Q. What are the hours of operation for Central Purchasing?
A. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
Q. Who do I contact in regard to questions about Purchase Orders?
A. For any and all Issues relating to Purchase Orders you may contact the Help Desk at
extension 78000, or you may contact the responsible buyer directly.
Q. Is it true departmental administrators and authorized signers on accounts have the
authority to procure (purchase) goods and services?
A. No. The president of the university is authorized by the Board of Regents to execute the
contracts and other written instruments on behalf of the board. In addition, the president is
authorized to delegate signature authority to other members of the university staff for limited
purposes. Those delegated persons are in receipt of a presidential letter to that effect.
Specifically, the Director of Purchasing and the Purchasing Manager have the sole responsibility
for the procurement of goods and services for the university. The buyers are delegated
procurement authority by the Director of Purchasing. (Ref: UTMB Institutional Handbook of
Operating Procedures; policy 4.5.6) (http://www.utmb.edu/policy/ihop/)
Q. Whom do I call to determine if we have a contract for a specific commodity?
A. Please call Contract Administration, ext. 78020.
Q. At what dollar level of purchase are quotations or bids required?
A. Orders over $1,000 must be submitted to Central Purchasing for processing. Quotations estimated to
be greater than $5,000 but less than $25,000 must be received from two H.U. B. vendors and
the suggested source as a minimum. Three written bids are required for purchases of $25,000
or greater.
Q. What if the lowest bid is not acceptable?
A. A justification memo must be sent with your recommendation. It must state how and why the
lowest bid does not meet the specifications.
Q. What if I have an emergency? How can I get what I need in a hurry?
A. Please call Central Purchasing, ext. 78001, and we can tell you the fastest way to
process your request. An emergency purchase is one made in response to an unforeseen
circumstance beyond the control of the university that presents an immediate threat to essential
university functions, may result in excessive loss or damage to property, and/or may result in
bodily injury or loss of life.
Q. What if I've made a mistake in ordering something and need to change the order. How
do I do it?
A. 1. For all Small Order System (SOS) Purchase Order (PO) changes please email your
changes to purchsos@utmb.edu, or fax to ext. 78030.
2. For changes to Formulary orders please call the Problem Resolution Desk at ext. 25337.
3. For changes to Materials Management orders please call the Customer Service Desk at
ext. 25364.
4. For orders placed by Central Purchasing, please mail, fax, or email Central Purchasing a
memo stating the problem and the responsible buyer will issue a change order to the vendor.
Q. What if what I receive does not meet the specifications of my Purchase Order?
A. 1. For all Small Order System (SOS) Purchase Order (PO) changes please email your
changes to purchsos@utmb.edu, or fax to ext. 78030.
2. For changes to Formulary orders please call the Problem Resolution Desk at ext. 25337.
3. For changes to Materials Management orders please call the Customer Service Desk at
ext. 25364.
4. For orders placed by Central Purchasing, please mail, fax, or email Central Purchasing a
memo stating the problem and the responsible buyer will issue a change order to the vendor.
Q. Why do I have to buy from UTMB or Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) contracts
when I can get items cheaper from other vendors?
A. Saving money is always a prime consideration when making a purchase. All
Logistics/Acquisition personnel are expected to secure maximum value for our dollars and
conserve UTMB funds. UTMB Institutional and GPO contracts are developed and competitively
bid with those same goals in mind and generally offer quality products and services at fair
prices.
It’s important to remember that these contracts are developed with much more than just lowest
cost in mind. They also include value-added services such as prompt delivery, extensive
reports, and other services that benefit UTMB as a whole. The competitive bidding process
affords all interested vendors an opportunity to participate in our business and the contracts that
result from such processes are legal binding documents that UTMB and the vendor must adhere
to. Purchasing off-contract without justifiable cause subverts the bidding process, and lessens
the volume and its related benefits to UTMB as an institution.
Q. What does Sole Source and Proprietary mean? How do I order these items?
A. "Sole Source" is defined as a product or service that is practicably available only from one
source. A proprietary specification restricts the acceptable product(s) or service(s) to one
manufacturer or vendor. A common example would be specification by brand name that
excludes consideration of approved "equals". Although all sole source specifications are
proprietary, all proprietary specifications are not sole source. Proprietary items may be
available from several distributors.
A sole source item is described as an item with only a single supplier. Sole source items are
exempt from the formal bidding process. Many times departments send requests for sole source
purchases that describe an item made only by one manufacturer, however the item is distributed
and readily available from many different suppliers, so it does not qualify as sole source. It has a
sole manufacturer, but not a sole supplier. As long as there is more than one potential bidder for
the item or service, there is no justification for a sole source determination.
Q. Why does Central Purchasing need to get so many bids?
A. Competition is the central principal of public procurement. In its purest form, competition
ensures a free, open and fair process that should result in a fair & reasonable price paid for
products and services. When competition is available but is artificially restricted, the principles of
public procurement are defeated.
Q. Why does Central Purchasing spend extra time sending out for quotes when the
department has already gotten quotes?
A. The solicitation of bids and quotations is an Central Purchasing function. Quotations
received by departments from suppliers usually contain legal terms and conditions contrary to
those contained in UTMB’s bid/quotation documents. Central Purchasing will ensure that the suppliers
adhere to the appropriate terms and conditions. Note: It is our experience that, in many
instances, the bidder will respond with a better price (bid) when the invitation or solicitation
comes from the university's purchasing department.
Q. What should I do if my shipment is not correct?
A. 1. For all Small Order System (SOS) Purchase Order (PO) changes please email your
changes to purchsos@utmb.edu, or fax to ext. 78030.
2. For changes to Formulary orders please call the Problem Resolution Desk at ext. 25337.
3. For changes to Materials Management orders please call the Customer Service Desk at
ext. 25364.
4. For orders placed by Central Purchasing, please mail, fax, or email Central Purchasing a
memo stating the problem and the responsible buyer will issue a change order to the vendor.
Q. Can employees participate in or benefit from UTMB purchases or sales?
A. Purchase from or sale to any officer or employee of the UT System or one of its components
of any supplies, materials, services, equipment, or property must have the prior approval of the
component president a nd the appropriate executive vice chancellor or the chancellor. Any such
purchases may be made only if the cost is less than from any other known source. This does
not apply to sales or purchases made at public auction or sales approved by the institutional
president valued at $5,000 or less. (Ref: UT System Board of Regents Rules and
Regulation, Chapter IV, sec. 5) (http://www.utsystem.edu/bor/tocrrr.htm)