Missouri State University has established several ways in which a procurement may be accomplished, in order to facilitate the acquisition process. This section will cross-reference the types of procurements to the kinds of procurements the user will be making, in order to better direct you to the procurement method which best fits the acquisition you wish to make. It will not be all inclusive, but should let you get comfortable that you will be heading in the right direction, as you work further through this manual.
To begin with, if you wish to have the Purchasing Department handle all aspects of the purchase, you need go no further, as creation of a Requisition, via the UBUY System, will accomplish that for you. Generally, the UBUY Requisition is generated, in hard-copy form, and is received in the Purchasing Department within 48 hours of the last approval required by the budget authority for the expenditure. The UBUY Requisition can be used to create two types of acquisitions:
Purchase Draft
With a limit of $ 500, the Purchase Draft is used to pay for dues, memberships, subscriptions, registrations, and similar matters, where the draft (check) must, or should accompany the order.
Purchase Order
With no dollar limit, the Purchase Order may be issued as the result of the solicitation of bids by the Purchasing Department; a "draw" against an existing State, or Missouri State University contract; or other acceptable process accomplished by the Purchasing Department.
Examples of types of transactions which must be handled by a UBUY Requisition, those that best lend themselves to a UBUY Requisition, regardless of the dollar value established as the limit for the Departmental Order Form, will be set forth in Section IV, Determining the Proper Procurement Method.
Departmental Order Forms may be used, for purchases under $750, when the goods or services to be acquired are not on an existing contract (University or State) and when the goods to be acquired are not of a nature where they would be property-tagged for addition to the inventory records of the University ( this is a major change from the previous PPM). If either condition exists, the use of a Departmental Order Form is inappropriate.
Petty Cash transactions, limited to $100, are reimbursements of expenditures involving the personal funds of the person seeking the reimbursement. The rationale for the expenditure is no different than any other expenditure utilizing University funds, in that the propriety of the expenditure must be consistent with University policies; and further, the cost is limited to $100.