PURCHASING
70.35
Revised 6-07
Central Stores
335-3695
PDF link
FUNCTION
Central Stores' function is to provide commonly-used items and services at competitively low prices in support of the missions of the University.
Quantity Buying
Central Stores purchases commonly-used items in quantity and passes along the savings to University departments.
In order to maximize the benefits associated with quantity buying, University offices and departments should purchase from Central Stores those items that are listed on the Central Stores ordering system website.
STOCKED ITEMS
Items stocked by Central Stores are described on the online Central Stores Ordering system website. Prices include applicable tax. Delivery is free to all WSU locations statewide.
Central Stores manages the University's contract with OfficeMax for office products. Items available from OfficeMax are described in the online Central Stores Ordering system. Listed prices include applicable tax. Delivery is free to all WSU locations statewide.
Users may view, search, and submit orders for items by going to the online Central Stores Ordering system website at:
Nonstocked Items
Central Stores readily obtains nonstocked items at competitive prices through a network of established suppliers.
Contact Central Stores personnel for assistance in locating items not found on the Central Stores Ordering system website.
CENTRAL STORES ORDERING ONLINE
To purchase items from Central Stores, employees place orders through the online Central Stores Ordering system. Central Stores Ordering is a browser-based system which links internally to the mainframe Administrative Information Systems (AIS) application, SCBAIMS. This link allows the Central Stores Ordering System to verify that the employee is authorized for Central Stores purchases. See 85.33 to obtain authorization.
Employees may view, search, browse, and submit orders for available items, through Central Stores Ordering website, at:
Customer Roles
Orderer
Any employee who has a Network ID may submit an order for approval by a designated departmental approver.
Approver
An approver is defined as a person who has expenditure authority to approve departmental purchases. (See 70.02.) An approver may approve her or his own orders. See also "Authorization" below.
Query Functions
Employees having Network IDs (see 85.37) may access several functions in Central Stores Ordering that provide important information about the items listed in the Central Stores and OfficeMax catalogs.
Online users may access the following query functions:
- Browse: Used to browse for a specific item within the stores catalogs.
Departmental personnel with or without AIS User IDs may browse for items electronically through the Central Stores Ordering website.
- Search: Used to look up WSU supply items. Search by item number or description. Enter a vendor or manufacturer's item number, vendor/manufacturer's WSU number, or keyword describing the item as a starting point.
- Order by Item Number: Used to add WSU supply items to the online cart for purchase.
- Order History: Used to view transactions using different selection criteria.
- Pending Orders: Used to view orders which have been saved, but have not yet been submitted.
- Special Orders: Used to place special orders from vendors with whom Central Stores has a discounted purchasing agreement. A list of catalogs is listed in the Special Order section of the website. Determine special order item numbers from the vendor's catalog or vendor's website. Enter the item number and quantity desired.
Ordering Procedures
An approver must receive specific authorization from Central Stores to approve online orders on behalf of a department. Refer to 85.33 for access and authorization procedures.
Order Requests
Departmental staff may use the online catalogs at the Central Stores Ordering website to generate order requests which may be submitted by e-mail to the designated departmental approver. The approver processes the order request.
The website also allows the orderer to save an order request and continue to add items to the request until the order is submitted to the approver for final processing.
Order History
Users may request order history information using a variety of selection criteria. If the user supplies no selection criteria, the system displays all completed orders placed by the user.
Users may add all orders in Order History to the current cart and modify the orders as needed.
RETURNING ITEMS
To return items, contact Central Stores for pickup; telephone 335-3695 or 335-3513.
Receiving Credit
Returned Within 60 Days
Departments may return certain items for full credit within 60 days from date of purchase. Departments may return items which are damaged, defective, or can be resold.
Central Stores may prorate credit based on usage for the return of certain products, e.g., toner and printer cartridges, even if the items are returned within 60 days of purchase date.
Returned After 60 Days
Central Stores evaluates items returned after 60 days from date of purchase to determine whether full, partial, or no credit is warranted.
If the item can be resold, Central Stores issues full credit to the customer.
If the item is found to be defective or damaged after 60 days from date of purchase, generally Central Stores does not give credit to the customer. In such cases, Central Stores is usually unable to receive a credit from the supplier.
If the supplier issues a full or partial credit to Central Stores, then Central Stores will issue a full or partial credit to the customer.
If the supplier charges Central Stores for the restocking of a returned item, Central Stores normally passes the charge on to the customer.
Product Expiration Dates
Suppliers closely monitor shelf life dates and are reluctant to issue credit for items returned after expiration of the shelf life date.
Avoid buying excessive quantities of any item with a printed expiration or "use by" date. Central Stores recommends departments purchase quantities of dated items that can be used within a 30 to 45 day period.
Questions
Contact Central Stores with questions concerning returning items. Central Stores personnel make every effort to ensure that fair and equitable solutions are worked out for every customer.
FORMS
Forms used by all or most departments are purchased centrally. Many of these forms are distributed by Central Stores. Forms distributed by Central Stores are listed in the Office Supplies--Paper and Paper Products section of the online Central Stores Ordering website under "Forms, Pads, and Rolls."
User departments are not charged for such forms.
Include requests for forms with orders for other supplies.
Do not stockpile forms. Do not keep more than a two-month supply on hand.
The Office of Procedures, Records, and Forms provides a list of forms distributed by Central Stores in the Forms Index section of the Business Policies and Procedures Manual. See 04.01.