Purchasing guidance tool

Q1. Is the item in a catalogue?

Q2 Is the item/service listed on the buying guide?

Q3. Is it an ad-hoc/one-off purchase for a small amount?

Q4. Do you/someone in your team have a P-card?

Guidance note: Purchasing cards are a straightforward way to make low value, one off purchases without raising a purchase order. When buying something, the card works just like a personal debit/credit card and provides a quick and easy way to make a payment. 

Q5. Is it regular contracted payment for the same amount?

Guidance note: A 'regular contracted payment' means payments made at regular intervals (e.g. every month) for the same amount (e.g. £10) under a contract (i.e. there is an agreed contract with this supplier). Examples of a regular contracted payment include; renting a building.

Q6. Are you raising a value order?

Guidance note: A value order is an order with one supplier, you set the amount you expect to pay with the supplier e.g. £20k and a supplier can then raise invoices against the Purchase Order (PO) number. A value order has no restriction on the number of invoices raised but an invoice will be rejected if it brings the total value against the PO to more than the set value. Typically value orders are used for services rather than goods, for example you would raise a value order for £100k of consultancy services which may be billed in multiple invoices (e.g. £25k, £20k,£5k,£50k).