3310.1 - Centralized Purchasing System - Procedure

The San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools operates a centralized purchasing system. A completed requisition or request for quote is required to initiate an order for supplies, furniture, equipment, or services. The requisition or request for quote must be properly authorized. The purchase request must be in accordance with all legal requirements and internal procedures which govern the authority to purchase and contract. All purchases must be approved and encumbered against an operating budget before the order is submitted to the vendor.

The requesting department, by use of the online purchasing system, shall create a requisition for the desired purchase. The requesting department is responsible for ensuring adequate funding, appropriate budget account codes, and acquiring the necessary approvals prior to submission of the requisition. If the vendor is known, the requisition can be submitted for approval and action by the procurement staff. If the vendor or price is unknown, a request for quote should be submitted to the procurement team. In addition, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools shall require three written quotes when a single item purchase (including shipping, handling, and tax) is twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or greater but less than the required bid threshold. Quotes should be secured in cooperation with the procurement team and shall be for comparable goods or services.

The procurement team will process requisitions received via the online purchasing system. If a quote is required, procurement staff will provide the necessary information and send the quote to the requestor for review. Should further information be required for any purchase, the buyer will contact the requestor. Procurement staff will process the requisition into a purchase order and send a signed copy to the vendor and other appropriate parties. Procurement staff will check the status on all orders processed no later than 30 days after sending the purchase order to the vendor.

Warehouse staff will accept delivery of merchandise shipped to the Support Center. Warehouse staff will check for damaged goods and the accuracy of items delivered against packing slips and purchase orders; sign, date, and forward the receiving copy of the purchase order to accounts payable for payment; and deliver items to the requested location. Fixed asset items will be tagged and records maintained in accordance with Fixed Asset Management Procedure 3440.2.

Accounts payable will process payment for all invoices that agree with the purchase order and receiver documentation. The accounts payable staff will seek approval for all price changes or discrepancies, automatically increase payments to include sales tax and shipping costs and may increase payments for changes less than 10% of purchase order value.

Procurement staff will follow up on all outstanding orders and receivers and provide year-end support for all departments to meet requirements to close the books. 

Approved: August 24, 1993
Revised: January 15, 2002
Revised: May 1, 2003
Revised: January 8, 2009
Revised: October 7, 2009
Revised: October 4, 2016
Revised: December 17, 2024