Purchasing

Please see the policy website for full details of the Purchasing Policy.

The Purchasing Department is set up to aid in appropriate purchases and prudent use of tuition funds. All purchases should go through the centralized system, which brings the following benefits to our institution:

  • Ensures vendors are aware of our tax-exempt status, thereby eliminating the time consuming process of removing sales tax charges from invoices.
  • Ability to negotiate volume discounts, favorable return policy and/or waiving of shipping and handling fees.
  • Demonstrates to our surrounding community, Daemen’s commitment to support the local economy through the use of local vendors, creating reciprocal relationships.
  • Ensures compliance with approved departmental budget constraints.
  • Fulfills control requirements and documentation expectations for our annual institutional audit.

Group buying power is available through a partner program with E&I Cooperative please review their website for vendors you use. Purchasers can connect with all vendors directly and get cooperative pricing quotes by telling them we are a partner with E&I Cooperative Services.

All purchases require a requisition or payment request entered in the E-procurement system. Requisitions/Payment Requests must:

  • Be created and approved prior to purchase
  • Be within the remaining approved budget for department expense line
  • Be for legitimate and appropriate university purposes as noted or explained
  • Approvals are automatically routed through levels in the E-procurement system according to pre-determined criteria
  • The Competitive Bidding Policy must be followed whenever appropriate.
  • Online orders will be placed by the purchasing department within 2 business days of receiving a requisition. If an order is urgent, please contact the purchasing coordinator directly or indicate the date needed on the requisition.
  • Items or services ordered with an assigned PO number must be accepted in self-service using the “Receive Goods and Services” tile in order for an invoice to be processed for payment against the PO.
  • Invoices should be mailed to Daemen University Office of Business Affairs in DS106. Invoices sent by email should be sent to business@daemen.edu
  • Reimbursements are to be submitted using a payment request through the E-procurement system. The payment request must document a business purpose for the expense, all pertinent dates, and names of all parties present at meals/events.
  • Daemen encourages seeking out and utilizing local and minority and women owned (MWBE) vendors when possible and appropriate. These vendors should be included in any bid process when possible.
  • Travel arrangements should be booked through the purchasing department in absence of an employee-issued Daemen credit card. See E-procurement section for details of creating requisitions for travel. Employees should not use their personal credit cards for travel reservations to avoid billing problems if credits later need to be processed. When employees return from travel, hotel receipts are to be sent to the purchasing department for any charges incurred on the purchasing department credit card.

Contracts
All contracts must be approved before signing according to the Contract Approval Policy. As part of the process, a contract approval form is completed and submitted to the business office with a copy of the contract. The requester will be notified when the contract is approved to be signed.

Office Supply Contracts
Daemen has negotiated corporate contracts with several vendors for office supplies. Office supply orders through Amazon Business, Eaton Office Supply, or W.B. Mason can be made by contacting purchasing@daemen.edu for instructions and account set up.

New Vendor Request
When using a vendor for the first time or if the vendor is not found when entering a requisition or payment request, please request a vendor ID by sending the vendor name and address by email to business@daemen.edu. Please allow at least one business day for a response. Even after a new vendor ID is created, payment may be held until the business office receives all necessary tax documentation from the vendor.

Technology Related Acquisitions
According to the Technology Procurement and Acquisition policy, please take note that any vendor demos and acquisitions of technology related equipment (see list of examples below) should be vetted through the Office of Information Technology prior to scheduling or purchasing. These items should be submitted and charged to the appropriate budget object code so they route to IT for approval. All such purchases should be ordered through the purchasing department. They should NOT be placed using a Daemen credit card, which is issued for travel related to university business.

Software items use object code 51536:

  • Software
  • Software Subscriptions
  • Cloud-hosted Services (example: Dropbox)
  • Video Conferencing Services

Hardware items use object code 51539:

  • Computers
  • Monitors
  • Audio equipment
  • Video equipment
  • Printers

Information technology will ensure that the items to be purchased are compatible with current operating systems, programs and overall infrastructure. Information technology will also verify the usage of the equipment and ensure that it is in compliance with the privacy and data protection policies for individuals (employees and students) and the university as a whole. Information technology may also be privy to discounts and multiple vendors to acquire the most up-to-date equipment at higher education/discounted pricing.

Software – additional process prior to final approval:

Any service or software that uses any student, employee, alum or university data must have a cyber compliance document on file as well as an ADA document. 

When software or software as part of a service is requested through E-procurement, the IT Department needs to review the cyber and ADA documentation before it can be approved for purchase.

Sometimes it can take a week or two to receive this documentation. IT requests the documentation from the office/department immediately upon seeing these items in the E-procurement system, but some vendors take longer than others to supply the needed information.

Marketing and Advertising
Any department seeking to engage print or electronic advertising must consult with the marketing department first. To ensure compliance with this process, please attach an email showing that the marketing department is aware of your efforts.