Reminder: Purchase Orders Are Required Before Confirming Orders

Accounts Payable has seen an increase in invoices submitted without a purchase order (PO). We want to remind the campus community that, in accordance with Policy 55.030 Purchasing, a purchase order must be created and approved prior to confirming an order with a supplier. Following purchasing procedures protects both the university and departments by:

• Ensuring required approvals are in place before purchases are made.
• Reducing delays in invoice processing and payment.
• Helping maintain accountability and compliance with university policies.
• Ensuring that required legal terms and conditions are in place.

Continuation of Orders or Services Across Fiscal Years

For ongoing orders or services with a supplier, departments often close a PO at fiscal year-end and open a new PO for the next fiscal year. In these cases, please remind your suppliers to update the PO number on their invoices to reflect the new PO. Ensuring the correct PO is listed on invoices helps prevent processing delays, ensures timely payment to suppliers, and proper costing (which means you won鈥檛 need to do a correcting journal entry later).

We appreciate your attention to these important requirements and your continued partnership in maintaining proper purchasing and costing practices.

Questions? Please contact Finance Customer Care at financecustomercare@ohio.edu