3.1.16lp1 Basic Purchasing Procedure

Modified: December 2010; September 2014; February 2015, March 2024
Reviewed: September 2014, February 2015, March 2024
Scope: Faculty and Staff
Contact: Purchasing Coordinator
Owner: Vice President of Administrative Services
References: SBTCSG Policy 3.1.16, O.C.G.A 50-5-50 et seq.

Basic Purchasing Procedures for Lanier Technical College:

There are four methods that may be used for purchasing at Lanier Technical College.
- Purchasing Card (P-card)
- Team Georgia Marketplace Shopping Cart
- Petty Cash, using a Team Georgia Marketplace Shopping Cart
- Request for Check Form for purchases that don't require a purchase order
A Purchasing Card is used by a limited number of employees. The supervising Vice President must request a P-card for an employee. The employee must go through a background and credit check and complete Georgia DOAS and LTC training on the Purchasing Card policy before the card can be issued. All cardholders must know and follow the Purchasing Card policy.
Petty cash is available for purchases that are $50 or less. The employee may purchase small items out of pocket and get reimbursed in cash at the cashier window. No sales tax will be reimbursed. For reimbursement, the employee must complete a Petty Cash Reimbursement Form. After receiving signatures from the employee's supervisor and/or Vice President, the form is sent to Accounts Payable for review. The employee is notified when the form is approved. The employee must take the original receipt to the cashier window and pick up and sign for their cash reimbursement. This type of purchase should be used in case of an emergency, etc.
A Team Georgia Marketplace shopping cart is used to inform the Business Office of items or services that need to go through the purchasing process. An employee of the college submits a shopping cart with a description of the items or services needed, quantity of items or services needed, cost of the items or services, suggested vendor, coding for posting into the accounting system and any other special needs or circumstances that need to be considered in the purchasing process. Then employee electronically assigns the cart to a supervisor for approval.Note: The supervisor can decline the request. An approved shopping cart is not an approval for the employee to proceed with purchasing the items or services. Only the Business Office may purchase goods or services on behalf of Lanier Technical College. A purchase order must be processed through the PeopleSoft accounting system for an authorized Lanier Technical College purchase (excluding petty cash or Purchasing Card purchases). The shopping cart is not a purchase order but an internal document only. A cart, requisition, or requisition number should never be sent to a vendor. The Business Office will forward a copy of the purchase order to the employee and vendor which will initiate the purchase. If the employee proceeds with making a purchase without a purchase order, the purchase is unauthorized and the employee may have to personally pay for the purchase.
A Request for Check Form is completed for purchases that are exempt from the use of a purchase order, such as memberships, dues, subscriptions, registrations, intergovernmental agreements, and those charged to Student Government Association or a Lanier Technical College Club account. After all signatures have been secured, the form is sent to Accounts Payable for processing.
If an emergency arises, the employee must contact the Business Office for assistance, but must not circumvent purchasing guidelines. For emergency purchases, employees must complete a shopping cart and then contact the approving supervisor, Budget Analyst, Purchasing Coordinator, and any other employee in the approval chain (by email and phone if necessary), requesting that the shopping cart be expedited. The contact should include as much information regarding the request as possible to assist in the quick processing of the cart. If the supervisor is unable to approve the cart for some reason, the supervisor may email or phone the Purchasing Coordinator with approval. The supervisor or his/her designee must still approve the purchase in writing as soon as possible. Once the Business Office receives the cart, this request will be processed as quickly as possible taking into consideration the State of Georgia purchasing requirements. Every effort will be made to meet the need of the employee. If the employee has a Purchasing Card and the emergency need is one that is an authorized purchase for the Purchasing Card, the employee may utilize the Purchasing Card. If the need costs $50 or less, Petty Cash may also be used.