A Quick Guide To

A QUICK GUIDE TO

PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLY

SERVICES

WHAT YOU SHOULD

KNOW ABOUT THE

PURCHASING PROCESS

To Our Customers:

We provide this brief informational brochure to faculty and staff as a ready reference for those who are directly and indirectly responsible for acquiring goods and services for their department or program. More detailed guidelines and procedures are found in the College of CharlestonProcurement and Supply Services Manual. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call our office at 953-5510. Thank you.

Wendy E. Williams, CPPO, C.P.M.

Director Procurement & Supply Services

Procurement is located in the Lightsey Center, 160 Calhoun Street, Room B53 and is open Monday through Friday (College holidays excepted) 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Central Warehouse is located at 4750 Goer Drive, North Charleston, SC 29405 and is open from 8:00 a.m.to 4:30 p.m.

Procurement OfficeCentral Warehouse

Telephone(843)953-5510(843)308-6500

Fax(803)953-5444(843)308-6502

CONTENTSPAGE

Primary Procurement Services3

Customer Services3-4

Legal Authority4

Limits on Purchases5

Purchasing Card Program6

Obtaining Goods and Services6-7

Necessary Approvals7

Following Up on Orders8

Received Material8

Shipping Something Out8-9

Dealing with Sales Representatives9-10

Your Role in the Purchasing Process10

College Plant Property10-11

Who Does the Buying?11

Code of Ethics12

DirectoryBack Cover (Inside)

PRIMARY PROCUREMENT SERVICES:

1. Buy supplies, equipment and services.
2. Operate Central Stores to provide maintenance and janitorial supplies for your convenience. It is mandatory to use this facility when such items are needed.
3. Expedite the delivery of material.
4. Receive, deliver, and ship material.
5. Maintain inventory control of all equipment costing over $1,500.
6. Control the disposal of all surplus and obsolete property and equipment.
7. Ensure that South Carolina law is followed in all Procurement and Supply matters.

WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICES ARE OFFERED?

- Purchasing Orientations for New Personnel.

Call 953-5510 to schedule a new employee briefing.

- Purchasing Consultations.

We consult with and assist you concerning your procurement needs, problems, or time schedules.

- Visitations.

To discuss how we can better serve you, please schedule a visitation with a Procurement Officer, the Procurement Manager, or the Supply Manager. Can't come to see us? We'll come to you. We are always available at a mutually convenient time to assist in your planning.

- Purchasing Planning.

We can advise on the timing of purchases and help you develop a purchasing calendar. Some items require long lead times (8 to 12 weeks) for manufacture and delivery, therefore the earliest Procurement involvement is crucial to receiving goods on time.

- Procurement and Supply Services Manual.

A detailed user's guide to College procurement and supply policies and procedures (including samples and blank forms)isavailable at

Call Us When In Doubt- We will assist and guide you through the purchasing process.

THE PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLY DEPARTMENT PROCURES OR PURCHASES ALL SUPPLIES, SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT REGARDLESS OF THE SOURCE OF FUNDS.

WHAT WE DON'T DO…

We do not purchase:

- College Bookstore resale merchandise

- Copyrighted Library materials (print and non-print)

- Travel (Under Travel Authorization)

- Personnel Services (not contractual employee services)

- Permanent Improvement Projects (through State Engineer's Office)

- Contracts with Architectural and Engineering firms

- Real Property Leases through State Real Property Management

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITHOUT US?

- You may purchase specific items exempted by law and process payment to a vendor on an Accounting "Expenditure Authorization” (EA); Examples are: postage, published books, periodicals and technical pamphlets, public utilities, copyrighted educational films, filmstrips, slides and transparencies, or classified advertising. (Before utilizing this method, review the Procurement and Supply Manual, Appendix 4, Department Purchase Methods).

-You may make purchases of allowable goods and services up to $2,500 utilizing the State Purchasing Card (see Pcard manual)

WHO HAS LEGAL AUTHORITY TO PURCHASE?

State Code and the President of the College of Charleston vest procurement authority in the Procurement Director and staff, or as otherwise delegated.

Purchases made by other individuals are unauthorized and will not be approved retroactively. Individuals may be held personally liable for the purchase. This is true regardless of the source of funds.

HOW DOES THE PURCHASING PROCESS WORK?

You create a shopping cart in eProcure and assign it to a requisitioner in your department. The requisition moves through a workflow process gathering necessary approvals and arrives in Procurement. If it is for a small purchase it will automatically create a purchase order and route it to the vendor. If it is above the small purchase limit, it goes through a review process to determine what method of procurement is appropriate. Incomplete or erroneous requests will be returned for correction. A Procurement Officer applies the appropriate action. As a final step, a purchase order is assigned and sent to the vendor. You can track the progress of your requsition and see your order in the eProcure system.Once your order is complete, you should complete the receipt process in eProcure.

WHAT ARE THE STATE LIMITS ON PURCHASES?

The following limits apply to allpurchases not otherwise exempted regardless of the funding source. Note dollar limits at which competition is required.

Purchases $10,000 or less

No competition is required provided the purchase is fair and reasonable. A purchase order is requiredinadvance of the purchase unless it is $2500 or less and a Purchasing Card (Pcard) is used to make the purchase. If it is over $2500, or a Pcard is not being used, you must submit your request to Procurement via eProcure.

Purchasesover $10,000

Competition is required by law.
$10,001 - $25,000 / Advertised solicitation of written quotations
$25,001- $100,000 / Advertised sealed bids by College of Charleston
over $100,000 / Advertised sealed bids by State Procurement

Award is made to the lowest responsible, responsive bidder.

HOW CAN YOU OBTAIN GOODS AND SERVICES?

The following methods will allow you to obtain nearly all goods and services required in advance of your needs. These methods preclude any need for "after-the-fact" documentation by you and ensure you will not be held personally liable.

1. COLLEGE SURPLUS. Check with Surplus Property, (843)308-6500, to see if the items you need are available in Surplus. Available surplus property can be viewed upon request by appointment.

2. CENTRAL STORES. Complete an IDT (Intra Departmental Transfer) using stock numbers in Central Stores Catalog. Your order is normally delivered in 48 hours, or if you need the material sooner, you can pick up your order from Central Stores. Want an item stocked? Let the Supply Manager know.

3. PURCHASING CARD PROGRAM: The purchasing card program is designed to provide department/activity heads with greater flexibility and improved response time when procuring small quantities of supplies for their department or program. Therefore, the proper use of the purchasing card program will facilitate decreased paperwork and turn-around time for small supply orders under $2,500.

4. CUSTOMER PICK-UP. If you want to pick up goods locally you may use your Pcard or you can take the vendor copy of your purchase order with you to the vendor's place of business.

5. ROUTINE ORDERS. Submit a requisition via eProcure for all orders. If the order is under the small purchase limit and has no additional requirements, a purchase order will be created and routed to the vendor within minutes. If the requisition totals between $5,000 and $10,000 it requires your Executive Vice President’s approval and will automatically be routed for his/her approval. After the approvals are obtained, your order will be created and routed to the vendor within minutes. From $10,001 - $25,000, a request for quotations must be advertised and written quotations obtained and generally the order is placed in 3-4 weeks after request. Sealed bids up to $100,000 require from 30-60 days to bid and award and State bids for over $500,000 take 60-90 days and longer to bid and award. This is the standard and normal purchase method.

6. CONFIRMING ORDERS. For emergency purchases, repairs, or other situations where it is not practical to prepare an order in advance, Procurement can place an order for you. Please note that failure to plan ahead is not justification for an emergency or confirming order.

7. SOLE SOURCE PURCHASES. When an item is available from only one known source and exceeds $10,000 an order may be placed without competitive bids if sufficient, written justification is provided and sent with the requisition. There is a special form available from Procurement for this purpose. Before an order can be released Procurement must verify that the purchase is a sole source and have it approved.

1. BLANKET ORDERS. This allows you to charge and pick up small items from local vendors that do not take the Purchasing Card. Orders are limited to fiscal year duration. Contact your Procurement Officer for additional information.

1. CONTRACTS. You can purchase many repetitive or commonly used items from State and College blanket contracts. The advantage is convenience for you and the knowledge that your requisition does not require the time to be bid. Carpet, film, toner cartridges, furniture, laboratory chemicals and supplies, computers, and copiers are just a few of the items available on contract. If you have a recurring need for specific goods or services, it may be advisable to solicit a term contract. Your Procurement Officer can help you with this.

1. COPYING/PRINTING. The College Copy Center is an auxiliary service and can accommodate most small and large quantity copy needs. Printing needs should be referred to Procurement for purchase.

WHO APPROVES YOUR PURCHASING NEEDS?

The department Chair, Dean, or Executive Vice President over your area generally has the authority to approve your purchase requests. In accordance with state regulations and college policy, some items require additional approvals both at College and state level.

Examples of purchases requiring additional approvals:

What / Who
Sole Source Purchases
Emergency Purchases
Trade-in Purchases with an original
Acquisition cost of over $10,000. / Executive Vice President,
Business Affairs via Procurement Director
Materials Management Office via
Procurement Director

WHO WILL FOLLOW UP ON YOUR PURCHASE ORDERS?

1. Once purchase orders have been sent to the vendor, you can find a copy in eProcure under the History tab. The department may check the status of an order with the vendor, however it is best to let your Procurement Officer do this for you. You may not make any changes to the order unless they are coordinated with Procurement. To request a change to an existing order forward to Procurement a Change Order Request (using the form in eProcure) with the requested changes. A written change order will be issued to the vendor.

2. Your Procurement Officer will expedite an order on request. If you have concerns about an overdue order, please contact the procurement officer who worked with you to follow up with the vendor.

3. Should you contact your Procurement Officer to check on a purchase, please give the vendor name,purchase order number, and the due date.

WHAT HAPPENS TO MATERIAL ONCE IT IS RECEIVED?

1. Material is normally received at Central Receiving and the warehouse staff will process the receiving documents. In some circumstances material is scheduled to be delivered directly to the department. In those cases, it is incumbent upon the receiving department to enter the receiving information directly into eProcure.

2. Normally, goods and equipment delivered to Central Receiving will be delivered to the ordering department destination shown on the purchase order within 24 hours.

3. Departments are required to inspect goods and equipment upon receipt and notify Central Receiving immediately if there is a problem.

4. Personal packages should not be directed to Central Receiving. Neither security nor delivery can be provided for personal shipments with State supported resources.

Note: C.O.D. deliveries will be refused. Material that arrives at Central Receiving without a valid College of Charleston purchase order number may also be refused. If a Pcard order is shipped to Central Receiving it must have the Pcard holder’s name on it and a reference to it being a Pcard order.

WHAT IF YOU NEED TO SHIP SOMETHING OUT?

1. Central Receiving will ship out packages as well as equipment for repair. It is your responsibility to properly identify the material and to arrange to get the material to Receiving. Warehouse personnel will pick up and assist you in packaging if necessary. Please prepare an IDT (Intra Departmental Transfer) form to cover shipping charges.

2. United States Postal Service Overnight express shipments of packages (under 70 lbs) and letters are available through the College Mailroom (953-2089). Mailing labels and envelopes are available at the mailroom. You may also ship Fedex packages through the mailroom but it is your responsibility to get the letter or package to the Mailroom with an IDT (Intra Departmental Transfer) for shipping charges. Labels and FEDEX envelopes are available at the Bookstore.

3. College Bookstore provides UPS shipping. It is your responsibility to get the letter or package to the Bookstore with an IDT for shipping charges. Labels and UPS envelopes are available at the Bookstore.

HOW SHOULD YOU DEAL WITH SALES REPRESENTATIVES?

Vendors are a valuable source of information. You are encouraged to seek information from sales representatives about their products and services.

SUGGESTIONS FOR DEALING WITH VENDORS

1. When researching a need, whenever possible, contact more than one vendor. The more alternatives and options you consider, the more likely your final choice will be the most advantageous to the College.

2. Provide the same information to all vendors. State law requires that every vendor be given an equal opportunity to compete for your business.

3. When comparing vendor products, look at the total cost of ownership - start up, operating, maintenance, useful life, etc.

4. Remember, no gratuities! State law prohibits you from accepting direct or indirect gifts or payments or any other object of value from vendors even though the intent of the gesture may be honorable or a customary practice of the vendor.

5. If you want a sample for evaluation you must request and obtain a purchase order number from Procurement prior to delivery of the sample to the College.

6. Utilize the skills of the vendors to develop your specifications. Remember that specifications should be based upon performance. What do you want the item or service to do? What is the desired end result?

7. Do not use one vendor’s specifications or use original vendor ideas and designs for competitive purchasing purposes. The idea is to explore the market but not to limit competition.

8. If the sales representative asks you to sign a contract, order, or letter of intent, refuse to do so. Refer the representative to Procurement. Since all contractual terms and conditions must be reviewed by the Procurement Office, you are protecting yourself and the College.

9. Once you decide on the product or service, start the purchasing process. Give Procurement as much time as possible to ensure the most economical buy.

10. The Procurement Office has a printed VENDOR GUIDE to help vendors better understand how to do business with the College. Ask us if you would like copies to give vendors.

WHAT ROLE DO YOU PLAY IN THE PURCHASING PROCESS?

You are very important, because you are our customer. Procurement exists to serve you. However, we both exist in an environment governed by extensive regulations. Here's how we can work together to get you what you want:

1. TAKE NO PURCHASE ACTION (commitment for the College to accept and pay for supplies, services or equipment) without a purchase method determination by Procurement.

2. PLAN AHEAD. Industry lead times vary by commodity. Last minute purchases and rush orders cost more. Make your equipment purchases as early in the fiscal year as possible. Each year we publish a deadline schedule for fiscal year purchases. Watch for this schedule and be sure to meet the deadlines. Please keep Procurement advised of your future needs so we can assist you in locating vendors and developing a purchasing schedule that will meet your needs.

3. THINK GENERIC.PERFORMANCE AND NEED rather than brand should be your basis for equipment specifications. Specify brands only when proprietary. (Facial quality folded tissue - not Kleenex.)

4. WORK WITHIN THE SYSTEM. Your needs can be met when we work with each other, not against each other. Remember that we are here to serve you, but we need your help and cooperation to do so.

5. FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES. There are state laws and regulations that govern how we purchase. As State employees, we must all comply with the South Carolina Consolidated Procurement Code.

6. RELAY YOUR NEEDS if you have questions or concerns. We are here to serve and assist you.

HOW IS COLLEGE EQUIPMENT CONTROLLED?

1. All equipment purchased by the College with a unit cost of $1,500 or more, and computer equipment, regardless of cost, is affixed with a decal or other marking as College property and is listed on the College's Plant Property Inventory.