Information Technology (IT) Purchases
October 17, 2023
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What is it?
Allows for a Security, Accessibility and Policy review of a purchase request.
When do I use it?
REGARDLESS of method of payment(s), this procedure MUST be followed on all PSM Information Technology (IT) purchases (see steps below).
Why is this important?
It helps to ensure products that MSU are using will be accessible to all users and meet standards for information security and other policies.
How long does it take?
The process can take up to 5 business days but can be faster or slower depending on the amount of review needed.
IT Purchases
Does your purchase align with the definition of an IT purchase? Information Technology (IT) refers to any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment that is used in the creation, conversion, or duplication of data or information.
Steps for IT purchases:
MSU Tech Store purchases for IT related equipment are approved and do not require an IT Product/Solution Review Form or Requisition Request. MSU Purchasing has already authorized these purchases. For further guidance, please contact PSM IT.
- First contact PSM IT (PSMIT.Support@msu.edu) for guidance.
- PSM IT will assist faculty and staff in properly filling out the IT Product/Solution Review Form. IMPORTANT TO NOTE: The IT Product/Solution Review Form MUST be downloaded and saved as a PDF to initiate the requisition for approval. Automatic responses are to inform the MSU Purchasing team if further detailed reviews are needed when they are reviewing your requisition for approval.
- You will need to send the PDF of the saved IT Readiness form, along with a filled-out requisition form to PSM.Accounting@msu.edu. A requisition is needed as part of the authorization process.
- A member of the accounting team will create and submit the requisition, along with attaching the
- Once the purchase is approved, a member of the accounting team will notify you of how to move forward with the purchase from a P-Card or Spartan Marketplace.
P-Card Purchases:
Prior approval from Purchasing is needed via a requisition. If not, the P-Card Team will view the edoc as an unapproved charge and may initiate a strike against the P-Card holder.
If you will be purchasing via credit card, please follow the steps above. You will also receive the following message from PSM Accounting once the purchase is approved from Purchasing:
IT security/Purchasing has deemed this low risk; therefore, it is OK to proceed using your P-Card to purchase. IMPORTANT: Once you receive the P-card edoc from KFS to approve, (PRIOR TO APPROVING) be sure to notify Christina via email to let her know the edoc. number so she can attach the Purchasing approval email. She will also provide you with the proper object code to use. The default (6559 – Procurement Card) always needs to be changed when approving. If Christina does not get notified & the proper approval is not attached to the edoc when Gina reviews, Gina will review the P-card edoc as approval was not received prior to purchase and will cause delays in the P-card edoc approval process.
If PSM IT was not contacted before you made a computer purchase. Do not forget to include PSM IT when the computer arrives to properly configure the device to the MSU standard.
Approved Software List – Tier 1: If placing an order on this list, the instructions on the Approved Software List state what is also REQUIRED to be added in the notes of the P-Card edoc when approving. NOTE for Tier 1 – “This software is on the Approved Software List version # XXXXXXX”. [This version # is listed in the very last row of Tier 1 list].
Any software not listed on Tier 1 requires the submission of an IT Product/Solution Review Form along with a requisition request form.
Spartan Marketplace Purchases:
If you will be purchasing via Spartan Marketplace, please follow the steps above. You will receive the following message from PSM Accounting once the purchase is approved from Purchasing:
IT security/Purchasing has deemed this low risk; therefore, it is OK to proceed purchasing this item from Spartan Marketplace. Please make sure you reference PO #XXXXX for your file for any future audits.
If PSM IT was not contacted before you made a computer purchase. Do not forget to include PSM IT when the computer arrives to properly configure the device to the MSU standard.
MSU Tech Store Purchases:
Purchasing’s authorized procurement method as these IT purchases are approved & require no IT Product/Solution Review Form. If you will be purchasing via MSU Tech Store, please contact PSM IT for guidance.
Most commonly Unapproved IT Purchases, plus more:
- Free Software
- Laptops/ Printers/ Monitors/ Computers/ Keyboards
- USB
- SD Card
- External/ Internal hard drives
- Hardware
- Auto renewals of software – must notify vendor that your account is not to be set up to auto renew.
- Router
Considerations and Tips
- One of the chief reasons for this process is to ensure we are not storing FERPA, PCI, HIPAA, etc. data into systems that do not have the measures in place to protect such data.
- When the form asks about students using it, the question means students in classes. If students are using it as employees they count as staff.
- If a tool is approved for one audience or project, it does not mean it is approved for everyone or other projects.
- Even if your software/technology is free a requisition and purchase order will still need to be submitted for approval.
Future Work
- Creating a form with faculty focused language to collect use information
- Working with IT to better streamline the process and document available/existing information
Helpful Links
- MSU Accessibility Review Prior to Purchase
- Information Technology (IT) Procurement Process
- MSU Procurement
- IT Product/Solution Review Form
- Common Software - IT Risk
- Approved Software List
- Requisition Request Form
- Prohibited Purchases for PCard
