The Institute for Energy Efficiency engages in many activities and programs that requires the purchasing of goods and services. Because the types of purchases and methods of payment can vary dramatically, our departmental procedures only serve to guide the process for internal workflow, approval structures, and record keeping. Campus and University policies and procedures govern all procurement activity and should be followed throughout the entire purchasing process.

Gateway is UCSB’s campus wide purchasing system, used to streamline purchasing processes with contracted outside vendors and to standardize payments through our central Accounting Office (BFS). Gateway is designed to automate various purchasing approvals and restriction considerations. This is achieved by use of object codes, cost levels, designated roles for different stages, and approval levels. Below is a general overview of the various stages of workflow routing. Please note: we recommend using Google Chrome or Firefox browsers.

How to Order

  • Login to Gateway using your UCSB netID and password.
  • From the homepage, select “Go to: non-catalog item” underneath the center “Shop” search bar.
  • Find your vendor in the “Enter Supplier” search bar. If your vendor is not in Gateway, see “VENDOR NOT IN GATEWAY?” below.
  • Enter your “Product Description” “Catalog No.” “Quantity” “Price Estimate” and “Packaging” information based on your quote from the vendor. Repeat this process for multiple line items (if necessary) by clicking “Save and Add Another” after each entry. Once all of the line items have been entered, click “Save and Close.”
  • Click on the cart icon in the top right corner of the screen and select “Checkout.”
  • Assign a shipping address by clicking “edit” and then “select from org addresses.” Search for INEE’s org addresses and select the 2314 Phelps Hall option. In the “Attn.” box, list the name of the researcher who will be retrieving the shipment once it has been delivered. In the “Room No.” box, list the name of the Financial Coordinator.
  • Assign the correct project code by clicking on “Accounting Codes” in the top left corner. Search for the Institute for Energy Efficiency by searching “INEE” in the “select from all values” screen. Search “INEE” again in the “Account String” section and select the correct account to charge this purchase to. Do not worry about selecting a “Sub Account” or “Cost Type” if you do not know that information already. If you are splitting the cost between two accounts, click “add split” on the right side of the screen and repeat this step. Click “Save” when all account strings have been entered correctly.
  • Click “Final Review” in the top left corner to review your cart. Click “Add Attachments” on the left side in the “Notes and Attachments” section to upload the supporting documentation for the order. Please see “GATEWAY ATTACHMENTS” below to determine what supporting documentation is needed for your order.
  • Once you have fully reviewed the details of your order, click “Submit Requisition” in the top right corner of your screen. This will send the requisition through the necessary approval process within the department and within Accounting in order to turn the requisition into a Purchase Order. You will receive an email when your Purchase Order has been created. This approval process can take up to a week depending on the complication of the order.

 

  • In the upper righthand corner of Gateway, enter in your requisition number in the search bar. 
  • Click on the "PR Approvals" tab
  • Requisitions must be approved by a number of people within the department and BFS:
    • Requisition Submission → Pre-Department Approval → Account Approval (by PI or delegated authority) → Post-Department Approval → Procurement Approval → PO Generation
  • Once approved, the requisition will become a PO and will be sent to the supplier to fulfill.

The Financial Coordinator’s department credit card (FlexCard) is used if a vendor cannot be added to Gateway, if a purchase can only be made by credit card, or if a purchase is extremely urgent and cannot go through the normal Gateway approval process.

How to Request a Flexcard Payment
If you believe your order falls within the parameters above, email the Financial Coordinator with the following information and cc the lead PI of the account to be charged:

  • Vendor:
  • Description of charge:
  • Purpose:
  • Reason for FlexCard use:
  • Account-fund:
  • Link to product:
  • Total cost:
  • Expedited delivery?
    • Justification for expedited delivery (if necessary):

The Financial Coordinator will process the Flexcard payment as soon as the necessary approvals have been issued. The order will be shipped to Phelps Hall and the researcher who placed the order will receive an email from the Financial Coordinator when it has been received. It is then the researcher’s responsibility to pick up the shipment directly or to delegate that task to another authorized individual. The packing list associated with the shipment should be signed and dated and left in the supply room for IEE’s official records. If the shipment needs to be delivered elsewhere (due to extreme size or weight), the packing slip MUST be sent to the Financial Coordinator for processing after delivery.

Paper Form

If you would like to ship a package, please fill out a Domestic or International FedEx Waybill and have the Financial Coordinator schedule a FedEx pick up for you. IEE's FedEx Waybills can be found in the IEE supply room (2311 Phelps Hall)

  • Once filled in, be sure to give the first page of the Waybill to the Financial Coordinator for payment processing and record keeping.
  • Drop off packages no later than noon on the day that you want the shipment to be sent out.
  • If you are not pre-authorized to approve expenses, send an email to the Financial Coordinator and the project PI with the details of the shipment and the account fund that the expense should be charged to. No shipment can be sent without approval from the PI.

Online Form

You must be a pre-authorized to approve expenses on the account that you are billing to. Send an email to the Financial Coordinator with questions.

  1. Log in to Gus
  2. Your email username is your UCSB email (contact Financial Coordinator with issues) and the first time you login your password will be Iee123. Once logged in you will be prompted to reset your password. 
  3. Click on the Purchasing button.
  4. On the Purchasing page click on the New Purchase Order button.
  5. On the New Purchase Order page you'll be required to fill in all the fields that are in red. Reference the attached screenshot for what information should be included. Use the notes section to list the time of package drop-off and, as needed, to share any additional information about the shipment. 
  6. Once all the required information is filled in and you've reviewed the order for accuracy, please press the grey Submit Purchase Order button at the bottom of the page. Your order will show up in the Financial Coordinator's queue and they will know when to expect you to drop off the package.

Tips:

  • FedEx is already a vendor in our system. Please be sure to type in "FedEx" and allow the autofill option to fill in the address and phone number.
  • The "Unit" field is for "each," "pack," "case" etc. Please do not enter grams, ltrs, or other units of measurement.

Shipping Insurance&

Domestic shipments of UCSB property through any commercial transit carrier (e.g. FedEx) are automatically insured with UC’s Property Self-Insurance Program. Foreign shipments of UCSB property through any commercial transit carrier are automatically insured through UC’s Marine Cargo Insurance policy.  

International Shipping

To ship internationally, send an email to the Export Control Officer at UCSB (Brian McCurdy, exportcontrol@research.ucsb.edu), the Financial Coordinator, and the PI with answers to the following questions. International shipments must be approved by Export Control before they can be sent out. Please allow enough time to coordinate with Export Control (about 1 week). 

  • Who will use the equipment/material overseas, i.e. who are the ultimate end-users?
  • What foreign institution(s) are these people primarily affiliated with?
  • What country is the ultimate destination for the shipment?
  • What are you intending to ship? Please be detailed; no acronyms.
  • What will be done with the equipment/material?  Briefly describe the research.
  • Will this equipment/material be used for any military purpose by the end-user or institution?  
  • What is the value of this shipment?
  • How many items are being shipped?
  • Which account should this be charged to?

The individual who placed the order will receive an email from the Financial Coordinator once the shipment has arrived in Phelps Hall. It is then the individual’s responsibility to pick up the shipment directly or to delegate that task to another authorized individual. Upon pick up, please sign and date the packing slip associated with the shipment and leave it in the supply room for IEE’s official records. If the shipment needs to be delivered elsewhere (due to extreme size or weight), the packing slip and invoice (if included) MUST be sent to the Financial Coordinator for processing after delivery.

On occasion, PIs or their personnel may receive orders for hazardous materials at IEE Administrative offices.  When this is the case, the PI or designee should notify the Financial Coordinator of the nature of the hazard and any special handling requirements prior to the shipment being received. Upon receipt of the shipment, the Financial Coordinator will notify the PI or designee to coordinate pickup of the shipment.  Shipments containing hazardous materials should be stored in a secured location at all times. In addition, because IEE Administration offices do not have the ability to keep shipments refrigerated or frozen, the PI or designee is responsible for prompt pickup of temperature sensitive items. Non-food items may never be stored in a refrigerator intended for food storage.

For further reference, see the "Hazmat Shipping General Awareness" online training at https://www.learningcenter.ucsb.edu/ or https://www.ehs.ucsb.edu/

Vendors will typically submit invoices directly through Gateway, triggering matching and payment automatically. However, sometimes vendors will send invoices directly to their department contact or enclosed in the shipment itself.

If you receive an invoice from the vendor, immediately scan and email or bring a hard copy to the Financial Coordinator. This is very important, as the invoice will not be processed otherwise, and the department will not be notified.

For any additional questions about Gateway, please contact Elliott Hong.

Provide the Financial Coordinator with an official quote and email contact for the vendor. Set up can take up to a week or more depending on the vendor’s compliance.

Purchases over $99,999.99 (regardless of funding source) must be publically and competitively bid. Competitive bidding provides the public with a fair opportunity to provide goods and services to the UC, stimulates competitive pricing in a manner conducive to sound fiscal practices, protects the public from misuse of public funds, and eliminates favoritism, fraud and corruption in the awarding of public contracts. Please contact the Financial Coordinator for coordination of a bidding process with the UCSB Purchasing Department. 

When purchasing restricted goods and services, please provide a formal quote from the vendor.