Purchase Order Approval Criteria

The following is the criteria that the Sourcing Managers in Purchasing Services use to final approve purchases orders that are equal to or greater than $5,000.

Sole Source	Sole source for this equipment, supplies or services.
Compatibility	Only item that is compatible with existing items.
Specifications	Only source that can meet unique specifications.
Acceptability	Only source acceptable to the ordering department. All other sources considered inferior.
Contract	Purchased from a University preferred contract and/or Penn Marketplace participating supplier.
Delivery	Only source that can meet the delivery requirements.
Limited Resources	Only known source that can be found for this particular item.
Previously Bid	Formal bidding was completed for this requirement within the past 12 months. Supplier selected was identified as the low bidder in this process.
Quality	Ordering department has determined that this supplier can provide highest quality service based on specific business requirements.
Fair Trade	Prices for the item(s) will be the same from all sources. Bidding would be inconsequential.
Limited Availability	Bid(s) attached are the only quotes available, other potential sources declined to bid.
Pre-Commitment	Selection of and commitment to the supplier was made by the ordering department prior to Purchasing Services involvement.
Architectural & Engineering Services	Office of Facilities Services is responsible for all A & E service requirements. Bids are not required.
Subcontract	Office of Research Services is responsible for subcontracts. Bids are not required.
Bid Waiver	The ordering department has submitted an acceptable request to waive the competitive bidding process based on specific business requirements.
Construction Management	A Construction Management contract is in place with the contractor.
Low Bidder	The low bid supplier has been accepted and documentation is on file.
Change Order	A request to change or modify an existing purchase order based on specific business requirements.
Professional Services	The ordering department has provided an acceptable business justification based on specific business requirements for this supplier of professional services.