Departments are encouraged to seek information about products and services from vendor/supplier representatives.
The following guidelines are suggested:
-
Plan ahead. Be realistic as to the expected delivery date.
-
Notify the Procurement Department in advance for assistance in locating vendors and developing a procurement plan.
-
Contact more than one vendor whenever possible.
-
Give the same information to all vendors.
-
Investigate all costs and aspects of product usage (maintenance, supplies, guarantees, warranty coverage, etc).
-
Only a signed purchase order can legally commit university funds.
-
Never accept gratuities of any kind from vendors.
-
Beware of vendor created crises, e.g. "Price goes up after the first of the month" or unrealistically low prices if we act immediately, etc. Any claims of this sort should be reported to the Procurement Department immediately.
-
Orders, as the result of unsolicited phone calls, should not be placed.