Other terms and specifications can be indicated on the purchase order form. Upon acceptance of the purchase order by the supplier, the document becomes a contract between General Adminstration and the vendor. The change order amount must be computed and submitted to the Purchasing Office in writing as a request to increase the original encumbrance by the rquired amount. Changes to purchase orders already accepted by vendors must be requested by the Purchasing Office.
Most vendors are willing to make reasonable changes to an order without penalty to the purchaser.
Generally, only when a vendor may have expended funds for fabricating special equipment will a charge be made for changing or canceling an order. Changes to purchase orders are authorized only by a Change Order Sheet issued by the Purchasing Office. When a purchase order is written to a vendor by the Purchasing Officer, it becomes a binding contract and cannot be broken by either party so long as both parties live up to the terms and conditions of the agreement. When a purchase order is written to a vendor but is not in accordance with the terms and conditions which were previously offered by the vendor, it does not become a binding contract until the purchase order is acknowledged and accepted by the vendor in writing.