Common Terms

Approver

A SmartBuy Plus user who has been assigned user rights allowing them to approve transactions. Requisitions needed approval are automatically routed to the correct approver(s). Approvers may also have other SmartBuy Plus roles such as Shopper or Requestor.

Banner

Banner is Clark’s ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. Among other things, it functions as Clark’s accounting/financial management system. Many of SmartBuy Plus’s functions tightly integrate with Banner.

Direct Pay Invoice

As a general rule, purchase orders should be generated for purchase made on behalf of Clark. There are, however, certain types of transactions where a purchase order is not necessary or appropriate. Examples include memberships, subscriptions, utilities, etc. Invoices related to these types of transactions are processed in SmartBuy Plus by using the Direct Pay Invoice form. Invoices for purchases made by purchase order must not be processed using this form but should be sent to the accounting office.

Purchase Order

A purchase order (PO)is a form of a contract and is a legal document used to place order for goods or services with a vendor. When a purchase order is sent to a vendor, it authorizes the purchase to be made and obligates Clark to pay for the goods or services being received. It is important that a PO accurately describes the goods/services being purchased and includes the price that Clark is expecting to pay.

Purchase Order Request

Orders that do not originate from one of the online catalogs, or from one of the special purchasing forms (Local Food, Catering, etc.), are created using the Purchase Order Request form. This form is the equivalent of a paper purchase order and can be created using for any vendor that is in SmartBuy Plus.

Receipt

A receipt is an electronic document that is created by a user to indicate that goods or services order with a Purchase Order have been received. Receipts must be created for all purchasing activities except Direct Pay invoices and employee reimbursements.

Requestor

A Requestor is a user role within SmartBuy Plus. Requestors must have the appropriate authority in Banner (Clark’s accounting system) to post transactions to the Fund and Organization specified in the transaction’s accounting code. Users who do not have Banner authority can still use SmartBuy Plus in the role of a Shopper (see below).

Requisition

Every order/transaction in SmartBuy Plus starts out as a requisition. Once submitted, a requisition will automatically go through an approval process. At the end of the approval process, the requisition will turn into a Purchase Order and be sent electronically to the vendor by fax or email. As more than one vendor can be included in an requisition, multiple purchase orders (1 per vendor) may result for a requisition. Internal forms (change order, new vendor request, certificate of insurance) remain as requisitions and do not turn into purchase orders.

Shopper

A Shopper is a user of SmartBuy Plus that does not have authority to post transactions in Banner (Clark’s accounting system). Shoppers can utilize most of the functionality of SmartBuy Plus but they cannot ultimately place an order or complete a transaction. Shoppers must assign their shopping cart to a Requestor (see above) in order for the transaction to be completed.