisitioner must:

Define the purchase (item, service, description, brand, model or part number)
Obtain approval from expert/departments on requisition (Information Services, Engineering, Curriculum, etc.)
Research and obtain signed justification from a competent expert in the field in which the product will be used. The statement from the USER expert must indicate that in the professional opinion of the certifying individual.

This is the only product that can be used to accomplish the task necessary in an appropriate manner and must list the specific reasons why this is the case
This product is available only from the source indicated – there are no distributors who sell the products
A written quotation from vendor is recommended verifying the actual list price and appropriately allocated discount.

When the Requisition is approved by the Purchasing Office, and if needed any competitive bidding has been done, an official Purchase Order issued by the Purchasing Department will be processed and a number assigned.

Distribution of Purchase Orders

The requester copy is emailed directly to the requester. The receiving copy is sent directly via network printer to the “Ship To” department referenced on the Purchase Order. (This address may change from what you have entered due to fixed asset items and delivery charges. i.e. certain vendors will only deliver to GSC.)

Receipts

Once order is received in part or complete, please sign and date the packing list/delivery receipt/invoice and return to the A/P Department. Each packing list must have a signature, date and quantity received. If shipment arrives without a delivery receipt, then it is the sites responsibility to generate a delivery receipt. Invoices will not be paid until the delivery receipt is returned to the A/P Department. The delivery receipt serves as the supporting documentation to process the invoice for payment.

SAM’S CLUB Orders

The procedure is to enter a Requisition. The Supply Center is picking orders up from Sam's Club weekly on Thursday. No food or snack (perishable) items will be picked-up by the Supply Center. We understand there will be some orders that need to be given “Priority”. We ask that you give our department approximately 24 hours preparation time to assist you in expediting your order request. To define this procedure: Once you have entered your request, call our department with the requisition number. We will then expedite the approval process so that we can process this request into a purchase order that will be ready to fax to the vendor the next morning. **If you have an order that will need your assistance in purchases of selected items, (i.e. candy, cookies, etc.) please contact purchasing for further instruction**

VISA Purchasing Charge

The Purchasing Department introduced the Visa Procurement Card to test sites August 1, 2001. In finding this card successful, we have administered the Visa Card to each individual site, and it has now been offered District-wide. Currently, there are over 1200 Visa Cards District wide. This card enables the sites to purchase from vendors that do not accept purchase orders and to charge hotel reservations and airfare accommodations with ease. The purchases made on these Visa Cards are monitored very carefully. The Purchasing Department has the ability to generate a weekly report, which contains each individual sites weekly charges. At that point, the purchases can be reviewed to ensure the District is following proper purchasing procedures. Over the past year, the use of the Visa Purchasing Card has been very successful.

Planned Purchasing

Purchases must be planned well in advance so that the proper procedures are followed. Planned purchasing alleviates all the phone calls checking on the status of RFP and Purchase Orders.

Unauthorized Purchases

An unauthorized purchase occurs when the materials, services, or any expense is charged to the Board of Education (including schools) by a person who has not been given such authority. This includes ordering materials without an approved purchase order. The individual making an unauthorized purchase may incur a personal obligation to the vendor for the expense incurred even though the materials or services are used in the public school system.

Splitting or Stringing Purchases

The act of dividing an order into multiple orders, to stay below a dollar level which might require the requisitioner to utilize a process which is not as easily accomplished, or requires additional approvals. Also known as "stringing", this process is against the laws of the State of Missouri; against the policies of the District; and inconsistent with the Policies and Procedures of the District Purchasing Department. Utilization of this process can be grounds for termination of any delegated purchasing authority which the requisitioner in question may have. The process does not require that the items, or the provider, be the same; but rather that the items be "like items", and the vendors be from the same general vendor/provider group. Please contact the Purchasing Department with any questions.

Springfield Public Schools

Purchasing Department

1458 E. Chestnut Expressway

Springfield, MO 65802

Phone: (417) 523-0071

Fax: (417) 523-0496

NOTE: All documents listed within the Purchasing Departments web pages are either in HTML, Word or Excel 2000, or PDF format. You can access the FREE viewers from the shortcuts below.

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