Procure to Pay Frequently Asked Questions

Procure to Pay Frequently Asked Questions

• General
• Understanding Terms
• Creating and Modifying a Requisition
• Approving a Requisition
• Notifications
• Purchasing Procedures
• Shipments and Deliveries
• Invoice Processing
• Quick Orders
• Check Requests
• Internal Purchase Orders (IPOs)
• Travel and Business Expense Reports, Travel Advances and Travel Order Forms
  
  

General

1. Who can be a Reviewer of a requisition?
   
   A reviewer is an individual outside the preparer's direct requisition approval hierarchy to whom a requisition has been manually forwarded for review. A reviewer can be within the same organization as the preparer or an outside organization. A reviewer does not have final approval authority for that requisition. Instead, he/she will be recorded in the approval history with his/her review comments only.
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2. Can I add Rutgers Exchange items to My Favorites List?
   
   You cannot save RU Exchange items to My Favorites list in the Internet Procurement Application. However, you can save your Rutgers Exchange "favorites" on the website of each Rutgers Exchange Supplier. Also, you may wish to save multi-line item orders in the Exchange Supplier's shopping cart before you exit the website in the event you do not properly return to the Internet Procurement Application.
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3. When will I use the Internet Procurement Application?
   
   The Internet Procurement Application will be used to:
   
   
   • Create or approve a purchase requisition and a quick purchase order for an external supplier for up to $5,000
   • Create or approve a purchase requisition for an external supplier
   • Create or approve a check request for a payment to supplier or other type of payee
   • Create or approve a requisition and release order for internal suppliers. A listing of these IPO Suppliers can be found on the RIAS website.
   • Record the receipt of goods for purchase order line items over $5,000.
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4. Is there any one screen that contains all the details of a requisition?
   
   The View Requisition Details screen provides all the details of a submitted requisition.
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5. How will I know what was on the purchase order that was sent to the Supplier?
   
   Upon departmental approval, preparers will receive original Quick Purchase Orders for issuance to suppliers via an email attachment. This copy must be mailed, faxed or emailed to the supplier, to receive the goods or services.
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6. Where do I get a Change Order Request Form?
   
   The Change Order Request form can be found on the RIAS Forms page and downloaded onto your desktop.
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7. My department prepares thousands of requisitions. How do I manage so many requisition files so that they can be retrieved quickly?
   
   Select the Requisitions tab. You can use the search function to query a requisition by the preparer's name, requester's name, requisition number, creation date, status of the requisition and/or supplier.
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8. How do I add or delete Preparers or Approvers, or initiate other changes in the requisition approval hierarchy?
   
   Departments will need to complete the RIAS Access Request form to initiate changes affecting an individual who is named in the requisition approval hierarchy for their organization.
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Understanding Terms

1. What is a Notification?
A system-generated message informing the recipient of the status of a transaction or that an action is required on a transaction. Back to Top
2. What is a Supplier Site?
   
   A supplier site is the specific location of a supplier. The naming convention of supplier site is the name of the town/city the supplier is located, followed by a dash, then a number representing the number of the supplier's locations in that particular town/city. (i.e. Piscataway-01, Piscataway-02). A supplier may have one or more supplier sites.
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3. What is a 3-Way match?
   
   A 3-Way match is an automated process of verifying that the information contained in the Purchase Order, Receipt of Goods or Services, and Supplier Invoice matches within accepted tolerance levels.
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4. What is a Requisition Number?
   
   A requisition number is a system-generated number assigned to the requisition when a preparer creates a requisition.
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5. What is the difference between a Sole Source purchase and a Preferred or Single Source purchase?
   
   A Sole Source purchase occurs when the goods or services required are so unique that competitive sources are not available. A Preferred or Single Source purchase occurs when goods or services are requested from a particular vendor for an appropriate business purpose. For example, to augment work on a project completed by a vendor in a previous budget period.
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6. What is a Purchase Order Number?
   
   A system-generated number assigned to the purchase order when approved by the Purchasing Department. In the case of quick purchase orders and requisitions to Rutgers Exchange vendors, the purchase order number is generated by the system when the department approves the requisition.
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7. What is a Rutgers Exchange Supplier?
   
   A Rutgers Exchange supplier is a supplier that offers products through electronic catalogs at pre-negotiated prices with the university.
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8. What are the benefits of using Rutgers Exchange Suppliers?
   
   You can select items from electronic catalogs to include in your shopping cart at pre-negotiated prices by a click of the mouse. Also, upon departmental approval, purchase requisitions to Rutgers Exchange suppliers will be quickly and automatically converted into purchase orders without buyer involvement.
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9. What is the Oracle Exchange?
   
   The Oracle Exchange is an electronic catalog of goods and services offered by a wide range of suppliers. The Oracle Exchange catalog does not reflect pre-negotiated prices with the University.
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10. What is the difference between the Rutgers Exchange and Oracle Exchange?
    
    A Rutgers Exchange supplier offers products through an electronic catalog maintained on its own website at pre-negotiated prices with the university. An Oracle Exchange supplier offers products through the Oracle Exchange electronic catalog, but not at pre-negotiated prices with the university.
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11. What does the status pre-approved mean?
    
    Pre-Approved is the status of a requisition when an authorized approver has approved the requisition and has forwarded the requisition to another individual to review.
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12. What does the Approver Checkout button mean?
    
    When an "approver" or "reviewer" edits a requisition, clicking the Approver Checkout button will start them through the editing requisition process and will take them through all the data completed on the requisition.
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13. What is the difference between a rejected and a returned requisition?
    
    Only an approver or a reviewer can reject requisition. Only a buyer can return a requisition. A buyer will return a requisition to the preparer for incomplete or inaccurate information.
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14. In the list of values contained on the Requisition Status page, what is meant by "My Group's Requisitions"?
    
    "My Group's Requisitions", displays all requisitions created in your organization.
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15. What is an Organization ID number and how do I find what my department's number?
    
    Each organizational unit within the university has been assigned an Organization Identification (ORG ID) number which issued in conjunction with general ledger account numbers to code and identify purchasing and payment transactions.
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16. What is the Requisition Approval Hierarchy?
    
    A structure that defines the automatic routing of requisitions from a preparer to an approver.
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17. Is the Requisition Number the same as the Purchase Order Number?
    
    No. Requisition numbers will be system-generated during the "Review and Submit" step when creating a requisition. Once the requisition is approved and turned into a purchase order, the system will generate another number for the purchase order. The numbers are cross-reference in the system, so if you know one number, such as the requisition number, you can find its corresponding purchase order number.
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Creating and Modifying a Requisition

1. How do I prepare a requisition?
   
   Refer to the Procure to Pay User Guide for complete instructions.
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2. How do I prepare a requisition that will be funded by more than one university department? Does the requisition require approval from both approvers?
   
   If the items on a requisition will be split funded among multiple organizations, the preparers must insert the names of the authorized approvers from each organization. The departmental approvers must be inserted to review the requisition before the default approver (Creighton Pfeifer). Do not remove the default approver.
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3. Can a Preparer withdraw a requisition that has been submitted for approval?
   
   Yes, as long as the status of the requisition is "In Process". Additionally, approved requisitions can be withdrawn as long as a purchase number has not automatically been generated or one has not been created by a buyer within the Purchasing Department.
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4. How do I make a correction on the requisition after I have submitted it for approval?
   
   It depends upon the status of the requisition. If the requisition status is "In Process", the preparer of the requisition can withdraw the requisition, make any required changes and resubmit for approval. Also, the withdraw function can be used to recall and re-route an "In Process" requisition to the backup approver if the primary approver is unexpectedly unavailable.
   
   If the status is "Approved" and it was not a Quick Order or Check Request, you can contact the buyer in Purchasing to stop the order before it is issued to the supplier. The buyer will return the requisition to you to make your changes.
   
   If the status is "Approved" and it was a Quick Order, you must complete a Change Order Request form to cancel the Quick Order.
   
   If the status is "Approved" and it was a Check Request, you must contact the Disbursement Control to cancel the check.
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5. How will my Approver know what type of requisition (non-catalog, Rutgers Exchange, Quick Order or Check Request) I am submitting for approval?
   
   The approver can use the View Requisition Details screen to get this information. The View Requisition Details screen also provides information about the charging instruction for a requisition.
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6. If my Approver rejects my requisition, is it considered cancelled?
   
   No. The requisition must be cancelled by the preparer to remove the commitment in the general ledger.
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7. Who can edit a requisition and what fields can they edit?
   
   A preparer can make any changes to a requisition using the Edit Lines functionality. An approver and/or reviewer can edit any fields on a requisition prior to approving it by clicking the Edit Requisition link.
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8. What is the purpose of choosing a Category when creating a requisition?
   
   The Category box is a required field and is used to define goods and services at a summary or detailed level.
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9. What happens if I lose power while I am creating a requisition?
   
   If you have not saved your requisition, you may lose the information you entered.
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10. How long can the Shopping Carts be saved?
    
    The contents of a shopping cart will remain saved until you complete the creation of a requisition.
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11. How do you save attachments in the Internet Procurement application?
    
    When you add an attachment to your requisition, select the save icon in the toolbar and ensure that you saved the attachment with the appropriate extension (.xls for Excel, .doc for Word, .pdf for Adobe Acrobat or .vsd for Visio files) so that the attachment can be opened by the Purchasing Department.
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12. Will the information entered in the requisition description field be reflected under requisitions at a glance?
    
    Yes, any text in the requisition description field will be reflected under requisitions at a glance.
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13. How do I prepare a requisition to engage an independent contractor to perform services?
    
    A requisition must be prepared in the Internet Procurement Application with a completed Request for Consulting or Independent Personal Services Form (RCIPS) attached ("To Buyer"). The buyer will review the RCIPS to determine if the worker is properly classified as an independent contractor. Upon receipt of the signed agreement, the buyer will issue either a regular purchase order to the individual or classify the work as an employee and return the requisition to the preparer.
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14. Will I be able to approve requisitions that I prepare?
    
    No. The system will automatically route the requisition from the preparer to the next individual in the requisition approval hierarchy who is authorized for that dollar amount and organization. If you are a Level 2 approver who prepares a requisition, you must change the default approver to a Peer Approver prior to submitting the requisition.
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15. Can I forward my requisition to any person in the list of values?
    
    Not necessarily. If the approver takes the action of Forward or Approve and Forward, and selects an individual who is not in the hierarchy, the approver will receive a notification that the requisition was sent to an invalid person. The approver must resubmit the requisition for approval.
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16. What happens if I forget to enter my Fund Source, Natural Account and Organization ID (ORG ID)?
    
    The requisition will automatically be routed to Purchasing. Purchasing will return the requisition to the preparer for correction to the proper charging instructions.
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17. Do I have to insert my Fund Source, Natural Account and Organization ID (ORG ID) each time I create a requisition?
    
    No, you can store pre-defined account distributions in Preferences and select them to populate the required fields.
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18. Will I be able to charge someone else's account for inter-disciplinary purchases?
    
    Yes, provided you are given their account number and organizational identification number. The preparer must select Add Approver to add the authorized approver for the designated account and organization for inter-disciplinary purchases.
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19. How will I know which Buyer received my requisition?
    
    The buyer's name will be reflected on the Requisition Detail Screen.
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20. What fields will print on the purchase order?
    
    The following fields will be printed on a purchase order: item description, unit of measure, quantity, unit price and total, supplier name and address, need by date, requestor name, deliver-to location and notes to supplier.
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21. Are there shortcuts to reorder frequently requested items?
    
    Some shortcuts you can use are:
    
    • Non-Catalog Request - Prior to adding the item to your Shopping Cart, you can also add it to your Favorites List. This will allow you to select the item again at a later date. To add multiple items to your shopping cart, check the select box by each item you want and click the Add to Cart button.
    • Internal Suppliers - You can add frequently used internal suppliers to your Favorites List prior to adding items to your Shopping Cart for Internal Purchase Orders. This will allow to select them again at a later date.
    • Copy to Cart - (From "My Requisitions" area) is a quick way to create a new shopping cart. Select a requisition, open it, and click "Copy to Cart" or click on the copy icon in the toolbar. Then make changes to any field in the new shopping cart and proceed through the three steps of creating a requisition. Any attachments, notes, reviewers or special item information from the original requisition will not be copied to the new shopping cart. If this information is needed, it must be added. When adding one of these notes/attachments, select "To Approver" or "To Buyer".
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Approving a Requisition

1. How many people will need to approve a requisition?
   
   Requisitions require only one approval.
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2. Will the system automatically route requisitions to approvers by fund sources (e.g., state accounts to one approver and grant accounts to another approver)?
   
   No. The requisition hierarchy is based upon organizational unit, not fund source. Level 1 approvers can approve all requisitions up to $10,000, regardless of fund source. Level 2 approvers can approve all requisitions up to the departmental budget, regardless of fund source.
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3. Will the system automatically check for funds availability?
   
   No, the system will NOT automatically check for funds availability. The approver is responsible for checking the general ledger, to determine if there are sufficient funds to cover the expenditure during the budget or project period.
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4. I am a level 2 approver and creating a requisition. Who will approve my requisition?
   
   As a level 2 approver, you need to manually change the default approver by clicking the Change First Approver link to a "peer" approver. If you do not change the default approver, the requisition will be routed to the Purchasing Department. The Purchasing Department will reject the requisition with a note for you to change the approver's name.
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5. What happens when an Approver selects the action of Approve and Forward?
   
   If an approver approves and forwards a requisition, the status of the requisition is pre-approved. The reviewer who the requisition is forwarded to can change any information on the requisition. Unless the reviewer indicates the changes he/she has made in the notes section of the approval page, the approver will not know the requisition has been altered.
   
   If a Level 1 approver selects the Approve and Forward function and the reviewer changes the dollar amount to over the Level 1 approval authority, the requisition will be routed to the approver Level 2 to approve changes made.
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6. Can an Approver change the specified Requester of the requisition?
   
   Yes, provided the individual is in the list of values.
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7. Can an Approver add a Reviewer to a requisition?
   
   If an approver requires additional information from someone in the hierarchy prior to approving it, the approver would use the Forward function to route it to an added reviewer.
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8. What happens to a requisition if the Preparer enters charging instructions for an account outside his/her own organizational unit? Does it go directly to his/her Approver or to the Approver for the other organization?
   
   If a preparer is authorized to prepare a requisition with a fund source outside his/her organizational unit, the preparer should add the authorized approver for that organization to the requisition to ensure proper routing and approval.
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9. What happens if my Approver does not take an action on a requisition that has been routed to him/her?
   
   If an approver does not take an action on a requisition within a day of receiving the requisition, the approver will receive a system generated reminder notification. If the approver does not take action on the second day, the approver will receive a second reminder notification. If the approver does not take action by the third day, the preparer will receive a notification that the approver has not taken any action on the requisition. The preparer can either withdraw the requisition and either cancel the requisition or manually change the approver to the Back Up Approver and resubmit the requisition.
   
   
10. How can I get approval for my requisition when my Approver is on vacation?
    
    If the approver has an expected absence (e.g., vacation), the approver should re-assign his/her requisitions to automatically route to a Back Up Approver for a specified amount of time. If the approver has an unexpected absence (e.g., out sick) and the preparer is aware of their absence, the preparer can manually forward the requisition to the Back Up Approver.