Forms

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• When Moving Equipment
• In Case of Emergency
• Computer Lab Entry Application

PURCHASING REQUEST

• Purchasing Request (up to 6 items)
• Purchasing Request (up to 21 items)

Fill out, print, get your supervisor's signature, and submit to department office.

TIPS ON FILLING OUT THE FORM

Name, project, supplier (dept or company), part numbers, and PI’s signature are required. A separate purchasing request form is needed for each vendor.

If you make a mistake, just correct it instead of starting over with a new request form.

Who

“Name” and “Project” (number or name) are required.

Provide a cell phone number and/or an email address so the secretary can contact you regarding any questions or problems about your order.

If buying a part for fabricated equipment, write the asset number next to the project number on the request form. Fabrication parts cannot be purchased with the purchasing card; ask for a purchase order.

Where

Fill out a separate request for each company. 

If you are making a purchase from a company we deal with all the time, you don’t need to write in the contact information – we have it already.  Examples are Alfa Aesar, Cole-Parmer, Fisher Scientific, McMaster Carr, Salt Lake Valve & Fitting, or Sigma Aldrich.  If you are requesting a printer cartridge, you don’t need to specify a vendor.

Otherwise, if the company has online ordering, provide a website address. If they don’t have online ordering, provide a fax number. If you aren’t sure, provide their website, phone, and fax numbers.  If they have toll-free phone or fax numbers, provide those.

Fisher Scientific and VWR have state contracts. Prices are usually heavily discounted from the price in the catalog and are usually lower than other suppliers.  VWR and Fisher don't charge for ground shipping; shipping from other companies averages about $20 per order (much more for express shipping).  See Kay to get a login and password to check the contract pricing online (you still have to ask her or Karen to make the actual purchase).

What

Write part numbers clearly.

If you have more items than will fit in the blanks, you don’t need to fill out another request.  You may check “see attached” and provide a separate page such as a printout of a website shopping cart.  Highlight or circle the part numbers on printouts.

If you have a quote from the company, please provide a copy with your request.

A brief description and a price estimate allows a cross-check that the part number is correct. Some companies such as Alfa Aesar and Fisher Scientific use the same part number for multiple sizes of packages. Specify the size of the package you want (such as, “case of 10 pack” or “500 g”) as well as the quantity.

If you are requesting a printer cartridge, provide the number off the cartridge.

How

If you don’t specify shipping, standard ground will be used.  If you are requesting express shipping, it is a good idea to point this out to the secretary when you submit the request.

Plan ahead to determine what supplies you need to order for your research.  Allow eight to ten days for shipping for most companies.  Express shipping or shipping for small orders often cost more than the purchase!  Some companies require a minimum purchase or charge extra handling on orders under a certain amount.