An official purchase order authorizes a supplier to provide materials and services to UMR and to invoice UMR for such items. The purchase order is a legal document. With the exceptions of petty cash purchases, most UMR bookstore purchases and department purchase order purchases, all acquisitions should be made with a UMR purchase order issued by the Purchasing Department. In general, purchases of materials and equipment made by individual UMR employees without a purchase order may become that individual's personal responsibility.
Purchase orders result from requisitions created and approved by campus departments.
Requisitions that do not involve bid requests or questions are typically converted to purchase orders within one business day or less. As a norm, these purchase orders are placed in the US Mail. However, upon request by the originating department, they are faxed to suppliers. Plans are being made to electronically transmit purchase orders to selected suppliers using industry standard format. An exception to this is a sole source purchase .