Purchasing

Procurement and Support Services personnel provide essential help to departments and offices that are planning to buy printing and other publications-related services with state funds.

The purchasing process

To purchase printing services with state funds, it is essential that you prepare a requisition, provide proof of review and approval from the Office of University Communications and obtain a purchase order in advance of releasing your camera-ready art or digital files to the printer. Your requisition should include the specifications of the proposed printing project. An attached mockup of your print project should be submitted with approval to Procurement personnel before they may process the requisition and issue your purchase order.

The University Department of Publications can help prepare your requisition and guide you in selecting the proper stock, color designations and other specifications to ensure your finished product is as you envision it. The office also can help in obtaining preliminary estimates for budget-planning purposes. If the job requires the services of an off-campus printer, Procurement personnel will verify your estimate and compare your vendor’s estimate with those of other vendors. In the case of large, costly printing projects, Procurement personnel must issue an Invitation to Bid to a pool of qualified vendors. The job is normally awarded to the lowest bidder.

How much time is required for obtaining a purchase order?

Obtaining a purchase order for most printing jobs will take only a few days. A purchase order will not be processed without proof of project review by University Communications to ensure compliance with University Standards for Graphics and Communications. A proof of review will be provided by University Communications Publications Office to be presented along with a purchase order request. A print out of the final artwork must be submitted along with the Purchase Order or check request; both must have proof of approval before funding will be processed. Printed pieces found not to be in compliance with this policy are subject to recall or may be prohibited from being distributed.

Review and approval

The review policy requires that publications of the nature below first be submitted for approval to the director of publications. Funding from any source for printing publications will not be processed or approved by the Office of Procurement, Foundation Financial Services or Auxiliary Services until a publication or print project has been reviewed and approved by the Office of University Communications. Further, University Printing Services will not proceed with on-campus print requests until projects covered by this policy are reviewed and approved by University Communications. Under normal circumstances, University Communications will review and either approve or suggest acceptable changes within 24 to 48 hours of submission.

Publications intended for off-campus distribution are expected to be written and edited with a precision that reflects well on the university. Publications must be reviewed by the staff in University Communications for consistency and compliance with the University Standards for Graphics and Communications. A brief review by trained staff often saves you and the university from costly or embarrassing mistakes. Letters, memoranda and other personally signed communications, as well as publications distributed solely within a particular school or department, need not be submitted for approval. In such cases, it is the responsibility of the individual writers or departments to ensure that the communications are accurate and conform to the standards in this manual.