Purchasing Methods
UCIBuy
- Available in KFS, UCIBuy offers the ability to requisition commonly purchased goods against various UC or Local Agreements through use of catalog offerings
- Shopping occurs in UCIBuy, while requisition completion and workflow approvals occur in KFS. PO transmission for requisitions generated in UCIBuy is automated.
- UCIBuy 'Rapid Requisitions' conveniently auto-populate the vendor tab, item part number, description, price, unit of measure and commodity code fields
- Unrestricted purchases less than $5,000 (including sales tax and/or shipping) result in the creation of an Automatic Purchase Order (APO), which streamlines workflow as it is sent to the supplier after Fiscal Officer approval
- Purchases greater than or equal to $5,000 or containing any restricted item(s) will route to a Central Procurement Buyer for approval and are sent to the supplier as a High Value Purchase Order (HVPO). Additional conditional workflow may be required depending on the item(s).
This process is available to all active employee with a UCInetID.
PALCard
- Total order $5,000 or less - including tax and shipping.
- Use the Purchasing Methods Guide to identify commodities which may be purchased using the PALCard. This list is a rudimentary guideline to clarify purchasing policy. Email questions to PALCard@uci.edu.
- Vendor accepts VISA.
- Departmental Buyer must have a PALCard.
- Purchases requiring a signature, (contract or agreement), are not permitted.
Entire purchasing process takes place at the issuing organization/department level.
KFS Requisition
- Requisitions route to either a Departmental or Central Procurement Contract Manager based on dollar amount and restricted goods or services
- Click the following link for information on becoming a Contract Manager (i.e. Department Buyer).
- If goods cannot be purchased via UCIBuy or a PALCard, create a KFS Requisition.
- Always attach quotes and/or supporting documentation to the KFS Requisition.
- Use for services or purchases requisitioning a signature (i.e. a contract or agreement).
- Do not sign vendor agreements or contracts, as Central Purchasing must review and process on your behalf.
- Consult the Purchasing Methods Guide for allowable services via PALCard.
- For repetitive purchases of goods or services from one vendor, and item is not available in UCIBuy, refer to Recurring Purchase Order criteria below.
- Departmental and Central Procurement Contract Managers that are assigned to the Purchase Order are the only individuals allowed to issue purchase orders to suppliers
- Access Requisitions in KFS.
Requisitions initiate at organizational/departmental requisitioner level and route to Procurement Services for approval and completion.
Recurring PO
- Commonly purchased goods should be purchased through UCIBuy.
- High dollar transactions with multiple payment requirements may qualify for a Recurring Purchase Order.
- A Recurring Purchase Order may be established for repetitive purchases of goods/services from one vendor within a specified time period, only when item is not available in UCBuy or a PALCard is not accepted.
- May NOT be created for suppliers billing the university through an EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) process.
- Services that result in one invoice/one payment are not classified as a Recurring Purchase Order and shall be processed as a regular purchase order.
- Examples of services that represent candidates for Recurring Payment Purchase Orders are listed below:
- Elevator maintenance
- Extermination services
- Preventive maintenance agreements
- Security services
- Transportation services
Purchasing process takes place at UCI Procurement Services.
Determine the recommended method when purchasing equipment, supplies, and services.
Need personalized assistance?