Technology purchases for UA Little Rock must follow specific procedures to ensure the university selects the most appropriate product, secures the best value, and mitigates potential security risks. Purchasing procedures pertain to resources regardless of funding source or location of product use.
Items Requiring IT Services Quotes & Approval
- Computing devices: Desktops, laptops, tablets, Apple devices, servers, and sub-computers (e.g., Raspberry Pi).
- Memory & processing units: External drives (portable and non-portable), CPUs, and GPUs.
- Software, licenses, and subscriptions: Initial purchases of software, SaaS, cloud services, and data subscriptions. Renewals do not require a refreshed approval unless the terms or purchase details change.
- Network equipment and services: Any equipment or services tying to the UA Little Rock network, such as Wi-Fi products, printers, and scanners.
- Audio-visual equipment and services: Such as digital signage or conferencing system installations.
- Mobile and cellular services: New mobile, cellular, or data plans, including cell phones and VoIP.
Technology Quote & Approval Request Process
Before purchasing any of the items listed above, employees must have prior approval from IT Services. Approvals are valid for one year unless otherwise stated.
Steps to Request Technology Approval and/or Quote:
- Review the Guidelines: Review the purchasing process, resources requiring approval, and additional guidance provided here.
- Submit Your Request:
- Select the Request Form that best describes your needs.
- Answer all questions to the best of your ability.
- For efficiency, it’s advisable the request be submitted by the employee most familiar with the product/service being requested.
- Internal Review & Quote:
- Your ServiceNow request form will be internally reviewed, and the appropriate technology experts will be added.
- Our technical experts may ask clarifying questions and will provide a quote that fulfills your needs, if applicable.
- If the initial quote is unacceptable, IT Services will work with your department to find a solution that meets both your needs and university requirements.
- Final Step (Requestor Responsibility):
- The requestor must upload a PDF of all IT Services approvals into the associated Workday Business Process for the purchase.
- Include: IT ServiceNow reference numbers, quotes, emails, and other supporting documents.
Request Forms:
Software Quote/Approval Requeste.g. downloads, disk sets, database subscriptions, SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). For Adobe requests, submit an incident ticket.
Hardware Quote/Approval Requeste.g. computer, other workstation supplies such as keyboard or monitor, servers, raspberry pi, scanners, scientific equipment. Includes equipment requests with a software component.
Audio-Visual Products & Services Quote/Approval Requeste.g. audio-visual needs for large lecture halls, conference centers, class rooms, event spaces, and digital signage.
Network Services Quote/Approval Requeste.g. data cable that supports computers, television monitors, printers, security cameras etc.
Phone Related Requeste.g. new mobile, cellular, or data plans, including cell phones and VoIP requests.
Technology Purchasing and Receiving Guidelines
Once your quote is approved, follow the IT Services instructions provided at the end of the request process. Note for technology purchases:
- Requisitions in Workday must use the IT Related Requisition Types:
- IT Related Purchase requisition type is for technology goods and services.
- Creating a receipt in Workday must occur after a physical product is received, a service is rendered, or electronically delivered software is delivered.
- IT Related – Bill Only requisition type is acceptable for invoiced based requests (e.g. year 2 of a 3 year contract).
- Workday automatically receives, and there is no RC # provided.
- The invoice received by the department should be submitted to the Accounts Payable documents portal.
- Workday automatically receives, and there is no RC # provided.
- IT Related Purchase requisition type is for technology goods and services.
- The department is responsible for:
- Following IT Services purchase instructions
- Ensuring any new equipment is tagged
- Listing the IT Services approval reference number along with the reason for purchase within the internal memo
- When purchasing a software product that needs to be electronically delivered, the delivery address should be listed on the requisition as: ***License electronic delivery to: [email protected]. IT Services will inform the requesting department when the delivery is complete.
- Understanding appropriate IT spend category selection
- Understanding when to select an IT requisition type
The following methods are used for IT-related purchases, and purchasing instructions will be defined at the conclusion of the request:
Requisitions to Purchase Order Process:
- Punchout: Connect to the Supplier Website for select contract suppliers (such as Dell and CDW) and pull the quote number received from IT Services through the system for expedited processing.
- Purchase Order (Non-Catalog): For all other technology purchases not available through a punchout.
- Reach out to your IT Procurement Specialist with any questions or issues with an order.
P-Card: Attach the itemized receipt and IT approval to your credit card verification. If an exception was provided the department is responsible for selecting the appropriate equipment spend category for any equipment purchase for asset tracking purposes.
- Reach out to your P-Card Administrator with any issues with your charge.
Reimbursement: This is not a preferred method but is allowable as an exception with prior approval for special circumstances. Submit an expense report with a copy of the receipt and approval in Workday.
- Reach out to your Expense Team with any questions or issues with your expense report.
IT Services offers some technology products that can be provided to a department via internal service delivery. These opportunities will be brought to the attention of the department during the quote/approval process, or departments can inquire about availability anytime by contacting the assistance center.
Arkansas law requires that all technology purchases, regardless of cost, are accessible to individuals with visual impairments.
- Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT): Regardless of dollar amount, if the purchase has a technology component, the selected vendor is required by Arkansas law to complete a Voluntary Products Accessibility Template (VPAT) prior to the purchase. This form certifies that the purchased technology is accessible to visually impaired or blind individuals. Procurement Services and IT Services will ensure that the VPAT form is in place prior to purchase, which is one of the reasons for the pre-approval process outlined above.
The law ensures “equivalent access,” which means providing a substantially similar ability to use the technology for both visual and non-visual users. If equivalent access is not reasonably available, the university must provide a reasonable accommodation as defined by federal law.
Arkansas law also requires that all solicitations (quote bids) have the following language included as part of the bid package. If the department is soliciting bids without the assistance of Procurement Services or IT Services, this language must be included or the bid will be null and void:
- When procuring a technology product or when soliciting the development of such a product, the State of Arkansas is required to comply with the provisions of Arkansas Code Annotated §25-26-201 et seq., as amended by Act 308 of 2013, which expresses the policy of the State to provide individuals who are blind or visually impaired with access to information technology purchased in whole or in part with state funds. The Vendor expressly acknowledges and agrees that state funds may not be expended in connection with the purchase of information technology unless that technology meets the statutory requirements found in 36 C.F.R. §1194.21, as it existed on January 1, 2013 (software applications and operating ICSs) and 36 C.F.R. § 1194.22, as it existed on January 1, 2013 (web-based intranet and internet information and applications), in accordance with the State of Arkansas technology policy standards relating to accessibility by persons with visual impairments.
- ACCORDINGLY, THE VENDOR EXPRESSLY REPRESENTS AND WARRANTS to the State of Arkansas through the procurement process by submission of a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) for 36 C.F.R. § 1194.21, as it existed on January 1, 2013 (software applications and operating ICSs) and 36 C.F.R. § 1194.22, that the technology provided to the State for purchase is capable, either by virtue of features included within the technology, or because it is readily adaptable by use with other technology, of:
- Providing, to the extent required by Arkansas Code Annotated §25-26-201 et seq., as amended by Act 308 of 2013, equivalent access for effective use by both visual and non-visual means;
- Presenting information, including prompts used for interactive communications, in formats intended for non-visual use;
- After being made accessible, integrating into networks for obtaining, retrieving, and disseminating information used by individuals who are not blind or visually impaired;
- Providing effective, interactive control and use of the technology, including without limitation the operating system, software applications, and format of the data presented is readily achievable by nonvisual means;
- Being compatible with information technology used by other individuals with whom the blind or visually impaired individuals interact;
- Integrating into networks used to share communications among employees, program participants, and the public; and
- Providing the capability of equivalent access by nonvisual means to telecommunications or other interconnected network services used by persons who are not blind or visually impaired.
- State agencies cannot claim a product as a whole is not reasonably available because no product in the marketplace meets all the standards. Agencies must evaluate products to determine which product best meets the standards. If an agency purchases a product that does not best meet the standards, the agency must provide written documentation supporting the selection of a different product, including any required reasonable accommodations.
- For purposes of this section, the phrase “equivalent access” means a substantially similar ability to communicate with, or make use of, the technology, either directly, by features incorporated within the technology, or by other reasonable means such as assistive devices or services which would constitute reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar state and federal laws. Examples of methods by which equivalent access may be provided include, but are not limited to, keyboard alternatives to mouse commands or other means of navigating graphical displays, and customizable display appearance. As provided in Arkansas Code Annotated §25-26-201 et seq., as amended by Act 308 of 2013, if equivalent access is not reasonably available, then individuals who are blind or visually impaired shall be provided a reasonable accommodation as defined in 42 U.S.C. §12111(9), as it existed on January 1, 2013.
- If the information manipulated or presented by the product is inherently visual in nature, so that its meaning cannot be conveyed non-visually, these specifications do not prohibit the purchase or use of an information technology product that does not meet these standards.
Updated 10/2026