Procurement matters

Stay informed on recent changes to the Procurement Policy, approvals for purchases, how to raise mandatory purchase orders and related Knowledge Base articles.

Before procuring work-related goods or services, staff are expected to consult and follow ACU’s Procurement Policy to understand what steps you will need to follow. This includes the Delegation of Authority level of approval requirements for the intended purchase.

The Procurement Policy informs staff about procedures and legalities relevant to procuring goods and services. The policy applies to anyone involved in the ordering of or payment for any goods and services supplied to the university. Those staff should ensure they have read and adhered to the policy requirements, in particular Clause 8.2 Commitment Levels and required actions.

ACU’s procurement processes facilitate benefits for the university in terms of economic advantages, quality compliance and assurance, and other strategic factors, some of which include:

• thorough formalised vetting of the best-value providers
• product quality and service performance requirements are compatible and compliant with existing ACU systems
• maintaining a superior level of legal compliance and risk mitigation
• meeting the demands of probity in ensuring open, transparent and fair competition
• maximised strategic relationships and discounts such as the University Procurement Hub or access to government rates
• facilitating forecasting, analysis, tracking and overall purchasing patterns to inform future improvement initiatives
• honouring ACU’s established preferred supplier arrangements
• protecting the university and its suppliers against fraudulent purchasing activity.

Mandatory Purchase Orders

In line with recent policy changes, all purchases regardless of size, now require a Purchase Order (PO) to be generated for timely processing and payment. Invoices issued prior to PO creation are unable to be processed and paid.

How do I obtain purchasing approvals?
Where can I find the Procure to Pay (P2P) instructions and training videos?
What is the University Procurement Hub (UPH)?

Knowledge Base articles

For FAQs and other general information about various aspects of Procurement and Purchasing at ACU, you can visit the Procurement section under Finance in the Service Central Knowledge Base or make contact with Procurement via ACU.procurement@acu.edu.au.