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Supply Chain

Before Making A Purchase For UAMS

Every purchase is unique and comes with its own set of tasks that lead to buying and receiving a good/service.  

The following factors determine what the purchasing process will look like for a purchase: 

  1. Specialized committee approvals 
  2. Competing contracts 
  3. Competitive Bid Quote requirements for purchases $20,000.01 – $75,000 
  4. Sealed Bid/Proposal requirements for purchases over $75,000 
  5. Expense Contracts 

Many purchases will need to satisfy the requirements for more than one of the processes above. 

Before making a purchase for UAMS, review the information on this help page. 

1. Specialized Committee Approvals 

Some items require unique review and approval before a purchase can be initiated.  

Approval documentation must be attached in the Requisition for the purchase item. 

Purchase Item Approval Entity 
New or replacement medical equipment Medical Equipment Management Committee (MEMC), Clinical Engineering/Integrated Clinical Enterprises  
New or replacement clinical disposable supplies (“disposables”)  Value Analysis Team (VAT), Supply Chain 
Capital equipment Assistant Vice Chancellor for Core Administration  
Capital projects Capital Budget Committee  
IT equipment IT Services (IT purchases are initiated in ServiceNow)   

BEFORE CREATING A REQUISITION, ASK YOURSELF: Do I need approval from a specialized committee? Do I have the approval documentation? 

2. Competing Contracts 

One of the most important ways UAMS realizes cost savings is by strategically using existing contracts/price agreements to the maximum extent possible.  

If a good/service is available through utilization of a current contract, including items available on the item master catalog and punchout supplier catalogs, it may not be purchased from any other source. 

Read about utilizing current contracts on the Help Page – Utilizing Current Contracts and Agreements. 

BEFORE CREATING A REQUISITION, ASK YOURSELF: Does this purchase compete with a current contract? Have I checked if a current contract can be utilized? 

3. Competitive Bid Quote Requirements For Purchases $20,000.01 – $75,000 

Purchases in this price range require proof of competitive pricing by completing a Competitive Bid Quote.  

Read about the Competitive Bid Quote process and requirements on the Help Page – Competitive Bid Quote, Purchases $20,000.01 – $75,000. 

BEFORE CREATING A REQUISITION, ASK YOURSELF: Did I complete the Competitive Bid Quote requirements? 

4. Sealed Bid/Proposal Requirements For Purchases Greater Than $75,000 

Purchases greater than $75,000 may need to go through a sealed bid or sealed proposal method of source selection, commonly referred to as “going to bid.” 

Sealed bid/proposal is a process by which offers are received from multiple vendors and the offers are compared to determine which vendor is best suited to purchase the good/service from. 

Read about the sealed bid/proposal processes and requirements on the Help Page – Sealed Bid/Proposal, Purchases Over $75,000. 

BEFORE CREATING A REQUISITION, ASK YOURSELF: Does this purchase have to go up for bid? 

5. Expense Contracts

An expense contract1 is a contract describing an exchange wherein UAMS pays a supplier to receive goods or services.

There are four contract characteristics that automatically require for the contract to be submitted in Ntracts, a contract processing platform that UAMS uses to review and sign (i.e., execute) contracts.

Ntracts Submission Criteria:

Expense Contracts1 need to be submitted in Ntracts if they cover:

  • Leases
  • Service agreements
  • Software
  • Cost ≥ $25,000 AND term >1 year

If one or more of the submission criteria applies to an expense contract, the contract must be fully executed in Ntracts before the Requestor can submit a Requisition.

Refer to the Contract Services – Expense Contract Reference Guide for instructions on tasks necessary to submit an expense contract in Ntracts. 

1Per UAMS Admin Guide 3.1.52 and 5.1.01, Contract shall mean any agreement that intends to bind or obligate UAMS or any of its departments or divisions regardless of the name of the document or agreement. For example, Contracts include memorandum of understanding, letter of intent, lease, license, quote, purchase order, term sheet, or any other form of agreement or commitment.

BEFORE CREATING A REQUISITION, ASK YOURSELF: Does this purchase include an expense contract that needs to be submitted in Ntracts?