Individuals who purchase goods and services on behalf of the university are required to be familiar with University Policy 3.25, Procurement of Goods and Services as well as the Buying Manual, which provides the procedures required to comply with the policy.
The following information provides a brief introduction to the buying process at Cornell. Please direct questions about this information to Supply Management Services.
If a preferred supplier is available for the commodity, the preferred supplier must be used unless an alternate approach is approved by both the department and an SMS purchasing agent.
If there is no preferred supplier or e-SHOP supplier, then the procurement method is a purchase order or procurement card.
The following is a list of acceptable methods of paying for goods and services purchased on behalf of Cornell University. To help units determine the appropriate payment method in a given situation, see the Procurement Decision Flowchart.
e-SHOP is Cornell’s branded Web-based procurement system. When a good or service is available through an e-SHOP catalog, units must use e-SHOP as the procurement method. If a supplier is not enabled in e-SHOP, units may use other approved procurement methods as outlined in the table below.
A procurement card (pcard) is a credit card issued by a financial institution to Cornell to make direct purchases from vendors. Certain goods and services are prohibited from payment via pcard.
Payment can be issued by check (or an equivalent electronic method) through a Disbursement Voucher (DV) without the issuance of a purchase order. This method is restricted to a specific list of goods/services. See the Buying Manual sections 201, "Eligible for Direct Payment, with Approval of Authorized Unit" and 204, "Direct Payment by Check or Equivalent Electronic Method."
A purchase order, which is the primary method used to purchase and pay for goods and services by check (or an equivalent electronic method), represents the university’s offer to buy goods and services and is a legally binding contract, with specific terms and conditions between the university and the vendor. For more information on the purchase order process, see Buying Manual sections 400-403, "The Purchase Order Process."
The costs of business travel, including meals, may be reimbursement to Cornell business travelers using the Travel Reimbursement System. For more information on paying for business travel, see the Buying Manual section 205, "Payment Options for Business Travel."
| Is the vendor a preferred supplier? |
Is the vendor enabled in e-SHOP? |
The procurement method is |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | e-SHOP |
| Yes | No | Purchase order or procurement card |
| No | Yes | e-SHOP |
| No | No | If a preferred supplier is available for the commodity, the preferred supplier must be used unless an alternate approach is approved by both the department and an SMS purchasing agent. If there is no preferred supplier or e-SHOP supplier, then the procurement method is a purchase order or procurement card. |
