Paraprofessional Forum 2018
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I have a travel and/or Procard questions?A. For questions on Procard & Travel- Contact the Procard & Travel Team:
A.Pat Griggs:713-556-6529
Stuart Stradford, 713-556-6528
Q. How do I submit an invoice?
A.All invoices must be submitted to Accounts Payable Department. Vendors & staff have 3 options of how invoices can be submitted
- Invoices can be mailed the mailing address can be found at the top of the purchase order.
- Scanned to Accounts Payable via HISD Ricoh Printer
- Sendvia email address: (This is considered the best option)
Q. How do I retrieve funds that have been encumbered from a rejected shopping cart?
A. Accept the rejected shopping cart and the funds will be returned to your account or delete the shopping cart to release the encumbered funds. The system will release your funds between 24 -48 hours. If you still don’t have the funds, contact your Budget Analyst.
NOTE: The Buyer deletes the PO
The End-User deletes the Shopping Cart
Q. My quote includes a discount pricing; how can this be applied?
A.Enter the amount exactly as it is on the quote, the discount will be applied when the purchase order is created.
Q. What is the time frame between approval of a requisition and the creation of a purchase order?
A.The buyer has 5-7 business days to convert a requisition into a purchase order.
Q. Who is my point of contact in Procurement Services?
A.Utilize the Procurement Department share-point website site for contacts in the department.
Q. Can I utilize my PROCARD with non-approved suppliers?
A.NO!!!!! All purchases (ProCard & PO) must be made through HISD Board Approved vendors.
Q. Where can I find the Approved Vendor List?
A.The approved vendor list can be found on Procurement website:
Q. What are the best practices to use ProCard instead of Shopping Cart?
A.ProCard should be utilized for orders less than $1000,with the exception of services, technology equipment, or for purchases that have reoccurring monthly charges. If a ProCard is not accepted by the supplier, orthe commodity is restricted, the requisitioner must enter a shopping cart.
Q.What are the training schedules for Shopping Carts?
A.Shopping Cart Training Schedule can be found by accessing the OneSource Tab under the Employee Quick Links. Training Course 217001.
Q. Why is there a delay in processing time of Shopping Carts?
A. Shopping carts are processed within 5-7 business days in the order they are received. Shopping carts can be delayed due for the following reasons:
- Insufficient funds
- Incorrect UNSPSC code
- Additional Information required for processing; i.e. quote, pricing, etc.
- Utilizing Non-ApprovedSuppliers
Q.What is a fully executed contract?
A.A fully executed contract is an MSA/Services Contract that has been reviewed and signed by Legal, Chief Finance Officer, Superintendent, Board of Trustees President and Secretary.
Q.Where are the Procurement Services most commonly used resources (i.e., approved vendor list, FAQs, directory, forms, product categories UNSPSC, catalogs)?
A.Procurement Services most commonly used resources are on the Procurement Services Websites located at and
Q.Why must HISD only use approved vendors?
A.According to State Law (Chapter 44, Section 44.031) of the Texas Education Code and approved by the HISD Board of Education, requires all HISD vendors to have an approved procurement instrument (i.e., purchase order, contract, purchase agreement, etc.) in place prior to providing goods or services. Entering into contracts without appropriated authorization is prohibited and a violation of State Law.
- How do I use the Approved Vendor List search tool to find an approved vendor?
- The approved vendor list can be researched by vendor name, vendor number, UNSPSC Category, Project number, and keyword in project description.
Q.What does the project number mean?
A.The project number is the RFP, RFQ, Cooperative, etc., number.
Q.What is the UNSPSC description?
A.A UNSPSC identifies the good or service, the category, and reference code.
Q.What does the expiration date of a project mean?
A.The expiration date of a project means that the project and vendors contract have expired. A vendor with an expired contract is no longer an approved vendor.