Purchasing Procedures - Common Mistakes

· Ordering/Purchasing Without Authorization: Personnel are only permitted to make orders/purchases with vendors after they have received permission from their supervisor. If the order/purchase is $1,000 or more, the authorization from the supervisor (the supervisor’s signature) is documented on a hard copy of the actual order form used—either an authorization order form or other ordering form used with the vendor. This documentation must be retained in the district or school accounting files.

· Ordering/Purchasing Without Obtaining Bids/Quotes First: All purchases $750 or more require competitive purchasing and bids/quotes (see purchasing flowchart). This requirement is applicable for all purchases—no matter what program the purchase is for or the reasons for the purchase.

· Documentation - Bids/Quotes: All bids/quotes for a purchase must be documented and retained in district or school accounting files for future reference.