Supplier Invoice Request

What is a Supplier Invoice Request?

A Supplier Invoice Request is an online tool in Workday used to make a payment to a supplier when a PO is not required and the invoice is under the Direct Buy Limit. When the ultimate aggregate cost to the unit for a service or the purchase of a product will exceed the direct buy limit, regardless of the period of time, please contact Procurement Services for guidance.

Supplier Requirements

  • Suppliers must be registered with the UW.

Training

In the UW Connect Finance Portal you will find the following guide for entry:

In Workday

Role:

  • No required security role is needed to create a Supplier Invoice Request

Reports:

  • Supplier Invoice Requests Lifecycle R1571
  • Find Supplier Invoices 1149

Before Initiating a Supplier Invoice Request

Requirements:

  • Only process one invoice per Supplier Invoice Request, even if you have multiple invoices for the same supplier.
  • Note that quotes, statements, proforma invoices and packing slips cannot be used to make payment.
  • Only pay invoices for items or services that have been received by your department. (Exceptions: Subscriptions or memberships).
  • Never take an invoice over the Direct Buy Limit and split it between more than one Supplier Invoice Request. Contact pcshelp@uw.edu for assistance.
  • If the invoice you received is incorrect, request a corrected invoice from the supplier.
  • Ensure proper documentation is available for food purchases (form 1798) and kept within the department.

Best Practices:

  • Do not use special characters in the invoice number when entering the SIR.
  • The invoice cannot be dated 30 days or more in the future or you will encounter an error.
  • Units are responsible to ensure that transactions they submit are correct and compliant; read all warnings and errors for each transaction before submitting.
  • Ensure that payments are allowable, acceptable, and accurate and the original supplier payment request is on file within the unit. Central Office cannot validate the reason for the payment.
  • Be aware that Procurement Services performs spot audits  to ensure transactions are compliant (i.e., items are not on the exceptions list).
  • Familiarize yourself with the types of restricted payments as some payments cannot be processed. To review which payments cannot be processed, see the Exceptions List.
  • You do not need to print information contained in Workday. Invoice information and all scanned documents will be kept for the full records retention period of six years.
  • When contacting the suppliers to place an order:
    • Provide a unique number to provide to the supplier as a "PO #", such as a Purchase Path number or a sequence number created and maintained in your department to track Supplier Invoice Request.  
    • Have the supplier send the invoice directly to your department instead of Accounts Payable.
    • Provide the supplier with a contact person for your order, including first and last name and telephone number.

Attaching Documents to Supplier Invoice Request Payments

Documents required to support invoice, and should be attached electronically within the application. The attachments will be maintained in accordance with the UW approved records retention policy.

You should attach:

  1. Supplier invoice/membership voucher/subscription voucher/registration documents, etc.
  2. Any supporting documents for proof of delivery, i.e., packing slips.

DO: Attach the invoice to the Summary page of your Supplier Invoice Request.

DO NOT: attach it to the line item page, as this will make it hard to find the invoice in the future.

DO NOT: include scans of any information that includes bank account numbers, credit card numbers, or social security numbers.

For information regarding the University Scanning Policy, please visit: https://finance.uw.edu/recmgt/

Approving and Reviewing a Supplier Invoice Request

Supplier Invoice Requests will be reviewed by:

  • Unit
  • Accounts Payable 

Check Cancelation

If a check payment for an SIR needs to be canceled, please visit the Check Cancelation page for guidance.

Unauthorized Purchases

An unauthorized purchase is a commitment made by an employee or department outside its authority. Unauthorized purchases must be reviewed by Procurement Services to determine whether the purchase conforms to all applicable laws, regulations, and/or University policies. Unauthorized purchases may subject the individual responsible for the unauthorized purchase to significant personal liability.