Procurement Services: Emergency Orders

A: General Information

Situations are bound to develop where normal purchasing procedures must be accelerated in order to react to an emergency. The procedures outlined below are designed to allow the requisition to phone a supplier, on behalf of Procurement Services, with an Order to ensure the goods are shipped as quickly as possible.

B: Securing a Purchase Number

When an emergency condition exists, a Department may secure an official Purchase Order number by delivering the Purchase Requisition by hand to Procurement Services, or by phoning Procurement Services and supplying all of the transaction details.

Emergency Purchase Order numbers will only be issued by Procurement Services staff over the telephone under the following conditions:

(a) when the value of the goods or services to be acquired do not exceed $1000;

(b) when there is an urgent requirement for parts or service due to a breakdown of equipment;

(c) when a Low Value Purchase Order can not be issued.

When a Purchase Order number has been issued over the telephone, the confirming Purchase Requisition must be sent to the Purchasing Department immediately. The official Purchase Order number assigned should be written in the Purchase Order Number box and the word "CONFIRMATION" must be entered in the DESCRIPTION area of the Purchase Requisition in order to avoid duplication of the order by the Supplier.

C: Placing Phone Orders

By providing suppliers with complete information at the time of ordering, most of the problems associated with confirmation orders, such as: receipt of incorrect goods and quantities, incorrect application of taxes, shipment to wrong address, etc., can be avoided.

It is important that the Requisitioner have all the pertinent data at hand before the telephone call is made to the Vendor. This will ensure that complete ordering information is provided to the Vendor and costly telephone time will be reduced to a minimum.

Upon making contact with the Vendor, the Requisitioner or person placing the order should:

(a) indicate that he/she would like to place an order and wishes to speak with the order department or sales department;
(b) identify themselves, their department, and the University by name;
(c) provide the Vendor with the following information: