Brief Overview
The purchasing function at University of Texas System Administration is a collaborative effort between individual System departments, vendors/ service providers and the System Office of Accounting and Purchasing Services (APS).
The how to, when to, what and why aspects of purchasing can become very confusing! Therefore, it is our goal to provide you, the end user, with as many practical and user-friendly tools to help you obtain your procurement goals. The topics addressed on this page will provide you with links to information most often solicited by UT System Administration departments. Should your questions still remain unanswered, or the afore-mentioned aspects are still confusing, please do not hesitate to contact Kyle Hayes at 322-3745 or via email at Purchasing.
New Manager and Supervisor Orientation - PowerPoint Presentation
New Manager and Supervisor Orientation - PDF version
Procurement Methods at UT System Administration
A variety of Procurement methods are utilized at UT System Administration. The method is determined by the size and scope of the purchase. The links below provide detailed information and instructions specific to each method:
Procurement Card or "ProCard" ($0.01 to $4500.00)
Small Purchase Order ($0.01 to $5000.00)
Medium Purchase Order ($5000.01 to $24,999.99)
Large Purchase Order (over $25,000.00)
Contracts
Products & Services that do not require a Purchase Order
The following Products and Services do not require a Purchase Order unless specifically requested by the provider:
Regulated utilities (electricity, gas, water, etc.)
Subscriptions to publications
Cell phone and pager monthly charges
Internet service providers (ISPs) – setup fees and monthly charges
Professional memberships related to one's work
Exam fees
Seminar registration fees
Accreditation fees
Exhibit booth fees
Postage
Catering
Freight only - not associated with a Purchase Order
Tuition
Classified advertising
Direct Insurance policy premiums
Professional or Consulting Services Contract Payments*
*Contracts substitute for Purchase Orders most often in cases where services are needed over an extended period of time. Invoices are generally sent directly to the contracting department for approval and then forwarded to Accounting & Purchasing Services for payment processing.
Most often, the only documentation you will need for payment processing of these types of products & services is a properly approved invoice or registration form (whichever is applicable) submitted to APS with an appropriate account number to charge. Certain products and services can also be paid directly with your department’s ProCard. For specific documentation needs, please contact Becky Franklin, Assistant Director, APS, via email or call 499-4579.
Procurement from Persons with Disabilities
The Texas Legislature requires that we support the state's efforts to gainfully employ persons with disabilities. We must give first consideration to goods and services provided by persons with disabilities. Products and services offered by the Texas Industries for the Blind and Handicapped (TIBH) are listed on the TIBH Online Catalogs: Products & Services. TIBH also has a Central Store in Austin were they sell products and basic office supplies to agency employees.
Excerpt from UT Austin Purchasing Website “TIBH offers these products and services through State of Texas contracts. We must check their pricing and availability. However if these goods do not meet your best value criteria, that failure is justification to buy the products from the commercial marketplace.”
MAY 2010 - We learned that all Office Depot users have a TIBH list that is available to them through the Office Depot portal. Once a user logs in, they can go to their “My Shopping List” and there they will find a TIBH list that has all of the office supply products available through OD. UT and OD worked with TIBH to make this list available to our users. The list includes items such as binders, highlighters, correction tape, and pens. These items arrive and are billed to departments the same as OD supplies. The prices on these items seem to be higher than the prices offered on the same products in the TIBH catalog; we are posing the question to UT Austin purchasing if we can order directly from TIBH to get the better pricing without violating the OD contract.
JULY 2010 –UT Austin Purchasing responded that we can purchase office supplies directly from the TIBH Online Catalog: Products or their Central Store in Austin without violating the OD contract. We ask that you look at how your department can incorporate purchasing from TIBH into your office supply purchases when it provides the best value. Please do not use your procard when purchasing from the TIBH. The reason is that we are required to report monthly the amount we purchase from TIBH; we can’t capture your purchase if you pay by procard. Please choose the “bill us” option and forward invoice to APS to have a payment made.
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