FAQs

Yes. If you need to add a new vendor, please visit the section, “Information for Vendors” to learn more about the vendor registration process.

The requisition to purchase order process is run multiple times throughout the day. Once the requisition has processed through the approve queue(s), typically you will receive an email with the official purchase order 24 to 48 hours. If you have not received information by then, please confirm with your approver(s) that they have completed their approver process. You can track the status of your requisition by visiting the View Document form in Treehouse.

Yes, a purchase order is the only method of acquiring goods and services for the university. Departments are required to have an approved purchase order prior to the date of service in when a vendor is engaged to provide goods or services. Placing a purchase order without a university purchase order constitutes an unauthorized purchase. Payment to the supplier may be refused and repeated violations by the same department will be referred to the Vice President for Finance and Administration for resolution.

Do not sign any agreement. Departments do not have the authority to sign vendor agreements on behalf of the university. Agreements requiring signature must be forwarded to the Finance Department for review and signature; the corresponding requisition should also be included.

A pdf copy of the purchase order can be requested at payables@drew.edu, with the subject line: COPY OF PURCHASE ORDER REQUEST (add the purchase order number.)

Yes, University purchases are exempt from the payment of New Jersey sales and use tax. Contact the Finance Department at finance@drew.edu if a vendor questions the University’s exemption policy.

Contact the vendor via phone or email to inquire about delivery status of the order. If there appears to be a problem with a vendor order, contact the Finance Department at finance@drew.edu for further assistance.

The purchase order (PO) is used as a mechanism to authorize a vendor to provide good or services to the university. Managing changes to the PO requires a change order to modify the dollar amount, additional services, date extensions, or updates to FOAPs. For specifics on the process please visit “Initiate a Change Order” in the How To guides.

A FOAP represents the combination of the following elements: F-Fund Code, O-Organization Code, A-Account Code, and P-Program Code. The FOAP is used to record transactional activity including amounts budgeted, encumbered, and incurred.

Accounts are not specific to funds or organizations. Accounts are available for use by any fund or organization unless the account is for use by certain departments only (e.g., Procurement, Finance, Athletics, etc.).

A PO encumbrance in a budget means the amount of money set aside in a budget to pay for certain expenses in a specific GL account line. PO encumbrances are a product of the purchase order process. Most expenditures are required to be encumbered prior to making a commitment to a vendor for the delivery of a good or service.

Budget transfers are requests from departments to move from one account to another account or from one org. to another, after the approved budget has been loaded into Banner. Departments may only move funds within their approved FOAPs. Please visit the Quick Expert Guides in the Finance Training Center site.

There are many uses for payment requests. Please visit the section, “Types of Purchases” to learn when to process a payment request, and to learn more about the required documentation. For specifics on the process, please visit “Initiate a Payment Request” in the How To guides.

Forward the invoice to the Accounts Payable department. Mark the invoice as ready to be paid and reference the PO # in the email.