Use of SLAC IMPAC Purchase Authorization Cards to Purchase Computer Equipment
		07 April 1999
	SLAC	NT Home	Policies and Guidelines

The following policy is being transmitted for the Associate Directors' Committee on Computing (ADCC). This policy becomes effective immediately and will be included in the Procedures for Use of the SLAC Purchase Card when next revised.

Computing systems and peripherals, with unit costs below the maximum for Purchase Authorization Card purchases, form a significant and increasing fraction of SLAC's purchases of computer equipment. A coherent strategy in these purchases will optimize SLAC's ability to provide support for these systems in terms of networking, systems software, applications software and hardware maintenance. The implementation of a coherent strategy requires:

1. equipment purchases to be recorded in the SLAC property database;
2. consideration, when choosing equipment, of the extent to which it can be supported efficiently by SCS and divisional desktop support teams.

Computing equipment with a unit cost of $ 1,000 or more may be purchased with a SLAC Purchase Authorization Card only if either:

1. a Blanket Purchase Order is currently open for this equipment, or
2. the purchaser has obtained the approval of the appropriate desktop support team

In either of these two cases, SCS and divisional support teams will be prepared to provide support for the equipment, including connection to the SLAC network .

Most computing equipment purchased with the Purchase Authorization Card falls under the category of sensitive property (items that are easily carried off, have high appeal for personal use, or are easily sold for cash and thus more subject to theft). Therefore, it must be recorded in the property database and assigned a Property Control Number (PCN). SCS will use the PCN to identify equipment in requests for support. Purchase Authorization Cardholders are responsible for notifying Property Control at x2231 when sensitive computing equipment has been received. Property Control will attach a PCN to the equipment and update the property database. Property Control will need a copy of the purchase receipt to establish the cost of the item.

To facilitate obtaining warranty repairs on equipment bought with a purchase card, it is the Cardholders responsibility to forward the warranty information and purchase receipt to the SCS Help Desk. The Help Desk will retain them for their effective period.

1. The existence of a blanket order implies technical approval of the equipment. The vendor may or may not offer the blanket order prices and conditions for credit card purchases. For equipment and recommended configurations (e.g. NT PCs) for which SCS offers ordering and installation support see http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/winnt/recommended-hardware.htm. It is strongly recommended that this support be used.
2. A listing of SCS and divisional support staff can be found on the WEB at http://www.slac.stanford.edu/comp/desktop/sysadmin.html.

Gail Gudahl
Stanford University
SLAC Purchasing Dept
PH: 650.926.2616
FX: 650.926.2000
EMAIL: GUDAHL@SLAC.Stanford.EDU