What is a Non-Catalog Purchase Order?

A Non-Catalog Purchase Order is the process of placing an order in Workday with a supplier when the goods and/or services are not available in a catalog. UW employees with the Requisition Requester role in Workday can start Requisitions to become purchase orders. 

How does the process work?

It all begins with a Requisition. All Non-Catalog orders start with a Requisition. By starting a Requisition you will have a handful of Requisition Types to choose from:

  • Blanket Request (will become a Blanket Purchase Order)
  • Goods and Services
  • Capital Asset
  • Multi-Component Capital Asset
  • Construction Capital Projects
  • No Cost Request
  • Equipment/Product Evaluation Request

Once you have chosen your Requisition Type and entered a number of header fields, you will choose Request Non-Catalog Items. All requisition have the option for line item entry:

  • Request Goods (entered by Quantity)
  • Request Services (entered by Amount and adding Service Dates)

Training:

In the UW Connect Finance Portal you will find:

  • Job aid PRO-J-05 Requisitions for Requisition Requesters UWA
  • Job aid PRO-J-14 Workday Create Requisition Addendum Deliver To (selecting Deliver to and Ship to addresses)

Supplier Requirements

Suppliers must be registered with the UW as a supplier. You can check Workday for a supplier with the report Find Suppliers.

Approvals

All non-catalog requisitions are reviewed by:

  • Shared Environment Requisition Specialist
  • Funding Approver (Grant Manager, Cost Center Manager, Gift Manager etc)

Central Office may be included for certain spend categories:

  • IT Procurement Specialist 
  • Buyer (over Direct Buy Limit)
  • Business Asset Tracking Specialist
  • Environmental Health and Safety Specialist

Special Field Considerations in Requisitions in Workday:

  • Supplier field: this is not systematically required, but it is required for academy requisitions from a business perspective. If it is not entered by the Requisition Requester, the SE Requisition reviewer may see an error message upon review. 
  • Spend Category field: check the Spend Category report in the UW Finance Portal for guidance. This report will show if the category is taxable or non-taxable. Pick a spend category that aligns with the taxability of the purchase. 
  • Memo to Supplier field: use to enter the room the shipment should be delivered to as well as other useful information to the supplier.
  • Internal Memo field: use to communicate any internal information, including alerts to the purchasing staff 
  • Attachments field: attach all necessary documents, including certificate, quotes, agreements, sole source justification documents etc.
  • Financial Treatment Flags: under Additional Worktags you will find worktags to flag a line item for M&E tax exemption, Tax exempt (resale, consulting) etc. 

Best Practices

  • Check the How to Buy page for guidance on planning your purchase.
  • DO NOT sign any contracts with the supplier. Review the Signatory Authority policy.
  • Before placing an order, obtain:
    • Current, correct item pricing item
    • Part number(s) 
    • Full item description
    • Quote number (if applicable)
    • Contact name
    • Email address and/or fax number for supplier
  • DO NOT place the order with the supplier prior to creating and submitting a Non-Catalog order. 
  • Do not split purchase orders to circumvent the competitive process.