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Planning for Holiday Breaks

The holiday season is approaching quickly! Thanksgiving is just around the corner, but it’s never too early to plan for the University’s Winter Holiday break, which will run from Monday, December 23 through Wednesday, January 1.

To ensure that bids are processed before the break, please submit your bid requests to Purchasing no later than Monday, November 25. If a purchase order is needed, you must submit your Purchase Order request in buyBAMA, obtain approval from all necessary approvers, and to Purchasing by Friday, December 13. This timeline will allow for adequate review and issuance before the break.

We encourage you to use your P-Card for all purchases whenever possible. If you have any questions, please contact Purchasing at 348-5230 or uapurchasing@ua.edu.

Planning your Purchases for Fiscal Year 2025: A Strategic Approach

Fiscal Year 2025 is here! We can’t wait to help with your procurement plan to meet your needs, reach your goals, and help ensure smooth operations and cost savings. Purchasing wants to hear what you have planned for 2025 and help guide departments when you are mapping out timelines and procurements for the upcoming year. Purchasing is happy to review departmental spending and past supplier performance, account for forecasted changes, and help your department make informed purchasing decisions. Planning for fiscal year 2025 will help your department focus on data-driven decisions and strong supplier partnerships and help us prepare to save you time and resources. Purchasing looks forward to meeting with departments in the new year to help plan and organize your purchasing needs. Please reach out if your department would like to schedule a review and planning session for this fiscal year. You can contact Purchasing at 348-5230 or uapurchasing@ua.edu with any questions.

Campus Reminders:

All Dell purchases need to be made through the buyBAMA catalogue with your P-Card, any quotes received from Dell reps can also be completed through the Dell selection on buyBAMA by searching for your quote number and then completing checkout.

From Financial Accounting: Capitalization of Moveable Equipment

Effective October 1, 2024, and in accordance with federal regulations, the threshold for capitalization of moveable equipment will increase from an acquisition value of $5,000 to an acquisition value of $10,000.  In Banner and Concur,  account names will change to reflect the increased threshold.  Please be aware of this change and use the correct account codes in Concur or when processing a journal entry.   For example, if previously your department purchased a piece of furniture for $7,500 you would have coded to 791205 Furniture over $5,000, now this purchase will be coded to 71230 Furniture under $10,000.

New Director of Purchasing

Procurement Services is pleased to announce Andrea Tyner as our new Director of Purchasing. Andrea has served as a Contract Specialist in Construction Contracts & Compliance for the last four years. Please help us congratulate Andrea on her new position.

Fiscal Year-End 2024 Reminder

With FY2024 ending in a few short weeks, it is important to note the below dates to ensure that Procurement Services can process all orders and post all transactions to Banner within the Financial Accounting deadlines:
• New bids should have been requested by Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
• buyBama Purchase Orders must be created and approved by Friday, September 20, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
• Concur PO Invoices that have been assigned to users need to be submitted and approved as soon as possible for purchase orders where the product has been delivered. For questions regarding Concur PO Invoices, contact Accounts Payable.
• Concur Invoices must be submitted, approved by all approvers, and to Accounts Payable for processing by Friday, October 4, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
• Concur Expense Reports must be submitted, approved by all approvers, and to Accounts Payable and P-Card for processing by Friday, October 4, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
• Banner Encumbrances will roll forward on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.

Appliance Purchases

Appliance purchases are typically only allowable on State funds when needed for conferences or workshops sponsored by UA, training events, research use, or to replace original building equipment in breakrooms or kitchens. Otherwise, approval from Purchasing is required. Approval from Purchasing is required for the purchase of all ice machines, regardless of purpose or use. As a reminder, appliances such as coffee makers, refrigerators, and microwaves for individual offices or similar areas are typically not allowable.

Charter Bus Requests

With the fall semester beginning soon, trips requiring a charter bus will be made.  If you are aware of an upcoming trip, please be sure to get your request in as early as possible.  During the fall semester, buses book up quickly and are more difficult to secure due to the various sporting events happening, not just at a collegiate level but in high schools as well. All requests are required to go through Jana Weaver, jkweaver@ua.edu, in Purchasing. For the full process, please see the Charter Bus Process document. If you have any questions, please contact Jana Weaver.

2024 Procurement Contract Vendor Fair – Thank You Campus!

The Procurement Services Contract Vendor Fair was held at the Student Center Ballroom on April 9th. We had a wonderful turnout of campus faculty and staff members who were able to interact with many of our contract vendors and internal UA departments. Attendees were also able to enjoy the available food and participate in door prize giveaways. All participating vendors were very pleased with the turnout from campus and are already looking forward to next year’s event. Please be on the lookout for information regarding the 2025 vendor fair!

Placing Credit Card Orders through Airgas buyBAMA Catalog

As of December 2023, Airgas cannot accept credit card information sent on an electronic order in order to both protect the user and remain PCI compliant. After placing an order through the Airgas punchout catalog, you will receive a one-time use email from Airgas requesting to add a Payment Method. The SnapPay/PayByLink will be sent from donotreply@snappayglobal.com. The emailed link is only valid for 24 hours and the recommended browser is Google Chrome. After the credit card details are entered, they will be applied to the order in the Airgas system. If you have any questions/issues with the system or do not receive the payment email within 24-48 hours, please contact Airgas eSupport@airgas.com.

Purchasing Utility Carts

In an effort to assist departments with selecting utility carts that can be used safely on and near campus, Fleet Management has implemented a new Utility Cart Request Form.  This must be completed prior to purchasing a utility cart.  Additionally, Fleet Management and Risk Management have updated the Utility Cart Policy which is now shorter and easier to understand.  More information can also be found on Fleet Management’s Utility Cart Purchasing Guidelines page.  Once the cart acquisition has been approved through the Cart Request Form, all purchases should be placed through a BuyBama non-catalog purchase order unless another method of order placement has been approved through Purchasing.  Catherine Johnson in Purchasing can assist your department through the cart request and purchasing process.