Purchasing
Purchasing at Delta College is responsible for soliciting, contracting and issuing orders for goods and services, as well as overseeing the purchasing card program and distributing all approved expenses for goods, services and reimbursements, while maintaining practices that follow the state and federal laws.
The Purchasing Department has the sole authority to order supplies, materials and equipment and to obligate Delta College for contractual services. No individual has the authority to enter into purchase contracts or in any way obligate the college for purchases.
How to make a purchase
To purchase items or services for the college, complete a purchase requisition completely. Be sure to include all relevant information so that your request is not delayed, and items ordered are correct. If there are any estimates that have been received, be sure to attach it to the requisition. Though your requisition should include a suggested vendor, Business Services will make the final determination as to where the item is ordered, utilizing negotiated contract pricing whenever possible.
The requisition must be approved by the departmental official/budget officer as designated, and forwarded to Business Services (B116) for processing. Business Services will review the information and contact you if additional clarification is needed prior to the purchase being made.
When the items arrive on campus, they will be checked in through Shipping & Receiving and delivered to the location indicated on the requisition. All items are shipped directly to the college's main campus.
Hardware and software purchases must be requested using Delta College's online hardware/software request system. This ensures that compatible components are being ordered and that your system requirements meet the minimum requirements for installation.
All computers are purchased on a scheduled replacement cycle, unless a need clearly
dictates replacement is needed sooner. Those requests will be evaluated on an individual
basis.
Delta College uses an ecommerce program through Staples for the purchase of office supplies. The program allows each cost center/department to order supplies for their area direct. Staples developed a special program consolidating the buying power of secondary and higher education institutions that provides excellent pricing, service and a wide range of products through the E&I Purchasing Cooperative.
Office supplies are ordered by authorized users through Staples Advantage. Orders must be a minimum of $50 and consolidated whenever possible. This helps to ensure that we are remaining sustainable through a reduced use of packaging materials and fuel. Deliveries are made to both on-campus and off-campus centers weekly.
There are two options for conference registration payment.
Option 1
Employee may register themselves directly and pay directly, then submit for reimbursement upon conclusion of the event/conference. Upon conclusion of event, if only registration is being reimbursed, submit a detailed receipt along with a requisition signed by the budget officer. This should be submitted for reimbursement upon conclusion of the event and will not be reimbursed prior to that. If there are other additional travel related expenses, then the registration reimbursement should be included on the travel expense form with all expenses, and not a separate requisition.
Option 2
Paid directly by the college. Submit a requisition signed by the budget office, with any completed registration form and/or login information, to be registered and paid by the college.
Emergency requisitions or rush orders (HPO - Hand Purchase Order)
Rush orders will be authorized only when a bona fide emergency exists. While it is difficult to define precisely what constitutes a genuine emergency, a situation would have to exist in which savings to be realized by normal processing by Business Services would be offset by corresponding, or greater losses to the department as a result of the delay or have significant negative effect on the educational process. Failure to anticipate a need is not, of itself, to be considered an emergency.
Purchasing thresholds
Orders costing less than $10,000
While formal bidding is not required, Business Services is charged with selecting
the best price for the item. This selection may be based on formal quotes, phone quotations
or knowledge of the market.
Orders over $10,000
All orders over $10,000 shall be accompanied by at least three formal bids, if possible,
unless the items are sole source items. When circumstances make bidding impractical,
orders exceeding $10,000 may be authorized by the Vice President of Business and Finance,
the President or the Board of Trustees with written authorization accompanying the
requisition.
Purchases exceeding $50,000
All orders exceeding $50,000 are subject to Board of Trustee notification.
Purchases exceeding $100,000
All orders exceeding $100,000 are subject to Board of Trustee approval prior to purchase.
Procurement relating to federal purchases
Delta College abides by the college's Federal Procurement Policy (PDF) relating to the purchase of goods and services for the performance of a federal grant award. This procedure ensures that those purchases are obtained in a cost-effective manner and in compliance with federal regulations. Procurement of all goods and services under a federal award shall be made in compliance with federal, state, local and tribal laws and regulations, including Delta College policies.
Purchasing cards
Delta College partners with PNC to purchase products and services utilizing Purchasing Cards (P-Cards). This provides another option for purchasing when it is not advantageous or cost-effective to issue a purchase order or a check.
Each P-Card is specific to a department/individual. For each transaction, the fund, cost centers and object codes are allocated monthly in PNC ActivePay by the cardholder and supporting receipts and documentation uploaded for the transaction. It is the cardholder's responsibility to record each transaction in a transaction log to be available for audit at any time. Hard copies of all receipts and supporting documentation must be retained for seven years.
The PNC ActivePay Transaction Management User Guide (PDF) provides step-by-step instructions for general cardholders and approvers to login, allocate charges, upload receipts, review charges and approve charges.
Conflict of interest
No vendor shall be selected where a Delta College employee has a direct interest either as the owner, partner or family member of an owner or partner or has any other significant financial interest. If this interferes with the selection of the best product, the President can authorize the purchase where a conflict of interest might exist.
Return of goods
Departments are not to return goods directly to vendors, with the exception of Staples Advantage products, but rather through the Purchasing Department. This allows the Purchasing Department to document transactions for returned goods, provide appropriate insurance levels, and assure that credits are applied to the appropriate cost centers. Whenever possible, individuals should complete the Return Materials Authorization form and bring it and the item to the Purchasing Department for return. Please keep in mind that most vendors do have a time limit on returns.
Vendor contact by employees
In many instances, the individual or department initiates contact with vendors for the purpose of researching equipment, developing specifications and determining the manufacturer or brand that will best satisfy their needs. During this contact, it is critical that the vendor be notified that any pricing requested is for budgetary estimate only and the inquiry is for informational purposes only and has no guarantee of purchase. Any estimates, specifications or information received from the vendor should be forwarded to the Purchasing Department with the requisition.