Purchasing Home:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
Whom should I contact to check on the status of payment
on an invoice?
A:
To inquire about the status of a payment, contact the
Payables Clerk for your commodity.
Payables Clerk contact information is also shown on
the bottom right of the Purchase Order.
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Q: How do I get on Penn State’s
bid list?
A:
If you are interested in getting on Penn State’s
bid list, you must submit a Supplier
Application. Mail copies of your company’s brochures or catalogs
and a letter explaining why you feel you are qualified
to do business with Penn State—to the Purchasing
Agent who handles your commodity.
Our mailing address is:
Purchasing Services
Penn State
101 Procurement Services Building
University Park, PA 16802
We will keep your information on file and contact you
about relevant bidding opportunities.
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Q: How can I find out the
results of a quote or proposal that I have submitted?
A:
You may contact the Purchasing Agent who issued the
request for quote or proposal to find out the results
of the bid. Please note that in accordance with University
policy, Purchasing Services will reveal only the lowest
bidder and corresponding price in competitive bid situations.
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Q: I’d like to meet
with a Purchasing Agent in person to discuss what my
business has to offer. How do I set up a meeting?
A:
Just contact the Purchasing Agent who handles your commodity
to set up a meeting time. A list of Purchasing Agents
and their commodity responsibilities can be found in
our Commodity
Directory.
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Q: How can I find out which
Purchasing Agent handles my commodity?
A:
A list of Purchasing Agents and their commodity responsibilities
can be found in our Commodity
Directory.
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Q: Whom should I contact
for a price/product change on a Purchase Order?
A:
If there is a price or product change such as a substitution
on a purchase order that has been submitted to your
company, you should contact the appropriate Purchasing
Agent to authorize the change before it is made. The
Purchasing Agent’s name and contact information
is shown on the bottom right of the Purchase Order.
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Q: How long will it take
to process my requisition?
A:
The time it takes to process your requisition to a Purchase
Order will depend on how long it takes to go through
the departmental IBIS approval path as well as on the
nature of the item(s) you are purchasing. Once the requisition
has been approved at the departmental level in IBIS,
you may contact the appropriate Purchasing
Agent to find out the status.
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Q: How can I find out if
my requisition has been approved?
A: You can check the status of your order in IBIS.
Just follow these steps:
1. Log in to IBIS.
2. Input IGFM or IORD.
3. Input the requisition number. You will then be
at the form action space in the document.
4. Type in HIS and then press the F12 key. This will
bring up the order history.
When the order has been approved the last line of the
history will state, “Form has been processed.”
The Purchase Order number should also show in the document.
If the order has reached Purchasing Services but has
not yet been approved, you may contact the appropriate
Purchasing
Agent to find out the status of the order.
If you need assistance, please contact the appropriate
Purchasing Agent’s Assistant.
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Q: The supplier
has not received my Purchase Order. What should I do?
A:
First, follow the steps outlined in the answer above
to check IBIS to make sure the Purchase Order has been
approved by Purchasing Services. If it has been approved,
contact the appropriate Purchasing
Agent.
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Q: Whom should I contact
to check on the status of payment on an invoice?
A:
To inquire about the status of a payment, contact the
appropriate Payables
Clerk. Payables Clerk contact information is also
shown on the bottom right of the Purchase Order. Payables
are assigned by the agent code that follows the Purchase
Order number.
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Q: Whom should I contact
if I am having trouble entering a requisition into the
IBIS system?
A:
If you are having problems with the IBIS system, you
should contact AIS Support at 814-863-2276.
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Q: How can I find out if
an invoice for my Purchase Order has been received?
A:
When invoices are received, copies are sent to the department
with either an invoice notification or a blue tag. If
you have not received an invoice and feel Purchasing
Services may have the invoice, contact the appropriate
Payables
Clerk. Payables are assigned by the agent code that
follows the Purchase Order number.
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Q: How do I know which Purchasing
Agent handles my commodity?
A:
A list of Purchasing Agents and their commodity responsibilities
can be found in our Commodity
Directory.
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Q: Is there an approved
supplier list for the University?
A:
While there is no approved supplier list, each Purchasing
Agent does maintain a list of preferred suppliers. You
should contact the appropriate Purchasing
Agent for this information. Also, please be sure
to utilize the University
Supplier Contracts whenever possible.
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Q: Where can I find a list
of Penn State’s contracts?
A:
Penn State’s contracts can be found in the University
Supplier Contracts list.
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Q:
How does the request for quote (RFQ) or bidding process
work?
A:
Purchasing Services may determine that goods or services
must be competitively bid due to either the value or
nature of what is being purchased. When this occurs,
Purchasing Services will send a request for quote (RFQ)
to each supplier being invited to bid. Once the bids
are received, it is the responsibility of Purchasing
Services to award the Purchase Order to the lowest responsive,
responsible bidder. However, when choosing a supplier,
Purchasing Services may consider factors other than
price. You may contact the appropriate Purchasing
Agent if you have questions about a particular purchase
or bid.
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Q:
I have a supplier’s agreement that needs to be
signed. What should I do?
A:
You should contact the appropriate Purchasing Agent
any time you have a supplier agreement or contract that
requires a signature. Penn State employees are not authorized
to sign supplier agreements on behalf of the University.
All contractual documents must be signed by a University
official as authorized by the Board of Trustees to contractually
bind the University. See Policy
FN11 for details.
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Q:
What happens if there are no competitive sources available
for my purchase or if there is a reason why my purchase
cannot be bid?
A:
In single/sole source situations where there are no
competitive sources available, the requester must provide
documentation to Purchasing Services by completing a
Single/Sole
Source Justification form. The Single/Sole Source
Justification form is also required when a specified
supplier or manufacturer is indicated as the desired
source.
The Single/Sole
Source Justification form is available electronically
in IBIS as part of the REQR and also as a downloadable
pdf.
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Q:
I need to hire a consultant. What should I do?
A:
The University’s policy governing the use and
procurement of consultants is outlined in Policy
BS17.
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Q:
I need to return an item that was purchased on a Penn
State Purchase Order. How should I do it?
A:
Contact the supplier and explain that you would like
to return an item and that you are calling to get an
RMA (return authorization form) number. They may have
instructions that you need to follow to be reimbursed.
Some suppliers may also charge a restocking fee. Please
follow all directions the supplier gives you and make
sure to send back the correct item if you have received
more than one. (Sometimes the RMA lists a number.) Be
sure to get a tracking number when shipping the item.
This is very important and will show where the item
was delivered.
If you need assistance with this process, please contact
the appropriate Purchasing
Agent’s Assistant. Likewise, if you feel the
supplier is not being fair or reasonable, contact the
appropriate Purchasing
Agent.
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Q:
What should I do if I do not receive an item that was
purchased on a Penn State Purchase Order?
A: First, contact the supplier to see if the item was
shipped. If it was, get the tracking number from the
supplier. Check the tracking number on the shipping
carrier’s Web site to see where the item is.
If you need assistance, contact the appropriate Purchasing
Agent’s Assistant.
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