The Board of Regents authorizes University Procurement (also referred to as the Purchasing Department) to oversee the strategic direction and operational efficiency of procurement activities for the entire OU system, including the Norman, Health Sciences Center, and Tulsa campuses, including conducting market analysis, determining appropriate sourcing methods, negotiating contracts, and managing supplier relationships. University Procurement is responsible for providing the University community, including faculty, staff, students, and potential suppliers, with the essential information and steps for making procurement-related decisions. University Procurement has three primary objectives:
Support the University’s Mission by Creating Value. Assist departments, and business units and their faculty, staff, and students can effectively and efficiently accomplish their academic, research, and administrative mission by developing efficient purchasing practices, engaging internal customers, managing supplier relationships, leveraging the buying power of the University, State of Oklahoma, and other cooperative groups and associations, negotiating cost-effective contracts, and making procurement decisions in the best interest of the University.
Ensure Open, Fair, and Honest Processes. An open, competitive process ensures fair and equitable treatment of potential suppliers, avoids conflicts of interests, increases the value to the University, protects against fraud, waste, or misuse, and builds trust and confidence in University processes.
Maintain Accountability and Transparency. Inform and educate University administration, faculty, staff, students, alumnus, taxpayers, elected officials or bodies, and the general public on how the University uses and manages its resources and protects against waste or fraud. Transparency is essential to building and maintaining a relationship of trust and confidence between the University and the public.
The Oklahoma Constitution vests the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma with authority to govern the University. Inherent in this authority is the power to enter contracts, acquire goods and services from others in exchange for payment, and provide goods and services to others in exchange for revenue. Because of the Board’s constitutional status, the University is exempt from specific state purchasing laws and regulations. These laws include the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act, the State Consultants Act, the Public Facilities Act, and the Surplus Property Act. The University is not exempt from all requirements of the Public Competitive Bidding Act of 1974. Despite the various exemptions, the University uses these statutes for guidance and attempts to model internal procurement-related activities on these statutes and rules where feasible and practical.
Once a requisition is entered, processing can take up to 30 days or more, depending on its complexity. Factors that impact processing time:
Availability of goods and services
Cost
Lack of documentation
Lack of responsiveness from approvers, departments, or suppliers
Time of year
Ensuring that you’ve provided all necessary information will assist University Procurement with processing your requisition. Please consider this timeframe when planning projects, needs, and other purchasing decisions.
Information about the contracting process is available in the Procurement Peoplesoft training PowerPoint. Generally, Procurement processes the following types of purchases:
Peoplesoft requisitions are required to request Procurement’s assistance with a purchase. If you need assistance with determining if Procurement help is needed, please contact askpurchasing@ouhsc.edu.
Procurement uses Requests for Information (RFI) to educate and inform University personnel about goods or services.
Because an RFI seeks only to educate and inform the University, it does not create any obligation on the University or any responding supplier.
The RFI can help the University develop other Solicitations, modify project plans, identify different technical or financial solutions, or better understand risks or the marketplace.
Using RFIs to assist in planning and sourcing goods and services is highly recommended.
Preparing and issuing an RFI is a quick, inexpensive way to educate yourself or identify supporting information for needs and projects.
No. An employee with signature authority cannot grant such authority to another employee.
A sole-source contract (sometimes called a “no-bid contract”) is a contract awarded to a single supplier through a non-competitive process. The University may enter a sole source contract for goods and services only when the goods or services are restricted to one supplier or brand name because of the specifications needed by the department or specific restrictions imposed by a fund’s provider. A good or service available in the OU Marketplace or an existing University or a Statewide contract cannot be acquired via sole source. A department seeking to acquire goods or services through a sole source contract must complete the Sole Source Justification Form.
In most cases, a Sole Source Justification is rejected because it lacks appropriate justification like other suppliers can provide the same or similar products, the justification relies on personnel or professional preferences, or no objective, verifiable criteria exist concerning the fairness and reasonableness of price. Examples of appropriate justification:
Only one manufacturer makes the good
Donation, grant, award, or other agreement names a specific brand or supplier
Good must be identical to equipment already in use to ensure compatibility with existing equipment or systems and is available only from one supplier
Maintenance or repair (including replacement parts) by the original equipment manufacturer
Patented or copyrighted materials available only from the patent or copyright holder
Service provider is singularly qualified based on their expertise, background, or specialized talent, knowledge, or experience that is necessary for the task
Please remember that a rejection does not mean the department cannot acquire the good or service. It only means that additional steps must be taken through informal (obtaining quotes) or formal competition (issuing a solicitation).
Please reference our policy regarding sole sources.
University employees cannot execute a contract or bind the University without appropriate authority. The Board of Regents grants the President the power to delegate signature authority to appropriate University executives, officers, directors, and employees. Only those delegated this authority may enter contracts or bind the University. Signature authority is limited to amounts and types of contracts. For example, an employee may only be authorized to execute contracts less than $50,000, while another employee can only execute contracts with no direct financial cost, like some academic affiliation agreements. Any University employee executing a contract without such authority may face disciplinary action and be individually liable for any damages, losses, or other costs associated with binding the University without proper authority.
University Financial Services/Budget and Accounting maintains an updated list of employees with signature authority. If questions arise concerning the existence or extent of an employee’s authority, please contact Financial Services or the Office of Legal Counsel.
A fair and reasonable cost or price is defined here. Obtaining Goods and Services under a sole source contract is no different. The price must reflect the market value of the Goods or Services you are buying. The best way to determine market value is to conduct market research. Market research can include gathering information showing the price is consistent with prices for similar goods or services in comparable circumstances, information from industry experts, availability, and historical pricing data. Also, you can consider other factors like the complexity of the Goods or Services being procured, risks, and specific contractual requirements.
Please remember to include any documentation and other information you rely on when determining fair and reasonable costs. Providing supporting documents helps ensure that the determination of fair and reasonable is objective and the best value for money.
Generally, the University cannot pay for goods or services before receiving them, and such contractual terms should be avoided. However, this prohibition has several notable exceptions:
Subscriptions services, including magazines, periodicals, books, and other similar services. Subscriptions should be paid annually
Rent or lease payments
Payments to the U.S. Government where prepayment is the only option allowed
Payment for services provided by the United States Army Corps of Engineers if the action is taken under a cooperative agreement between the University, a state agency, and the corps to provide an emergency response or to protect public health, safety, or welfare
Payments for booth reservations and similar advertising or promotional activities at conferences and events requiring prepayment for participation
Payments to official testing organizations requiring prepayment for attendance or grading documents for higher education or regulatory boards
Registration fees for conferences, meetings, seminars, and similar events where one of the following criteria exists: (i) the organization requires pre-registration along with payment and will not accept a state purchase order/contract in lieu of payment or (ii) a discounted fee is offered if registration is paid in advance. To qualify for this exception, the vendor must allow for substitution of the participant and provide for a 100% refund if the event is canceled.
Payments to secure artists, performers, and exhibits at visual or performing arts events
Payments to secure the purchase of long-lead-time materials or equipment
Procurement will not deny or reject requisitions or vouchers falling within the above categories because payment for goods or services is made in advance.
All University employees have “Shopper” access to the OU Marketplace and can access the system at compass.ou.edu. However, the cart must be assigned to a requester with PeopleSoft access to make the purchase. To obtain requester access, your supervisor must submit a security request on your behalf.
You may find the assigned Contract Specialist in the Peoplesoft Manage Requisition page. Detailed instructions on how to find the assigned Contract Specialist are available in the Peoplesoft Training – Requisition Status PowerPoint available in the Training and Reference section of this website.
Please contact the assigned Procurement staff member or Askpurchasing@ouhsc.edu to inquire about the status of your requisition.
No, once a requisition is entered the requisition is assigned to that Requestor permanently. Staff can request access to another Requestor’s requisitions to be able to manage the requisition and payments. The Requestor may be updated when a requisition is copied for a separate purchase. Detailed instructions on how to update the Requestor on copied requisitions are available in the Peoplesoft Training – Copy Requisition PowerPoint available in the Training and Reference section of this website.
To request access to Peoplesoft and to request access to another Requestor’s requisitions and purchase orders, please fill out the form at: https://financialservices.ouhsc.edu/Forms. This website is maintained by the Financial Systems Department. Procurement cannot grant access to Peoplesoft.
Please contact Accounts Payable, General Accounting, or Financial Systems. Procurement can help resolve requisition and purchase order questions, but due to separation of duties, is not involved in accounting and payment processes.
Currently, Peoplesoft account codes may only be updated by:
Requisitions created with non-sponsored / grant / capital funds are entered to create purchase orders encumbering funding based on the State Fiscal Year (7/1-6/30).
Purchase orders may be closed by Procurement at any time at the request of the Department. Please contact the assigned Procurement staff member who issued the purchase order or Askpurchasing@ouhsc.edu to request the closure. Procurement begins to close prior year purchase orders, that are not grant or capital funded, in October annually.
Any encumbered funds remaining on the purchase order will be released as soon as the purchase order and requisition is closed. If the encumbrance is not released, please contact Financial Systems (FSweb@ou.edu) for help resolving the issue to release the funds. Procurement is restricted from interacting with budget as a best practice separation of duties.
Peoplesoft instructions can be found on the Procurement training website and the Financial Services training website.
