Biomedical Engineering Senior Design
Purchasing References

If, as a part of your project you are using university funds to purchase any items, please be aware that you must follow university purchasing guidelines.

You are using university funds if the items purchased are paid for by the university or if you are reimbursed from the university for your purchase.  Either of these will be true if you are working on a project for someone in the university or if the sponsor is giving funds to the university which can be used to support senior design projects.

There are several key points

1. Items costing more than $5000 require special actions and prior approvals and may require bid processes which take time!.  Make no commitments in such cases without specific clearance from your sponsor and the instructor.
2. All items purchased, no matter how small or large the cost, must be obtained from firms who are qualified on the State of North Carolina Term Contract unless the item needed is not available from such firms.
   • The NCSU Purchasing Department provides the guidelines at its web site. Read the little bit of information on this page and select the term contract listing link to proceed with a search for sellers of the item you wish to purchase.  If you find one or more, then you are obligated to purchase from one of them.  If you do not find one, then you may shop around and purchase from anywhere the item is available.
3. In order to purchase through the university, you must first get a PO# from the university through the BME department   To do so, you must have the instructor's approval.  The procedure is as follows:
   • Complete the Purchase Order Form using a word processor.
   • Email the form to ajdimeo@ncsu.edu with subject line: "srdes: PO Purchase Request Team #" (# is your team number)
   • The instructor will review it and either approve it or reply with any questions.  If approved, the instructor will forward the message to the BME bookkeeping office (Rekha Balasubramanyam) who will issue a PO# by email to you and the instructor.
   • Take, fax, or email a copy of the attachment with the PO# entered in the blank provided to your vendor, adding the shipping address if the order is to be shipped to you rather than your picking it up {"Attn. Your Name, BME Sr Design; 3110 Faucette Drive; NC State University, DS Weaver Labs; Raleigh, NC 27606"}  Shipped items received are delivered to the shop, room 130, which is the BAE Research Shop at the end of the main hall and down the stairs.
   • When you receive your shipment, check it carefully, and if it is OK, mark the packing slip "received." Sign your name, team number, and date to the packing slip. Request that Lesley "Digital Sender" the packing slip and purchase order form to Rekha and copy to the Instructor. Keep the originals in your DHF with your Expense Report.
4. If your vendor will not accept a university PO#, or if some other reason you wish to purchase the item(s) personally and be reimbursed, please be aware that you cannot be reimbursed for NC Sales Tax as the university is exempt from paying sales tax.  You may, however, provide the vendor with a copy of the sales tax notification letter for the university, which includes the exemption number which the vendor must be given and request that because the item is for a university project no tax be charged.  The approval and reimbursement process is as follows:
   • In the body of an email message, prepare a list of the items you wish to purchase, the total cost, and name of the vendor (outfit from which you intend to make the purchase.)
   • Email it to ajdimeo@ncsu.edu with subject line: "srdes: Purchase Request Team #" (# is your team number)
   • The instructor will review it and either approve it or reply with any questions.  If approved, you may proceed with purchase.
   • Save your receipt.  When you wish to request reimbursement (it is preferred that you accumulate at least $25 at a time), sign the receipt and print team number, your name, and mailing address on the receipt.  (Tape it to a piece of paper if necessary).
   • Complete a reimbursement form and submit it to your instructor who will, upon approval, send it to Rekha Balasubramanyam, Box 7115, 2147 Burlington Labs, NCSU Campus, who will process your reimbursement. You will be emailed a copy that you should keep in your DHF with your expense report.
5. Each team is required to maintain an Expense Report for all of your purchases and expenses. This excel spreadsheet contains notes to help you properly maintain the form. An updated copy of the Expense Report shall be kept in your Design History File at each Phase Review (starting in Phase 1). Expense reports are an uncontrolled deliverable. Follow standard file name convention for each revision, but no signature sheet, record of revision sheet, or change requests are required for Expense Reports.

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