For Suppliers

UW Procurement Process Changes are Here!

The University of Washington has completed our multi-year finance transformation program and is now live on the new Workday Financials platform as of July 6, 2023 - Please read the latest communication from September here, as it contains important updates on invoicing and payments.

Quick Facts:

• Existing supplier accounts which were transitioned do not need a login or password for Workday because the Workday Supplier Portal functionality is not being utilized; new accounts established after July 6th will need to be invited to register (please see Getting Started as a New Supplier below)
• Each company’s transacting method could be different: If your company was receiving POs by email, this will continue. If your company was receiving POs by EDI from UW Medicine, this will continue. If your company was receiving POs through the Ariba Network, this will not continue; the Ariba Network process for POs ended on June 16, 2023, and new POs from July 6 forward will be sent by email
• Most suppliers will be participating in eInvoicing, and will email invoices to a new email address and see a new Bill-To address on UW purchase orders.

  • Invoices for UW purchase orders issued after July 6th should be emailed to uwashington@ghxinvoicing.com (this does not apply to GHX-integrated suppliers); see more details in the Invoicing Requirements section below.

  • Invoices for UW purchase orders issued prior to July 6th could have a variety of invoicing instructions; please review our Supplier Q&A

Getting Started as a New UW Supplier

1. Registration - U.S./domestic and non-U.S./foreign companies selected to engage in business with the University of Washington are invited by email to complete the required Supplier Registration process and attach required IRS forms; UW employees interested in engaging with new suppliers must initiate the process by submitting the UW-internal Supplier Request Form, which is forwarded for review of by their unit, and approval of the request by Supplier Administrators, prior to the invite being sent to a supplier contact.

• Invitations are sent with a subject line of "Invitation to Join the University of Washington Supplier Community" - See an invitation example here.
• Registration instructions:
  • Instructions for the new U.S. Supplier Registration process
  • Instructions for the new Non-U.S. Supplier Registration process (additional IRS tax form information on the Tax Office’s Tax Forms for Foreign Payees webpage)

2. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Verification - UW verifies the prospective supplier's U.S. Taxpayer ID Number (TIN) information (EIN or SSN) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); UW must hold all payments until the correct TIN information is received and confirmed as matching IRS files without exception, as any inconsistencies may result in IRS penalties

3. Payment Enrollment - Supplier completes the enrollment process for electronic payments; instructions are sent after Supplier Registration is processed and approved

• See Payment Options section below

Please Note: Current or recently separated employees are typically not eligible to be suppliers to the university. Suppliers must disclose and departments must ask about previous UW employment or affiliation history prior to making any agreements or doing any business; UW staff must consult the resources available, including UW policies describing eligibility for supplier status in APS 32.3 and EO 32, and the Tax Office's online guidance and training materials.

Payment Options

The University offers the following payment options; please click the available links below for more details:

• vPayables (also called ePayables) Bank Card Payments through Bank of America - a virtual card method, ideal and preferred for U.S. corporations and partnerships with merchant terminals
  • When registering, selecting ePayables (BofA) allows the company information to be used to set up the virtual bank card (please allow 2 weeks)
  • Suppliers are issued a card number, expiration date and CVV number; for data security, some details are included in a welcome email from UW, while other card details are included in the secure email from worksnoreply@works.com when the first payment is made; no physical card will be mailed.
  • Cards are set up with a zero ($0.00) balance and funded once an invoice is approved for payment, then a secure electronic remittance advice email is sent including invoice numbers and amounts, as well as card details to process payment using your merchant terminal.
  • Payments will be processed as credit card transactions; standard merchant fees will apply, which may not be added to the payment issued.

• ACH deposits through Paymode-X, part of Bank of America - direct deposits for UW suppliers, ideal for U.S. Partnerships, Sole Proprietors using an EIN and business name, and not-for-profit 501(c)(3) or government accounts
  • When registering, selecting Paymode allows the company information to be used to initiate the Paymode-X ACH process; suppliers must also complete the secure UW enrollment directly with Paymode-X here: https://www.paymode.com/universityofwashington
  • The team at Paymode-X communicates with newly enrolled companies to authenticate bank account information; when the full process of authentication is complete, newly activated accounts are sent an email from Paymode-X with the subject line “The Paymode-X Membership for [Company/Supplier Name] is Active”
  • Activated Paymode-X accounts are communicated back to UW weekly and applied to the supplier record for the next payment to be made by ACH
  • Suppliers can check status, verify or update bank account information and manage their Paymode-X accounts by logging in or calling Paymode-X Support at 1-877-443-6944
  • Payments from UW do not incur fees for this Paymode-X service

• Checks - ideal for individuals and contractors, or one-time payments
• Wire payments/transfers for our non-U.S./foreign suppliers
• Additional options for engagements with Harborview Medical Center

Purchase Order Process

Transacting Method: Each company’s transacting method UW could be different, primarily UW will use two methods: Email and EDI

• Email: Many companies will receive POs from UW by email, including all relevant attachments
  • If the business email initially reached is not correct, please see the Maintaining Your Profile section below and contact supplier administrators directly to request updates regarding your company's account (Note: shared or group emails work best so purchase orders continue to be processed during times of staff vacations, etc.)
• EDI: Companies doing business with UW Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, or those that have a RoundTrip catalog, are members of the GHX Exchange and will receive purchase orders through EDI (Electronic Data Interchange).

Note: If your company was previously receiving POs through the Ariba Network, this PO process ended on June 16, 2023.

Purchase Order Format: Organizations within UW have different purchase order numbering formats; the full PO number, including letters, numbers and dashes, is required on the invoice):

• UW Academy Workday-generated purchase orders are formatted as follows:
  • PO-0100001234
• UW Medicine Workday-generated purchase orders are formatted as follows (please note the addition of a letter indicating the issuing clinic):
  • Airlift Northwest: PO-A-0100001234
  • UW Medicine Primary Care: PO-C-0100001234
  • Harborview Medical Center: PO-H-0100001234
  • UW Physicians Network: PO-P-0100001234
  • UW Med Shared Services: PO-S-0100001234
  • UW Medical Center: PO-U-0100001234

Note: Contracts, Subawards or other Agreements may have other numbering formats and associated processes; please inquire with the sender or department contact if assistance is needed.

Invoicing Requirements

The University is committed to paying its suppliers in the most efficient fashion possible and according to the purchase order terms.

General Requirements: Please note the following to ensure compliance with UW, state and federal guidelines:

• UW Academy payment terms are Net 30; UW Medical Center and associated clinics may be different
• Payment in advance is prohibited except in limited situations; only bill UW for items shipped or services already provided
• Suppliers must bill separately for each UW purchase order (PO), and invoices referencing multiple purchase orders (PO) are not accepted
• Suppliers should submit an invoice to the University of Washington based on the instructions included on the purchase order
• Suppliers should provide complete and accurate information; using your company invoice, provide the following:
  • UW-issued purchase order (PO) number; 
    • The full PO number, including letters, numbers and dashes, is required (example: PO-0100001234); see Purchase Order Process above for additional details
  • Shipping address
  • Remit-to business name and address
  • Invoice number and date
  • UW customer contact (the person who placed the order)
  • Separate line item charges and brief description for each item, matching the Purchase Order
  • Sales tax when applicable
  • Clearly marked invoice dollar total

eInvoicing: To optimize our invoicing solutions, UW has subscribed to GHX eInvoicing effective 7/6/2023

• All invoices* for UW purchase orders should be emailed to uwashington@ghxinvoicing.com
  • Important: Portable Document Format (PDF) is the preferred document format to the above email address
  • Note: *This excludes some suppliers fully integrated with the GHX Exchange or have not yet been issued a purchase order

Tax: UW is not tax exempt, therefore tax must be included on all invoices unless the items ordered:

• Are indicated as being purchased for resale
• Are indicated as being purchased for use in doctor prescribed treatment of medical patients
• Are indicated as being delivered (shipped) directly to an out-of-state address
• Are otherwise specifically exempted from sales tax by the Revised Code of Washington

For more information, please consult the Tax Office website.

Maintaining Your Profile

Suppliers are expected to communicate with enterprise supplier administrators to keep their company data current. Suppliers who do not have business with UW for a period of two years are periodically set to an inactive status and will require new registrations to do business with UW again.

• Company changes, such as changes to Taxpayer ID Number and business name (including trade names or Doing Business As names) require the submission of a new Supplier Registration
• Changes to procurement/order emails or business addresses are easily communicated to Supplier Administrators. UW suppliers who are regularly paid by UW and have an address change or addition do not need to re-complete the Supplier Registration process. Suppliers should contact Supplier Administrators directly at VControl@uw.edu with a copy of their W-9 featuring their current EIN and explanation for the adjustment to addresses currently on file with UW
  • Please note: Individuals and Sole Proprietors using an SSN as their Taxpayer Identification Number should simply email supplier administrators to request address changes, and the UW team will verify the individual's identity; please do not send any correspondence including SSN via email
• UW does not store, maintain or otherwise have supplier banking information on file. Suppliers paid by Paymode-X should communicate any changes directly to Paymode-X through their account or by calling Paymode-X Customer Support at 877-443-6944

Supplier Diversity

UW Procurement Services is dedicated to ensuring the equality of business opportunities for small, minority and women-owned businesses. Please see our dedicated Supplier Diversity webpage for more information.

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