CHEMISTRY PROCUREMENT   

Congratulations!  
You have worked hard, written that grant, and been funded.
      I know you are anxious to spend your money so let's get started
 by answering the following FAQs.

• Can I just go out and start spending?
  No, the university has specific rules which govern what can be bought, by whom and how purchases can be made.  All computer peripherals and software must be ordered through Purchasing. Equipment and supplies costing less than $3000 can be ordered at the department level.  Goods costing $3000 or more are ordered by purchasing and require a competitive bid process unless it is an item from a sole source. 
  
• Who does the ordering?
  Lisa orders books and publications and processes expenses for salary, travel and professional dues. Cynthia orders everything else - scientific and computer equipment and supplies.  Tony is Cynthia's backup and Cynthia is Lisa's backup.  Since Cynthia is a ten month, cyclic employee, she is often out.  But she always knows ahead of time and will give you plenty of advance notice.  Please try to plan your purchases (chemicals, supplies, etc.) so that  she can do the ordering. However, we understand that emergencies arise, we all sometimes forget things and often there are circumstances beyond our control.  So do not hesitate to ask Tony to place an order when Cynthia is not here or to ask Cynthia to place one for Lisa.  
  
• What do you want to order?
  You need to know what you want - We can help you find it but you must be clear on what your needs are. If you are working with grant money, you must be certain that your expenditure is acceptable under the conditions of the grant. If you have any questions concerning grants, contact Heather Harrell at x1988.  Also do your homework - ask questions before you order.  Returns are expensive - you must pay shipping for returned items and vendors often charge restocking fees.  And  plan ahead, if you have any questions, see us before you get ready to order and we will help you figure out the most expedient way to get what you want.
  
• How do I find prices?
  A list of links to our most commonly used scientific vendors is included below - you can look on these web sites, use department catalogs, or we will get prices for you.  VWR and Fisher are both state contracted vendors for scientific supplies - they give us much better prices and free shipping. We also have a contract through Sigma-Aldrich that has a deep discount and free shipping.
  
• Must I fill out a requisition?
  Yes, if you are ordering anything other than the items that Lisa orders.  Follow this link to a blank requisition. You might find it useful to set up an Excel file with all your reqs. To do this, go to the link and use the 'save as' function to save to your own file. Once you have your file set up with the blank requisition, then copy this blank one to create a new worksheet each time you create a requisition. One requisition per vendor, please.
  
• How do I fill out the requisition?
  Fill out as follows:
  1) Requestor - your initials
  2) Project ID (budget account #) - if you don't know the Project ID, put what you do know, grant name, contract etc.
  3) Quantity - the amount that you want to order
  4) Unit - ea, pk, cs, bx, etc.
  5) Part # - vendor part #
  Depending on the vendor,  there is often a vendor part# and then the manufacturer part #, ex., for a beaker from VWR, there is the VWR # 13912-502 and the Corning #1003-150 for the same item.  If you are using the VWR catalog, you must use the VWR part#.  Make sure your part#s are correct and that they match the description.
  6) Description - just the basic description, ex., 150 ml beaker but IF you are ordering chemicals you must put the size here, ex., 100g or 4L
  7) Unit Price - put the catalog (or Internet) price - make a note on the requisition indicating where you got the price.  Cynthia will get an official quote reflecting our discounted prices from the vendor. Make sure that the unit and price match, ex. if you want to order a case make sure you have the case price.
  8) Vendor - just the name - We have addresses etc. - unless it is an obscure vendor in which case, we will let you know if we need more info.
  9) Rush - let us know if it is rush- note the date needed and we'll do our best!
  10) Total - Sales tax will be calculated. If we are ordering from an out of state vendor, we pay Washington state use tax (instead of sales tax) which is 8% for Ellensburg. There will also be shipping costs incurred for orders other than VWR, Fisher and Sigma-Aldrich.  And hazardous chemicals often have expensive over pack charges.
  
• Do my purchases need to be approved by anyone?
  You have primary signatory authority on your own grants and have responsibility for making sure that funds are available and spent appropriately.  Faculty also usually give signatory authority to Cynthia and Lisa so that they can sign for the faculty.  If you want to make purchases with department funds, you need to get the chair's approval prior to placing the order.  A couple of examples of when you might want to order with department funds are :  1) you are developing  a new student lab experiment and need to order supplies or equipment, 2) you want to make a purchase from the the department's pooled indirect money.
  
• When will I get my stuff?
  - Orders that are less than $3000 which are not computer related (hardware, software, peripherals, etc.) can be ordered on our Purchasing Card and will usually be here within a week.  
  - Items $3000 or more must be put out to bid and will take at least a month. Some items are considered 'sole source' and do not need to be bid. Please contact Cynthia for more details.  
  - Computer items which are ordered by Purchasing will require 2-4 weeks for delivery.  
  - If you really need it in a hurry, let us know and we will do our best.  However, we become skeptical if you always really need something in a hurry.
  
• How will I get my stuff?
  Orders other than those placed by Lisa, will be received in the Chem Receiving area, SCI 315.  Cynthia will check orders in (verify that all items were shipped, that nothing is broken, etc.), log chemicals and equipment into the appropriate departmental database, and deliver the items to the space that you have designated in your research area.  You are responsible for verifying in a timely manner that all equipment works.  Warranties on equipment normally begin when the equipment is received.  Tony is the backup for receiving. See Lisa for orders that she places.
  
• How do I keep track of my orders and expenses?
  The responsibility for managing grant expenditures rests with the grantee.  Assistance is provided as follows:
  1. Contact the person responsible for reconciling the grant - this could be a fiscal tech in COTS, in the grad office or Lisa (for Chemistry and startup grants) - Lisa can tell you who to contact.
  2. Lisa will provide you a copy of the Monthly Project Report for each grant.
  3. Information needed to track Goods and Services expenses will be provided to the person reconciling the grant using the following procedure:
  1. The PI should place orders with the appropriate staff member.
  2. The staff will assign a unique chemistry order # to the requisition, will place the order and correct the expenses on the requisition to reflect the actual rather than the estimated prices (if needed). Shipping and taxes will also be added.
  3. A copy of the requisition will be put in the box of the person reconciling the grant to indicate that the order has been placed and to provide a more accurate estimate of the expense. Cynthia also emails the requestor with the requisition total when an order is placed.
  4. As invoices on the order are received, the staff will tag the invoice with the appropriate chemistry order # and put a copy in the box of the person reconciling the grant.  This invoice amount is the expense that will show up on the Monthly Project Report for reconciliation.
• How do I track my budget?
  Review the charges on the budget reports that Lisa prints out for you. If you find discrepancies, let Cynthia or Lisa know and they will help you figure out where the error is - and who to contact.
  
• What provisions are available for small incidental purchases?

  • Petty Cash - This method is intended only for small, incidental allowable expenditures - check with Lisa first to verify that your anticipated purchase is allowable. To get reimbursed, present store receipts (with only departmental purchases on the receipt) to Lisa for processing - the maximum amount per receipt is $50 - there are no exceptions.  

  • Purchasing Card - This card is available to facilitate shopping locally for purchases that are more than the petty cash limit or  for making a number of purchases which would deplete the department petty cash.  Both Lisa and Cynthia have a card which can be used by faculty, however, these cards are the  personal  responsibility of the holder so a signature release is required to use the card.
    

• What if I need something built or fabricated?
  The campus has extensive services such as carpentry, welding, and electrical support available through Facilities Management located in the Jongeward building.  To get an estimate for a project, an IPR (Improvement Project Request) must be filled out and submitted to FM work control.  See Cynthia for assistance - Lisa is the backup.
  
• Can I buy things with my own money and get reimbursed?
  Not easily.  If the expense is less than $50 and you have receipts, Lisa can reimburse you from petty cash.  Otherwise an attempt to get reimbursement 'after the fact' can be made but this requires excessive paperwork including a statement from the Dean about why proper purchasing procedure was not followed.  This situation should be avoided if at all possible.
  
• Who do I contact if I still have questions?
  Contact Cynthia in SCI 207c, x1307 or Lisa in SCI 302, x2811.

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Vendor Links

The following links will take you to vendors most often used by Chemistry. For some vendors, you will need to set up an account to access their site. The pricing you get will not usually include academic discount, volume discount or contract pricing - Cynthia will get the exact price when the order is placed.

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Send e-mail to Cynthia Kuhlken with questions
and comments about Chemistry Procurement or this site.
Last Update 2/13/2009