Office and Procurement Services

1. Office and Procurement Services We’re here to help you!

2. Who’s Who In OPS? Office and Procurement Services is an atypical setting: two directors and one office. It can be a little confusing.

3. How do I know who to contact? Sue Peck Donna Sturdevant • Statutory Construction Purchasing • Questions on the following commodities: • Maintenance • Laboratory/Sciences • Industrial • Arts • Furniture • Safety/Security • Miscellaneous • One Card Questions • Questions on the Following Commodities: • IT: Computers/Printers • AV • Athletics • Printing/Publishing • Office Supplies • Equestrian • Mail/Shipping • Promotional Items • Car Rentals • MFP (Multi-Functional Printer)/Copies • Shredding Email Sue or Donna at procurement@alfred.edu or call 607-871-2698

4. What can OPS do for you? • Help you with your big purchase needs • Direct you to a reputable vendor • Help your department save a few bucks • Set you up with an AU One Card • Help you with Printing and Mailing Services • Assist you in the Mail Room • We have the buzz on employee discounts! Ooh la la!

5. Not sure where to begin when purchasing? We can help! You can find the AU-Find-A-Quote on our website: http://our.alfred.edu/index.cfm/fuseaction/procurement.home.cfm Or, if your purchase is fairly simple, feel free to email us at procurement@alfred.edu or call us at 607-871-2698.

6. What’s a Requisition? What’s a PO? What’s the Difference? • A REQUISITION is an internal document that faculty, staff, and in some cases a student fills out to request a purchase order • A PURCHASE ORDER, or PO, is a formal document issued by OPS. It specifies – per the requisition – the types, quantities, and prices for the goods and/or services the vendor (the seller) will provide AU (the buyer) • The difference is that YOU fill out the requisition. We process it in Banner and then distribute the PO

7. Do I Need a Purchase Order? AU One Card Purchases under $1,000Items picked up in person up to $1,000 In general, all purchases of goods and services require OPS review and approvals. However, the following are exceptions where departments may obtain special services following the guidelines in place by the University. Goods and Services not requiring a PO: BeveragesBooks, tapes, etc.CateringConsultingEntertainmentFilm rentalsFlowers Food Mail services Maintenance/Service Agreements Membership renewal fees/dues Postage/Freight Registration fees, conferences and seminarsSoftware subscriptions, renewals under $1,000Subscriptions - magazines, periodicals Travel Services

8. How do I request a purchase order? The requisition is the document that requests your purchase order. When that’s received we’ll be able to process that PO! To get a requisition visit our website: http://our.alfred.edu/index.cfm/fuseaction/procurement.home.cfm or call us at 607-871-2698.

9. What do I need on my requisition? FOAP stands for Fund Organization Account Program Contact and Delivery Information Your product description and its item number Vendor contact information FOAP Budget Supervisor approval Research approval (if applicable) Special Notes to Procurement

10. What happens after I turn in my requisition? • OPS staff will review your request, making sure you have the appropriate signatures, FOAP, etc. • An OPS Director will have to approve your request • A Purchase Order will be processed and distributed, and a copy will be emailed to you

11. Now your requisition will turn into…a purchase order! Before After

12. It’s been a couple of days…what could be holding up my PO? • No signature from budget supervisor • No signature from Research (if applicable) • OPS is waiting for the vendor to complete a Vendor Registration Form

13. Cool! I got my stuff! What do I do now OPS? Shortly after you receive your goods, the vendor will send an invoice (aka bill) to Accounts Payable. AP will email you to confirm that your PO has been fulfilled, and then they will pay the vendor. Send any packing slips to AP… And you’re all set!

14. Uh oh…what if the vendor sent me an invoice that’s on a PO? Don’t worry! Send that invoice down to Accounts Payable and they’ll pay the vendor. You can identify our PO numbers on the invoice because they are usually formatted as: P000#### or 167### . *If you have a One Card, do NOTpay the vendor for goods/services purchased on a PO.

15. Are all of the OPS purchases made with a purchase order? No, sometimes OPS will order your items with our credit card. In this case, your packing slips and any invoices you might receive should go back to OPS in Greene Hall, and not to the Business Office.

16. Here’s how you can tell the difference between an order placed on a PO, and one placed with a One Card: Placed on a One Card: Your requisition will be returned to you with the words “One Card” written on the top right corner. Sometimes there will be an order confirmation attached…it depends on the vendor.

17. Hey! How do I get one of those AU One Cards? Well…first make sure your supervisor says it’s okay…then you need to fill out a One Card application. One Card Applications are found on our website! After the paperwork is in place, you will be contacted for One Card Training.

18. Is there anything I should know about purchases I make myself, and not through OPS? • When using a new vendor visit the Better Business Bureau: www.bbb.org. You can search your vendor to verify they are a reputable and legitimate provider. • And don’t forget about sales tax! • When in doubt email or call OPS. procurement@alfred.edu or 607-871-2698.

19. Some Quick Notes On Sales Tax • Alfred University is a tax-exempt organization within New York State. • These additional costs are depleting your departmental budget. • Any merchandise shipped to AU from another state is a tax exempt purchase. • At the time of a purchase tell the vendor that AU is tax exempt, and present them with a tax exempt certificate. • The vendor has the right to refuse AU’s sales tax status…but always try to prevent the cost, or try to get the reimbursement. • When planning your trip, the university does have to pay taxes for: • Airline purchases • Fuel • For a copy of AU’s tax exempt certificate, go to: http://our.alfred.edu/index.cfm/fuseaction/business_office.FormsDocs.cfm

20. How Do I Get a Tax Reimbursement? • If you notice taxes on your online purchase after submitting your order, contact the vendor via telephone, email, or live chat and let them know you were charged sales tax and you are requesting a reimbursement. • You may need to provide your order number. • If it’s a local vendor, you may need to take the tax exempt certificate to them directly. • You will need to provide the vendor the tax exemption certificate. Some vendors require that you write the name of the seller on the line under “blanket certificate” and the date of purchase, too. • In regards to Amazon…OPS can set you up with a tax exempt account. Contact Sue Peck for more information.

21. Bids and proposals and requests…oh my! Yeah! What’s that about? What do we do with those SUPER LARGE dollar items? What’s done in that case? This is the scoop…. • If your purchase is < $50,000 the department can get their own quote… BUT… OPS reserves the right to get other bids • > $50,000 OPS gets the bids Don’t forget…we’re here to help you! We’re not trying to be a tyrant. We are familiar with the vendors and suppliers out there. We not only want to help you SAVE but get a QUALITY product!!!

22. Want the university discount but need an account? OPS can set-up an account for you with: Other Training OPS Offers • One Card • Amazon • Cintas Document Management • Fisher Scientific • Office Max • Staples

23. Hey…didn’t you say something about printing and mailing services? Yes! We have a small print shop and mailing services facility! Take a look at our services! • Black and White Photocopying • Color Photocopying • Duplicating • Newsletters • General Office forms • Letterhead/Envelopes • Booklets • Brochures • Posters • Back to Back Printing • Folding • Cutting • Collating and Stapling • Saddle Stapling • Punch & Spiral Binding • 3-Hole Punch • Laminating • Tabbing • Labeling/Stuffing • Outgoing general mail • First and Third Class Mailings Services are available for the Alfred University Community and Students. Email Mary Schaumberg at schaummd@alfred.edu or check out the website http://our.alfred.edu/index.cfm/fuseaction/facilities.printing_services.cfmfor a printing request form or more information! ***Please allow 1-3 business days for small printing requests to be completed and 3-5 days for large printing requests.***

24. What about the mail room in the Powell Campus Center? This is where you can drop off any interoffice mail or any mail that already has postage on it. Non-statutory mail is also picked up here. • U.S. Postal Stamps • Weighing and mailing small packages up to 5 pounds • Priority Mail • Interoffice mail distribution • International First Class mail • Mail/Package pickup - package notification is via AU email. Students must wait for email notification prior to package pick-up and will need an AU ID in order to receive packages. • Department distributions • Forwarding mail service for students who have left AU residence halls • Certified/Registered mail Students can obtain services like… Questions? Contact Debbie Campbell at campbedk@alfred.eduor 607-871-2666

25. POTENTIAL SCAMS Below are some tactics that some companies use to scam universities: • Asking for your copier’s serial number, brand of copier and/or printer. • Sending out an “invoice” that looks legitimate, but it turns out to be a solicitation. • Frequently making reference to a local dealer or manufacturer such as XEROX, giving the impression that they are your regular supplier or representative. • Pretending to be conducting a survey to find out what office equipment (especially photocopiers and printers) you have and to verify your address so they can call you back posing as your authorized dealer to sell you toner, etc. When in doubt transfer the call to OPS: 607-871-2698 For more information on Unsolicited Vendors and Scams go to our website

26. Don’t forget about those employee DISCOUNTS*! (Through E&I) http://our.alfred.edu/index.cfm/fuseaction/procurement.Employeeincentive.cfm *These vendors and discounts change often, so keep checking the website!

27. Helpful Links… • Procurement: http://our.alfred.edu/index.cfm/fuseaction/procurement.home.cfm • Office Services: http://our.alfred.edu/index.cfm/fuseaction/facilities.office_services.cfm