Types of Purchases and Guidelines

Items listed in Amendment 54 to the Constitution of the State of Arkansas are subject to special bidding requirements. The State’s definition of printing is “the process of transferring images, by use of standard industrial type printer ink, upon paper documents such as letterhead, envelopes, pamphlets, booklets, and forms.” This refers to the use of wet ink on paper versus dry ink (toner) used by digital copiers.  

UA Little Rock Printing Services is the authorized supplier of printing needs for the university. Any request for printing must be made to Print Services first before other means of procuring materials are acquired. Written documentation of Printing Services waiving their right to provide certain printing needs should be obtained and emailed to Procurement Services to support the need to purchase printing and associated services through a different supplier. The reason for declination by Printing Services should be included.

All commodities subject to Amendment 54 that are not available from Printing Services, another state agency, or UA Little Rock or state contract must be bid by Procurement Services or the Office of State Purchasing. Departments are not permitted to take their own bids on constitutional items regardless of the dollar amount. 

See Construction

The lease or procurement of all copiers, duplicators, and related equipment is on a mandatory state contract and must be coordinated with Procurement Services. 

Workday supplier contracts with scheduled invoices have been created for all existing copier leases. This method of procurement allows for auto-payment of the lease without the creation of a requisition. 

• New Copier Leases: Remember when choosing a copier that UA Little Rock will only enter into a contract from the approved state copier contract. Written agreements, quotes, and supporting documentation should be submitted by the “Create Supplier Contract” in Workday to initiate the process for review and approval. 
• Overages: Departments must enter a Workday Supplier Invoice Request for each invoice for copier overages. 
• Maintenance for university-owned copiers: Departments must enter a Workday requisition (with a Service requisition type) at the start of each fiscal year for maintenance fees. The department would then create a receipt each month. 

A lease contract may include financial or non-financial assets, amortization schedules, multiple payments/ installments, etc. All rentals and leases of commodities require prior approval. 

Written agreements, quotes, and supporting documentation should be submitted through the  “Create Supplier Contract” task in Workday to initiate the process for review and approval.

In those instances where policy has not been established and reasons for rental are not obvious, a memorandum of justification should accompany the requisition or supplier contract. Meeting temporary needs is one of the primary reasons for rentals without purchase options.

UA Little Rock is under no obligation to pay for memberships (Payment of Dues for Membership in Professional Organizations – 308.3), licenses, and certifications required to hold a position of employment. However, the university may elect to pay certain memberships, licensing, and/or certification fees when there is a justified need that provides a benefit to the university. 

Justifications may be submitted as an attachment of the requisition, transaction verification, or in the memo section of the expense report and must address

• How the purchase benefits the university and/or the State of Arkansas
• Why the purchase was made/ or needed

Moving forward, the campus has three options for purchasing contracted office supplies—requisitions, a supplier punchout, or through Central Stores.  See Office Supplies for more information

• Staples: The campus should utilize the Workday punchout for all Staples purchasing. The punchout automatically issues the purchase order to the supplier once the requisition has been fully approved. 
• Office Depot: Office Depot purchases will need to follow the requisition process for each order until the supplier contract and eventual punchout have been established. Screenshots of your cart will be accepted as a quote. You may also still use a P-card for these orders. 

Central Stores: In addition, departments have the option to purchase office supplies from Central Stores, which is managed by Facilities Management.

A mandatory state contract exists for certain commodities including paper.  Please use the following options for all paper needs.

• Copy paper should be purchased from Central Stores for maximum cost savings. They receive the most competitive pricing by purchasing in bulk and the savings are passed on to each department. Visit Central Stores’ website for further information and to view their catalog.
• Mandatory State Contract
• If you are unable to purchase from the contract or central stores submit a requisition in Workday and include detailed specification, quantity, and why the purchase cannot be completed by the other two options. 

See Promotional and Trademarked Items

See Services

See Contracts

See Telecommunication and Technology purchasing procedures

Items not needed or being replaced can be listed as a trade-in on the bid request or requisition submitted for the purchase of new equipment. The manufacturer, model, serial number, inventory tag number, date of purchase, price paid, statement of present condition, and location must be provided for the trade-in unit.

Since all equipment trade-ins must be approved by Marketing and Redistribution (M&R), bids will be issued with the stipulation that the trade-in offered may or may not be accepted. Departments should contact Procurement Services for special training and assistance when needed.

Note: Equipment purchased using a grant may have additional requirements.  Please contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs for assistance.