Internal Policy and Procedures

Processing Emergency Transactions

POLICY:

The Emergency Transaction (ET) process was created to expedite the processing of purchase orders and payments for extreme emergencies as determined by the Dean’s office of the Purchasing department.

Accounting Services is the gatekeeper for all types of ETs, manual drop off by of the necessary paperwork by campus is at Suite 5301 21 N. Park St. between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Final output (check, purchase order only, or both check and purchase order) from properly submitted ETs that are received by 9:00 a.m. will be processed and available for pick-up, mail, or fax between 9:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. the following business day.

If a problem arises that could prevent the completion of the process, the staff person who discovered the problem is responsible to notify the department and Accounting Services and document the action plan that is required.

Accounting Services has the following websites available for the processing of ETs:

How To Page
Accounting instructions for ET form

Definitions:
Accounting ET=An ET involving any other Accounting form (PIR, DP)
BusPO=The purchasing computer system
DP=Direct Payment
ET=Emergency transaction
PIR=Payment to Individual
Purchasing ET=An ET involving an external requisition that is processed by Purchasing Services
Req=External Requisition

PROCEDURES:

Inbound:
At 9:30 a.m. the front desk staff goes to Suite 5301 to pick up any Purchasing Services ETs.

The front desk staff person will return forms to Purchasing Services and complete the following steps:

Stamp the external requisition with the date/time stamp.
Stamp the external requisition with the red “EMERGENCY TRANSACTION” stamp.
Route ET to a pre-audit staff person.
Return the processed PO to Accounting by 11:30 a.m. as per below.

Purchasing pre-audit staff will expedite the standard pre-audit due diligence function on ETs with attached requisitions and deliver the ET packet to the appropriate agent or requisition processing staff (or their back up if out of the office) as required.

Agents should expedite processing of ETs in BusPO and use the following format codes:
WTO-Emergency Transaction Order, or
WTC-Emergency Transaction Change Order

Once coded, agents deliver the ET to a requisition processing staff for processing. If the ET will not be ready for final processing by 11:15 a.m., the agent must notify the department contact (from the ET form) and develop a plan for when and how it can be processed, what additional documents, approvals, or bidding will be required.

Agent or requisition processing staff releasing the ET should deliver the printed purchase order to the front desk. Those requiring a check are taken to Accounting Services by front desk staff by 11:30 a.m. All other purchase orders that don’t require a check should be faxed, mailed or e-mailed as per the instructions on the ET form.