The ordering of laboratory supplies is done through the departmental buyer, in Clark 105. The general procedure for this is to fill out The University of Virginia Department of Environmental Sciences Purchasing Authorization form. This is the order form. A number of important points must be noted for ordering and filling out this form. Generally, supplies must be ordered at least one week before needed. In order for supplies to arrive with less notice, Federal Express must be used, and because of the substantial price increase associated with FedEx, this should only be done in emergencies. The buyer will try to accommodate rare emergencies, but they should not happen often.

The order form is available in Room 105, in the black plastic containers to the right upon entering the office. As stated on the form, the items in CAPITAL letters must be filled out. It is very important to write a specific date in the DATE NEEDED blank. DO NOT write something like "ASAP." Either write a specific date, or "Regular," indicating that it is a regular order which will take about one week to arrive. Teaching assistants should also write "Teaching" somewhere on the form, as well as the class which the order is for. The class number is very important for the department in order to keep track of each class's expenditures. An account number is not necessary, the buyer will know what that is if the class number and Teaching is indicated.

The description of the items needed must also be specific. An item number should be looked up in the catalogs in the office and written in the ITEM blank, along with a description. The QUANTITY and UNIT/SIZE items are very important. Some supplies comes in cases, thus only indicating QUAN. "1" could mean "one," or "one case." Thus, if the item comes in a case, this should be indicated in the UNIT/SIZE blank. The price must also be indicated in the appropriate blank. The order form must be signed, and the name must be printed as well. If the name is not printed, and the buyer cannot read the signature, he/she will not know whom to notify when the order arrives. To further simplify this, it would be very useful to not only write the daytime phone number, but also the e-mail address. E-mail is the easiest and most convenient method for notification. The completed order forms should be returned to the black container in the office.

For a sample order form, click here.

Last Modified: 9/24/96