OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT VICE CHANCELLOR - BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES
PURCHASING DIVISION
March 13, 1997
KEY ADMINISTRATORS/KEY SUPPORT STAFF OFFICE MAIL DISTRIBUTION CONTACTS
Subject: Protection of University Purchasing Forms
As a service to our campus customers and to minimize risk of loss to UCSD, we want to remind you of the need to ensure that procedures for the proper use of IFIS purchasing forms are established and followed in your organization.
Recently UCSD was implicated in two instances where a false purchase requisition and low value purchase order were used by individuals in stealing items of significant value from local merchants. Departments are reminded to take special precaution to ensure the safekeeping of these forms and to have in place sufficient policies and procedures for their proper use and distribution. Your department's funds could be placed at risk if appropriate precautions are not taken.
The safest means to ensure responsible management of the procurement process is to utilize the IFIS Purchasing modules' automatic generation of purchase requisitions and low value purchase orders. This feature is supported by both character based and graphical IFIS and has been designed to provide departments with the ability to initiate purchase requisitions and low value purchase orders with a "next up number" generated within the security of the IFIS environment. When used correctly this design feature eliminates the need for preprinted purchasing forms.
A notice will be mailed to all suppliers in the San Diego community with information about UCSD's purchasing policies and procedures as an additional precaution to ensure the protection against such fraudulent actions. Department buyers and administrators may encounter suppliers who, after receiving this information, are more cognizant of our purchasing practices. We invite you to review a copy of this letter by visiting Purchasing's web site at http://www-bfs.ucsd.edu/pur/ "Vendor Guide to 
Doing Business with UCSD." The path to the Purchasing site from InfoPath is through the Administrative link, select Business Affairs, select Business and Financial Services which then links to Purchasing.
I encourage all business managers and departmental administrators to review the techniques used to generate procurement transactions to ensure that precautions are in place that minimize the risk of fraudulent actions by disreputable individuals. The expertise and assistance of the Purchasing staff in support of department efforts to review current processes and make suggestions or recommendations regarding procurement practices, is available on request. Should you have any questions or would like to set up a meeting with one of our staff, please call me at extension 43082, or cc:Mail lcollins@ucsd.edu.
Linda P. Collins
Purchasing Manager