The Requisitioning Process

Requisitioning is the formal request for a purchase to be made. It is the first step after the need for goods or services is recognized. The user department’s purchase requisition authorizes the purchasing department to enter into a contract with a vendor to purchase goods or services.¹The purpose of the requisition is to inform the purchasing department of the department’s needs, and to correctly identify the item(s) or services required.²In most counties that have a centralized finance/purchasing system, a pre-printed purchasing requisition form is used to convey the purchase request to the purchasing department. 

The purchase requisition should contain accurate and complete information describing the goods or services needed for the on-going operations of the user department. The purchase requisition should fully describe to the purchasing department what to buy, when it is required, and where the goods are to be delivered or the services are to be performed.³Many pre-printed purchase requisition forms have an area where the user department can enter a budget account line item number to utilize for their requested purchase. This allows the purchasing department to check for available budget fund balances before making the purchase determination.

Preparation of the requisition should be performed far enough ahead of the date that the goods or services are needed to allow the purchasing department and the vendor to do their jobs properly, including-

• Advertising for bids, if necessary (including allowing adequate time for specification writing);
• Obtaining bids, proposals, or price quotations;
• Processing bids or proposals, placing purchase orders, or concluding contracts; and
• Allowing delivery of goods or services.⁴                           

The requisition should contain, among other things, the following information:

• The date of the requisition (month, day, year).
• Name of the department.
• Requisition number.
• Departmental contact and telephone number.
• Date required/requested.
• Delivery destination.
• Budget account number(s).
• Estimated cost (unit price and total).
• Vendor identification.
• Quantity required, including unit of issue.
• Description—clearly describe the item needed, including any technical requirements. The department may need to include detailed specifications and other required information as a separate attachment to the requisition.⁵
• Signature of department head or person authorized to sign requisition.                     

¹Welcome to County Procurement, Texas Purchasing Association, January 2004, 12.

²National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, General Public Purchasing, (Falls Church, VA: 1991), 4-3

³Welcome to County Procurement, P. 12

⁴Williamson County, Texas, Purchasing Manual Policies, (Revised 2001) 2.

⁵ibid, 2.