Creating a Purchase Requisition

This article covers how authorized Requesters can create a new purchase requisition in CFS.

1. Log in to CFS from Titan Online on the campus portal.

2. Click on the CFS End User navigation tile.

If you have added Add/Update Requisitions as a navigation tile to your personal CFS homepage, you can just click on the tile on your homepage. You can view instructions on adding a navigation tile for more information.

CFS homepage
  1. Click on the CFS End User tile.
  2. Or you click on the NavBar icon to navigate to NavBar > Navigator > Purchasing > Requisitions > Add/Update Requisitions.

3. Select Requisition & Purchase Order and then click Add/Update Requisitions.

CFS End User Menu

4. To create a new requisition, click the Add button.

Do not change the Requisition ID from NEXT.

Add a new value

Requisition Header

The Requisition Header information will be automatically populated. View the table below to see definitions for each field and whether entry is required or optional.

Requisition header
Field Definitions
Field What do I need to enter?
Business Unit
No entry required. The default Business Unit for CSUF is FLCMP.
Requisition ID
No entry required. The Requisition ID number automatically assigned when the requisition is saved.
Requisition Name
Entry recommended but not required. You may enter a name for your requisition to help you identify it later. If you do not enter a Requisition Name, the system will set the Requisition ID as the Requisition Name once you save the requisition.
Status
No entry required. May be Approved, Complete, Denied, Initial, Line Approved, Open, Pending Approval, Preview, or Cancelled. Initially the status defaults to Open.
Budget Status
No entry required.  Defaults initially to Not Chk’d.  When a requisition is Budget Checked it creates a Pre-Encumbrance.
Requester
No entry required.  Defaults to the CFS ID/Name of the person creating the requisition.
Requisition Date
No entry required. Defaults to the date the requisition was created and saved.
Origin
No entry required. Origin defaults to ONL.
Currency Code
No entry required. Currency Code defaults to USD (US Dollar). If the purchase needs to be made using a different currency, Contracts & Procurement will make the adjustment on the purchase order.
Accounting Date
No entry required. Accounting Date defaults to the date the requisition was created and saved.

Requisition Defaults (Optional)

Requisition Defaults is an optional feature that automatically populates each line of your requisition with the information entered on the Requisition Defaults screen. This saves you time on data entry by decreasing the number of fields you have to enter. For example, if you enter the vendor you want to use on Requisition Defaults screen, you will not need to re-enter it on each line of your requisition.

The information you enter on the Requisition Defaults page will be used on ALL lines, schedules, and distributions (where appropriate) on the requisition.  By entering values on this page, you minimize data entry when creating a new requisition.

The purpose of Requisition Defaults is to minimize the amount of data entry you have to do, but you are able to manually modify any fields that have been automatically populated by Requisition Defaults.

View information Requisition Defaults

1. Click Requisition Defaults to view or modify the settings.

Requisition header

2. Review the Requisition Defaults and make modifications as needed.

Requisition Defaults

View the table below to find out more about each field and what to fill out.

Commonly used fields:

  • Supplier
  • Category
  • Unit of Measure
  • Ship To
  • Due Date
  • Attention To
  • Distributions/Chartfields

What is a blanket or open purchase order?

A blanket or open purchase order is created when you want to make multiple purchases of the same item/service from the same vendor throughout the fiscal year. All open purchase orders have a quantity of 1 and a unit of measure of LOT. The Amount is the total amount you want to spend on the item/service for the fiscal year.

For example, the Chemistry department may want to replenish their supply of chemicals from the same vendor several times during the fiscal year. They don't know exactly how much of each chemical they will need, so they will allocate a specific amount to be spent on each chemical (e.g., $10,000 on hydrochloric acid). The vendor will then submit invoices for each purchase (e.g., $500 for fifteen 32oz bottles) and the amount of each invoice will be deducted from the allocated amount (e.g., $10,000 - $500 = $9,500 left to spend).

Not sure which Category to choose? View a list of Common Category Codes. Keep in mind that if you select the wrong Category, the Buyer can correct it for you.

Field Definitions
Field
Description
Default Options
  • Default: Select this option to use the values that default from the system. You may still fill in any blank field.
  • Override: Select this option to use the values you specify on this page to override the system defined defaults.  You may change any value that defaults on this page by using this option.
Supplier
The vendor that you want to use for this purchase requisition. If the supplier exists, use the magnifying glass icon to locate and select the supplier from the list.
Category
The type of purchase being made. If you are purchasing a variety of items, you can choose a Category for one of the items on Requisition Defaults and then manually change the Category for the other items when you enter the Line information.
Unit of Measure
Enter the unit of measure: either EA (each) for item orders or LOT for services and blanket orders.
Ship To
The Ship To address where the requisition items are to be sent defaults from the Requester. To change the delivery address, use the magnifying glass icon to locate and select the appropriate value. If the value you want does not appear, use the Header Comments to indicate the delivery address.
Due Date
The Due Date is used by the system to indicate when an item is needed by. If the items are needed by a specific date, enter that date here.
Attention To
The Attention To field specifies to whose attention this order should be sent. By default this is set to the Requester’s name but it can be modified.
Distribution
Default Distribution ChartField values are defined for each Requester and are displayed here. They may be changed as necessary to reflect where the charges for the requisition should be billed. Required fields include Account, Fund, and Dept. Optional fields include Program, Class, and Project.

3. Click OK when you have made all of the modifications that you wish to appear on all lines of your requisition.

Requisition Defaults save

The requisition Header Comments page is used to provide additional information to the Buyer or the Supplier. This is also where you will enter the vendor information if you are unable to find their Supplier ID or if they are a new vendor to CSUF.

Types of information commonly provided include:

  • Special Instructions (i.e. Rush Order Information)
  • New Supplier Information
    • Supplier Name
    • Supplier Street Address, City, State, Zip
    • Phone Number
    • Identify if Vendor 204 Form has been sent to supplier
    • Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) if known*
  • Existing Supplier Information (if cannot locate supplier ID)
    • Supplier Name
    • Supplier Street Address, City, State, Zip
    • Phone Number
    • Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) if known*
  • Name, contact phone number, and email address for person(s) requesting this purchase (if other than Requester)
  • Specific location for the delivery of items in the order
  • Freight, shipping, and handling amounts
  • IT Authorization Number for IT-related purchases
  • Additional details about one or more line items (i.e., if you need more space to describe your purchase than is provided in the Description field, you can add a comment to provide the additional details)
  • Provide Procurement with additional required information

*Do not include if the TIN is a person's Social Security Number.

View information on Adding/Editing Header Comments

1. Select Add Comments to add comments to your requisition.

Requisition Header

2. Enter the information you want to add.

Header Comments
  1. Enter the comment text. Be as detailed as possible.
  2. Click on the plus icon to add additional comments if you have multiple, unrelated comments. For example, the comment with the supplier information is for Procurement's use; if you also have a comment about the delivery address, you should add it as a separate comment.

3. Click OK when you have finished adding your comments.

Header Comments complete

4. You can click Edit Comments to return to the comments to modify them at any time.

Edit Comments link

Add an Attachment (Recommended)

The requisition Header Comments page is also where documents are attached for use as a reference or for use by the Procurement Department.  

Types of commonly provided information include:

  • Supplier/Vendor quotes
  • Order attachments
  • Additional approval signatures
  • IT Authorization email
  • Other required documentation

You can only attach one file to your requisition.

View information on adding an attachment

1. Click Add Comments to add an attachment.

If you have already added comments to this requisition, you may see Edit Comments instead of Add Comments.

Requisition Header

2. Click Attach.

Header Comments

3. Click Choose File.

File Attachment

4. Locate the file that you want to attach on your computer. Click on it to select it and then click Open.

The preferred file type to attach is Adobe Acrobat PDF. If your file is in a different format such as Microsoft Word or Excel, save it as a PDF before attaching it to ensure that it can be opened by Procurement.

Select file on computer
  1. Navigate to the location on your computer where the file you want to attach is located.
  2. Click once on the file you want to attach to select it.
  3. Click Open.

If you have multiple PDFs that need to be attached, you have several options:

  1. Print out each PDF document and then use your department's copier to scan all of the documents into a single PDF.
  2. Add all of the PDF documents to a .zip archive and attach the .zip archive. (Windows instructions for adding files to a zip archive || Mac instructions for adding files to a zip archive)
  3. Use Adobe Acrobat Pro/DC to combine all of the PDF documents into a single PDF.

5. Click Upload.

File Attachment

6. It may take a moment for your file to upload. Once it does, you will see it appear next to Attachment. You can click View to view your attachment or Delete to remove it.

Associated Document

7. Click OK to return to the main page of the requisition.

Associated Document save

Requisition Line Details

Complete each requisition line (including line information, schedule information, and distribution information) before adding another line. As long as the requisition status remains open, you can make changes to any field you have entered.

Did you enter Requisition Defaults? Fill out the Description and Quantity fields and then press the Refresh button at the bottom left of the screen. Your defaults will then be populated.

1. Complete the following fields: Description, Quantity, UOM, Category, Price, and Due Date.

Are you seeing additional fields and tabs not shown in the screenshot above such as Item ID? Follow these instructions to remove these unused fields from your view. You will need to navigate away from this page, so you may need to re-enter the information on your requisition.

Line Details

Not sure which Category to choose? View a list of Common Category Codes. Keep in mind that if you select the wrong Category, the Buyer can correct it for you.

Each Category is associated with an Account code. CFS may change the Account code to match the one that goes with the Category you select. However, you can manually change the Account code on the Distribution screen.

Field Definitions
Field What do I need to enter?
Description Entry required. A brief description of the line item. The character limit for this field is 256 characters.
Quantity Entry required. The quantity you are requesting for each line item.
UOM Entry required. The unit of measure for the line item. For service and blanket/open purchase orders, enter LOT. For commodity/item orders, enter EA (each).
Category Entry required. Use the magnifying glass to locate and select the appropriate Category code. 
Price Entry required. The price per unit.
Merchandise Amount No entry required. This field multiplies the quantity field and the price field to calculate the total value of the line.
Supplier Optional entry. Enter the Supplier ID number or use the magnifying glass to look up an existing supplier ID. If you cannot find the supplier/vendor you want to use, enter the supplier's information in the Header Comments. 
Supplier Name No entry required. The Supplier Name associated with the Supplier ID entered will populate in this field.
Due Date Optional entry. Select the date when you need the line item.

Modify the Chartfields for the Line Item

For each line item, you will need to view the Distribution screen to verify or modify the chartfields that will be charged for the line item.

1. Click on the Schedule icon at the far right of the Requisition Line.

Access schedule info

2. Click on the Distribution icon next to the left of the Status column,

If you wish to modify the Ship To or Attention To fields, you can do so on the Schedule page. It is not recommended that you modify the Quantity, Price, or Due Date on the Schedule page; you should modify those fields on the main Requisition entry screen.

Schedule screen

3. Verify that the chartfields on this screen are correct for this purchase and modify the fields as needed.

Note that you may see additional fields other than the ones in the screenshot below. Only the fields shown in the screenshot below are used at CSUF. If you wish to hide the unused fields, you can click on the grid icon at the top left of the Distributions box, select Personalize, and then select the fields you want to hide.

Distribution screen

Rules that CFS enforces:

  • Must be a valid Account, Fund, Dept, Program, Class, or Project code
  • Fund/Dept combination (not all fund codes are available for each department)
  • Account/Fund combination (some fund codes restrict which account codes can be used with them)

Rules that CFS does NOT enforce, but CSUF does:

  • Delegation of Authority for Department ID
    • CFS will only check that you have entered a valid department ID; it will not check whether your approver has delegation of authority for the department ID.
    • CSUF runs a process on all approved purchase requisitions to check that the approver has delegation of authority for all department IDs used on the purchase requisition. If not, the requisition will be put on hold and you and your approver will be notified. The requisition will NOT be processed until the necessary corrections are made.

Be sure you know the department ID(s) for which your approver(s) have delegation of authority. If an approver approves a requisition for a department for which they do NOT have delegation of authority, the only solution will be to cancel the requisition, re-create it, and then have the correct approver approve it.

Split the Costs Between Two or More Chartfields

The process for splitting the costs between two or more chartfields is the same. However, you have to first choose if you want to split by quantity (which is the default) or by amount.

Split by quantity example: You are purchasing 10 laptops. One chartfield will cover the cost of 5 laptops and a second chartfield will cover the cost of the other 5 laptops.

Split by amount example: You are purchasing 10 laptops. One chartfield will cover 75% of the cost of the 10 laptops and a second chartfield will cover the remaining 25%. Or one chartfield will contribute $500 towards the cost of the 10 laptops and the second chartfield will cover the remaining cost.

View information on how to split costs
1. Choose the type of split you want to use: Quantity or Amount.

If you choose to change this later, you may have to delete any additional rows you have already filled out. It's recommended that you make this selection BEFORE adding any rows.

Type of split

Be sure that BOTH the Distribute By and Liquidate By fields match.

2. Verify the first chartfield you want to use and modify the fields as needed.
verify distribution
3. Click the plus sign icon at the far right of the screen.

You can use the minus sign icon to remove rows.

add row
4. Choose the number of rows you want to add. This will be the number of different chartfields that you wish to split between. Then click OK.
number of rows to add
  1. Enter the number of rows to add. E.g., if you want to split between 3 different chartfields, enter 2 to add two additional rows.
  2. Then click OK.
5. Enter the Percent and Merchandise Amount (Split by Amount) or Quantity (Split by Quantity). Then modify the chartfields as necessary.
Split by Amount example

Continue adding rows and modifying chartfields until the way the costs should be split is correct.

4. Once you have verified that the information on the Distribution screen is correct, click OK.

Distribution screen

5. Click Return to Main Page to go back to the main Requisition Entry screen.

You can click the Save button to save your requisition on this screen if you wish. You'll also be able to save your requisition on the main Requisition Entry screen.

schedule page

2. Click Save at the bottom left of the screen to save your requisition.

In order to save a requisition, you must have filled out all of the line details.

save requisition

3. A Requisition ID has been assigned and the requisition is saved.

You can still modify any field on the requisition after you have saved it.

Requisition ID

Adding Additional Line Items

1. Click the plus sign icon at the end of the Line Details to add additional line items.

add line items

2. Enter the number of line item rows you want to add and click OK.

add line item rows

Remember that you can't save your requisition until ALL blank rows are populated. It's recommended that you add just one row at a time: add one row, fill out the line item information, click Save, and then add another row.

This way, if you are interrupted while filling out the requisition, you will only lose the one line item row you were working on if you are timed out after 20 minutes of inactivity.

3. You can now proceed with filling in the line item information.

Remember you still need to go to the Distribution screen to verify the chartfields for this line item!

second line item

5. Once you have completed all line item rows and added any comments/attachments, click Save to make sure all of your changes are saved.

save requisition

Next Steps

Are you ready to send this requisition for approval? View instructions on how to send a requisition for approval.

Not ready to send for approval yet? You can simply sign out of CFS if you are done. You can return and find your requisition to continue working on it later.

Need More Help?

Technical issue with CFS? Contact the IT Help Desk at [email protected] or 657-278-7777.

Questions about how to do something in CFS? Contact IT Training at [email protected] or 657-278-5647.

Questions about procurement policies or status of a requisition/purchase order? Contact Procurement at [email protected].

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