Procurement

Roles + Responsibilities

Multiple roles—from the requestor to central approvers such as Environmental Health and Safety—are involved in the procurement process at MSU and are required to follow MBP Section 270. Understanding the responsibilities of each role sets the stage for a successful purchase.

Two hands reach across a conference table littered with paperwork and charts to shake.

Requesting unit

Purchase needs are identified by the subject matter expert, who has specific and relevant knowledge to determine specifications and requirements. The subject matter expert may also be the employee that submits the purchase requisition (PR), known as the requestor.

Once submitted by the requestor, the PR automatically routes to all fiscal officers associated with the account(s) used. The fiscal officer (FO) is responsible for reviewing the PR for accuracy and budgetary purposes and making necessary adjustments.

Following FO approval, the PR routes to Procurement as a draft purchase order (PO). Procurement buyers have purchasing-related signature authority delegated by the MSU president.

Public procurement regulations may require and, given the supplier landscape, Procurement may also elect to initiate an RFx event to seek information, quotes, or proposals from multiple suppliers to achieve a fair and reasonable price for MSU. Throughout the RFx event, the buyer will act as the single point of contact for all supplier communications.

Central approvers

Specialized purchases require additional review and approval from centralized units, such as the Office of General Counsel (OGC), Contract and Grant Administration (CGA), Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), and MSU IT.

Decision authority

The ability to determine what good or service should be purchased and from which supplier is known as decision authority. This is a joint and balanced responsibility between the business (Procurement and central approvers) and technical (requesting department) sides.