Requisition to Purchase Order

A requisition is a process of formally requesting a service or product on behalf of your department. Requisitions are reviewed and processed by Procurement Services and Contract Services.

Plan Ahead

• Which Products/Services Require a Requisition?

  • You will need to submit a requisition for:

    • Products/services that have terms and conditions.
    • Contracts, agreements, and MOUs requiring an SJSU signature.
    • IT software [including freeware].
    • Services that are being performed on campus.
    • Customized products.
    • Furniture and fixtures [pdf].

     

    You should submit also a requisition if:

    • You need help identifying a supplier for the product/service.
    • Your purchase request does not qualify for other Ways To Pay.
• What do I Need to Attach?

  • You may need to attach the following documents to your requisition:

    • Price Quote/Estimate.
    • Scope of Work [pdf], Proposal, MOU, or Unsigned Contract.
    • Technology Requisition Impact Assessment Form [TRIA] for Software.
    • Hospitality Form for Events [pdf].
    • Permit Request for Fixtures, Furniture, and Equipment Installation [pdf].

     

    You might also want to provide:

    • Product description [e.g., part/model number, quantity, brand/maker].
    • Supplier contact information [if available].
• What Else Should I Consider?

  • You might want to consider:

    • Supporting Local and Small Businesses.
    • Requesting insurance for campus events.

    You should also plan your timeline:

    • What is your desired delivery date?
    • Have you planned for 2-8 weeks for contract negotiations and PO processing?
    • Have you planned for the onboarding of new suppliers, which requires additional processing time?
    • Have you reviewed bidding requirements for goods/services above 50K?
    • Have you considered special approvals that might be required? 

Submitting a Requisition

Throughout the requisition process, the Strategic Sourcing - Procurement Services Team will serve as a collaborative partner to help departments leverage their purchasing power, utilize system-wide contracts, abide by federal and state guidelines, and build relationships with new suppliers.

• How do I Submit a Requisition?

  • Department admins can submit a requisition through FTS after receiving training. Once approved by an approving official, the requisition is available to Procurement Services Team for processing the next day.

    Students and faculty should work with their department admins to procure any goods or services.

    For detailed instructions, see Requisition tutorial.

• What Happens After I Submit a Requisition?

  • Once a requisition is submitted and approved in FTS, it is distributed to the Procurement Services Team. They will review the request, confirm pricing and availability, negotiate terms and conditions [as needed], and then convert the requisition into a Purchase Order [PO]. The PO will be sent to the supplier and finalized when both parties agree to the terms and conditions.

    Important: Departments should not place their order with the supplier until the PO is finalized.

• What are my Department's Responsibilities?

  • • Do not sign any contracts on SJSU’s behalf. See Authority to Contract Policy.

    • Review the Procure to Pay Guidelines to see if this is the correct procurement option.

    • Enter the Requisition in FTS.

    • Provide a quote/backup documentation when appropriate.

    • For a new supplier who is not in FTS to select, you must choose one of the following in the Requisition as a Supplier:

      - Supplier NEW [ID 000004233]
      - Supplier TO BID [ID 0000043480]
      - Supplier NO $ VALUE [ID 0000043479]

    • For additional information about the above suppliers, see New Supplier Request Process.
• When can I Request Delivery of Goods and Services?

  • You cannot request any goods or services to be delivered until you receive confirmation that a Purchase Order has been issued.

• Can I Make Multiple Purchases from the Same Supplier?

  • We can set up a Blanket Purchase Orders [BPO] when you want to utilize one supplier for multiple requests on commodities or services within a stated scope, term, and within the same fiscal year.
    
    The requested amount on the BPO should reflect your needs for the entire fiscal year. If you are unsure of the amount to request, research costs or review your previous purchase history. The amount should include shipping and tax. BPO’s may not exceed $49,999.

    Please see Blanket Orders for detailed information.

• When are Solicitations Required?

  • When requisitions exceed certain dollar amounts, we have a responsibility as a CSU campus to consider solicitations from additional suppliers and engage in competitive bidding. See below for requirements related to different types of purchase requests, based on dollar amount.

• What are Solicitation Bid Limit Thresholds and Requirements?

  • Bid limit thresholds are determined by dollar amount of the requisition and commodity type.

    Please review the bid limit thresholds and requirements to learn about the processing time and bidding requirements for your procurement requests.

• Is There a Way to Speed up the Bidding Process

  • By utilizing an SB/DVBE Option [pdf], departments can bypass the bidding process for goods/services/IT valued between $5,000.01 and $249,999.99 [or up to $333,000 for public works contracts] after obtaining price quotes from at least two such businesses.

Issuing a Purchase Order

After the Procurement Services Team finalizes the requisition with the supplier, they will issue a Purchase Order [PO] to the supplier and the department contact. The department can then request fulfillment of their goods/services.

When a PO is issued, our financial systems will also reserve the total amount of the PO as an "encumbrance" for budgeting purposes. You can make a payment against the PO if the invoice amount is equal to or less than the encumbrance. To learn how to run financial reports, please see our Training and Tutorials.

Important: Payment of goods/services should not occur before a PO is issued.

• What Happens after the PO is Issued?

  • The department and the supplier will receive a copy of the PO once it has been finalized.

    The department is responsible for:

    • Following up with their supplier to verify the delivery timeline and status
    • Verifying submission of the invoice to Payment Services
    • Ensuring that all documentation references the PO number
    • Responding promptly to Payment Services when receipt of goods or approval to pay is required.

    
    The supplier is responsible for:

    • Fulfilling the order as specified on the PO
    • Submitting an invoice for payment
• Who Should I Contact if I have a Problem with my Order?

  • The department should work with the supplier to resolve any issues with their order. This includes:

    • Damage to goods
    • Missing items
    • Returning a product
• How Do I Pay the Supplier?

  • After you have received the product/service, the supplier or the department will need to submit an invoice to Payment Services.
    
    A payment can only be processed against a PO if the invoice amount is equal to or less than the encumbrance amount.

• How Do I Make Changes to or Close a PO?

  • When the balance of a PO is zero dollars, it should automatically close. If you need to increase, decrease, or close a PO, see the Change Orders page.
    
    We recommend that departments review their Open POs [pdf] before the end of the fiscal year and close them if the order has been fulfilled.

Additional Guidelines

Depending on the commodity or services being procured, supplemental documentation and/or guidance may apply to your requisition. Please see the Forms and Resources.