CNI PURCHASING
GENERAL PURCHASING REQUIREMENTS
All purchase requests must be made through Quartzy. If you do not have access to your lab in Quartzy, please email cnipurchasing@columbia.edu to request access for both Quartzy and Notifii (our package pickup system).
If you have not made purchase requests in Quartzy before, you can access our Quartzy Training here
If you have multiple items from the same vendor, please add them as one request in Quartzy (do not put each item as a separate request)
When on a vendors website, add all items to your cart and then save as a PDF and upload to Quartzy
All purchase requests in Quartzy require the following:
Business Purpose: Why are we making this purchase? (ex. Leveler for stacking transfer station calibration)
An item description is not a business purpose
Link to requested item or attached quote
Chartstring: This is the project # associated with the project for which the item is being purchased
PI Approval
For purchases over $2501, please see the Purchase Order section below for additional requirements
SMALL PURCHASES (UNDER $2500)
The Columbia University purchasing guidelines request that certain items are purchased from specific vendors. Below is a list of the preferred vendors with direct links to their website:
General Office Supplies (markers, batteries, paper towels, etc.): Staples
PPE: Fisher Scientific
Other Preferred Vendors (for various lab supplies): Thorlabs, DigiKey, McMaster Carr, Ted Pella, Grainger, QSI Quartz, MTI Corp, Ideal Vac, Kurt Lesker, Sigma Aldrich, MKS Newport, Newark Electronics, NOVA Wafers, Global Industrial, Mouser Electronics
**Always make sure to check the preferred vendors list for your purchase requests. If your item is not available from one of the preferred vendors, then a different vendor can be used.
Vendors who do not accept payment by credit card must be registered with Columbia University’s Vendor Management
Note that purchases from vendors that are not registered with Vendor Management will require additional processing times
You can check if your vendor is setup with the university at the following link:
LARGE PURCHASES (OVER $2500)
*For orders $10,000 - $249,999: If a Competitive Quote is not attainable, a Single Source Justification Form, along with two Redacted Quotes/Invoices, must be provided
**Certain vendors who have a University Wide Purchase Agreement do not require a competitive bid
All purchase requests valued over $2500 require a Purchase Order
All vendors must be registered with Columbia University’s Vendor Management
Purchases from vendors that are not registered with Vendor Management will require additional processing times
You can check if your vendor is setup with the university at the following link:
https://forms.finance.columbia.edu/vendor-request
New vendors must provide a W9 (or W-8BEN if the vendor is from overseas)
Laser Equipment, regardless of order value, require a completed Laser Registration Form
Onsite Warranty/Repair/Evaluation work of any value requires a PO & Certificate of Insurance
All Design/Consulting/Editing Work irrelevant of Dollar Amount Requires a PO
Any item $5000+ is classified as Capital Assets and requires the building/room number where the item will reside
All quotes from vendors should have the following:
General Info: Vendor’s Name, Address, Phone Number, Email & 30 Day Validity
Order Specific Info: Item Number, Item Description, Quantity, Price in US Dollar & Estimated Freight Charge (unless freight is free of charge)
PACKAGE PICKUP
For the health and safety of all members of the Columbia community, CNI is currently limiting package pick-up to appointment only. Appointment slots are available every 15 minutes between the hours of 11:30 AM and 3:15 PM.
Please click here to schedule a pick-up, and be sure to follow the guidelines below:
You will only be able to pick up if you have made an appointment. You can have someone else pick up for you but you must list their name in the appointment slot.
PRINT OUT and bring your email notification with you (or the person picking up the item(s) for you). You will not be able to pick up your package without it.
Face masks will be required for all package pickup.
Maintain a minimum 6 foot distance between other personnel.
Bring your own equipment for moving packages.
Packages will be left at appointed time by the door.
CNI staff will sign out the packages in Notifii once they have been picked up.
Please contact us via email at cise@columbia.edu if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you.
ADDITIONAL FORMS
Please remember that orders submitted through the Purchasing office are not forwarded to the company the same day you hand it in. Purchasing assigns a purchase order number within 5-7 business days. However, depending on the complexity of the order, it could take longer.
For more information, please direct your questions to: cnipurchasing@columbia.edu.