Standing purchase orders are used to facilitate frequently recurring charges to the same vendor over a specified period of time. It allows the requester to order a particular commodity or service multiple times directly from a provider without having to generate a separate purchase order in each instance.
Standing purchase orders are submitted through buysite.uchicago.edu. Since standing orders are issued for a limited term of one year or less, both the beginning and end dates should be specified. Standing purchase order charges can be applied to multiple accounts (including subaccounts). Changes in account numbers should be done through a ServiceNow request. At the end of the term, a request to renew can be submitted if needed.
Some vendors maintain minimum order size and frequency requirements for standing orders in their contacts.
For a list of vendors with University contracts, consult the University’s preferred supplier contract lists.
Fed-Ex is an exceptional case. Changes to the order and cancellations should be addressed to Purchasing and Payment Services and not to Fed-Ex.