Savannah State University
Institutional Support Unit
Self Study and Strategic Plan
Summary Worksheet 1: Basic Operations
Unit: Business Services – Purchasing Operations
Leader: Thelma Harris, Director of Business Services
Mission Statement: Provide assistance in acquiring materials, supplies, and services, in
accordance with the State of Georgia Purchasing Act.
Guiding Principles:
Procure materiel & services for primary clients to enable them to attend to the business of providing education to our students,
Timely acquisition of such materiel & services to minimize disruption of educational functions,
Acquire such quality and cost efficient materiel & services,
Service with professional courtesy and ethics,
Equal and fair treatment for all requisitions,
Equal and fair treatment for all vendors.
Primary Clients:
Faculty, Staff, and Students of Savannah State University
Vendors
Procedures Manual :
Institutional Purchasing Policies and Procedures
State of Georgia Purchasing Act
Board of Regents Policy Manual
Office desk manual/s.
Basic Performance Indicators:
Time efficiency – use current electronic purchasing tracking system (PTS) to gauge time cycle for requisitions.
2. Staff productivity – chart field purchase orders generated by each Buyer.
Cost efficiency – assign value to total manhours spent on each requisition
Customer satisfaction – initiate a survey on the following
Staff expertise
Service courtesy
Satisfaction of goods procured
Comments & suggestions re electronic PTS
Evaluation of total operation
University Initiative Responses:
By facilitating the needs of students, faculty, staff, and administrators, we are hopefully supporting strong education delivery to the students and provide an environment conducive to educational and social advancement.
Constraints & Limits:
Mandatory Sources imposed by the State sometimes limits choices; approving hierarchy can be too numerous; lack of planning on customer’s part.
Organizational Integration & Overlap:
Budget and Accounting Offices approval functions sometimes delays action on a request; non-prompt payment of invoices sometimes discourages good vendors from doing business with the institution.
Planning Objectives:
Minimize time elapsed from initiation of order to final receipt at the lowest possible cost without sacrificing quality and customer satisfaction.
Be proactive in the university community’s needs anticipating their requirements.
Continue to streamline operation through dialogue with various offices involved in the approving and paying process.
Action Steps, Tactics, or Operational Steps:
Action By Time Frame
Identify quick-responding vendor pool Buyers Spring 2000
Increase Small Value Authority Director Summer 2000
Aggressive buyer training Director Fall 2000
Annual university-wide training Director/Buyers Fall 2000
Additional computerization of purchasing Staff Fall 2000
Outcome Effectiveness Measures:
Computerized purchase request history will provide time elapsed; survey customers re effectiveness and changes; full utilization of budget allocations.
Organizational Implications:
Plans and tactics will interface with budget and accounting, and administrative hierarchy. The university-wide training on purchasing processes will be integrated with Human Resources’ new employee workshops.