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  • 1.  Purchase Order Process

    Posted 07-31-2024 03:08 PM
    This is from our Visitor Services Director, Chris Harris. Please reply to him at charris@sciencecentral.org.

    ===============================================

    Greetings,

    Science Central is looking to improve our internal 'purchase order' process and would love advice.  Let's say that one of our employees decides to buy 32 dissection frogs - because that sounds sciency - so they fill out a purchase order form for $__ based on the quote.  Their form gets routed around for the three different approvals; once approved, the employee excitedly buys their frogs!  Afterwards, they should turn in an invoice and a receipt to finance, keeping track of the PO #. Finance also needs to track if it's related to a grant and report on it.

    For years, we've used paper forms complete with carbon copies.

    Recently, we've been trying to use Wufoo to build an Electronic PO Form with mixed results.

    There's always been a tension between employees who just want the money and don't know (or care) about the difference between a quote, an invoice, or a bill of lading and the Finance Dept. who NEEDS very specific documentation for audit purposes.

    Questions:
    1. What do you use for your internal Purchase Orders?
    2. Would you recommend it to others?
    3. Is it easy to use from the employee's perspective?  From the approvers perspective?  From finance's perspective?

    Chris

    Chris Harris
    Visitor Services Director
    Science Central
    1950 N. Clinton St.
    Fort Wayne, IN 46805
    (260) 424-2400 ext. 411

    --
    Martin S. Fisher
    Executive Director
    Science Central
    1950 North Clinton Street
    Fort Wayne, IN  46805
    Phone: 260-424-2400 ext. 441
    Fax: 260-422-2899
    Cellular: 260-452-4047
    Email: mfisher@sciencecentral.org
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  • 2.  RE: Purchase Order Process

    Posted 07-31-2024 03:54 PM

    Good afternoon, Martin,

     

    It sounds like you're looking for purchasing permission, not a formal Purchase Order that goes to an outside vendor, correct? We use an online form that captures all the purchase information as well as a narrative field for the employee to explain the business purpose behind the purchase. That gets routed to an approver, then to the business office who issues the official PO.

     

    Regards,

     

     

    Diane Gutenkauf
    Senior Assistant Director, Operations & Strategy
     
    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    College of Fine and Applied Arts
    Krannert Art Museum
    500 East Peabody Drive | M/C 592
    Champaign, IL 61820
    217-333-3437 | dianeg3@illinois.edu
    kam.illinois.edu
     
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    Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure.

     

     

     

     




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