Purchasing Methods (How to Buy Stuff)

There are four recognized methods for buying goods or services on UTD's behalf:

Petty Cash

For purchases less than $50, an authorized employee may secure the item(s) using personal funds and then seek reimbursement. A Purchase Requisition is completed with an authorized signature and the original receipt attached. This document is then presented for reimbursement to the Bursar Office in the McDermott Library.

Small Order System (SOS)

Pre-printed Purchase Order forms valid only up to $500. Only authorized departments have access, and this system is phasing out with intent to have it go away completely by the start of Fiscal Year 2012. With fewer and fewer vendors willing to accept Purchase Orders for small dollar amounts, this is already being supplanted more and more by the Procurement Card (below).

eProcurement

This is the normal manner of purchasing used at UT-Dallas. The department determines its needs, logs in to Galaxy and from there to the eProcurement mall. The requisition is completed by a Shopper or Requestor, and submitted by a Requestor into workflow to be approved by the account manager and (if needed) sent to the Purchasing section of Procurement Management for handling. Departments can track the status of their requisitions and Purchase Orders via the eProcurement site.

Procurement Card (Mastercard)

This credit card is issued to authorized individuals and used for small dollar purchases. The card is restricted to certain types of purchases and maximum dollar amounts, but results in reduced paperwork, automated charge-back and prompt payment to the vendor.

The detailed procedures related to purchasing at UT-Dallas can be found in the Policies and Procedures Manual Vol IIB, Section E.

The University of Texas at Dallas Procurement Management is committed to obtaining in a timely, lawful and cost-efficient manner the goods and services needed to benefit the University's mission: to provide educational and research programs of the highest quality.