The UPST Procurement team supports and provides customer service on all matters relating to the purchasing of goods, equipment, and services. We provide support to the University community through knowledge and use of best practices while ensuring compliance to the University's Procurement Policy.
BuyWays is the online system for the purchase of goods and services within the University. It supports both catalog (supplier punchout) and non-catalog purchases, driving preferred pricing, supplier discounts, and real-time status updates on requisitions, purchase orders, and approvals.
You are encouraged to make BuyWays your first stop when looking to purchase goods and services for use within the University.
In order to gain access to BuyWays, UMass employees are required to take the Shopper/Requisitioner Training and complete individual campus requirements. See the Trainings and Information Sessions page for more information.
If the purchase requires a contract or university signature it must be uploaded through the contract request module prior to the requisition being created. Please visit the Contracts Page for more information.
Amazon.com and Amazon Web Services are not the same vendor. Amazon.com items CANNOT be ordered via a PO at this time.
Catalog orders are created by using the supplier punchouts in BuyWays. The Preferred Supplier punchouts are accessed by selecting the appropriate Purchasing Category on the Guided Buying Dashboard.
Quote-to-Cart Process with Punchout Suppliers
Most of our punchout suppliers can upload quotes into the punchout. Retrieving a quote via punchout will allow the order to be processed as a catalog order which will save time, eliminate errors, and enables electronic invoicing.
When obtaining a quote for the following suppliers, please ask the REP to upload the quote to our punchout system: Agilent, Apple, B&H, BioRad, CDW-G, Dell, Fastenal, Fisher, FW Webb, GovConnection, Grainger, Home Depot, Illumina, Lowes, MSC, Qiagen, Sigma, USA Scientific, VWR and WEI.
FISHER SCIENTIFIC: Some Medical School locations will require users to default their location in their profile in order to retrieve a quote.
For the most part, all quotes are uploaded to the 049 UMASS account.
Airgas Punchout Catalog
Apple's Return Process
Apple's official policy is that all sales are final, with a few exceptions. To inquire about a return, please reach out to Kevin Black at kblack@apple.com.
If returns fall within certain guidelines, Kevin will assist with guiding buyers through the return process.
UMass Molecular Biology Core Lab Portal
WB Mason Employee Purchase Program
Closing Punchout Orders
Punchout orders will automatically close out once the last invoice has been paid.
Cancelled Items: Item was cancelled, please attach cancellation documentation to the PO and follow the Purchase Order Close Request Process job aid.
Having trouble connecting to a punchout?
- Clear your cache, close out of browser, and try again
- If this doesn’t work, try a different browser by clearing cache first
- Make sure you are accepting 3rd party cookies
- For WB Mason, type in URL: www.wbmason.com/clear
- Chrome & FireFox work best with the majority of our punchouts
Non-Catalog Orders are entered by using the Guided Buying forms located under the Purchasing Links section of the BuyWays home page.
There are 3 available Guided Buying forms in BuyWays:
- Goods Only Form - Used when you are purchasing goods only, regardless of dollar amount
- Services under $50K Form - Used when you are purchasing services (or services & goods) with a combined total of less than $50,000
- Services over $50K Form - Used when you are purchasing services (or services & goods) with a combined total of $50,000 or more
Changes to an active Purchase Order (PO) can be entered into BuyWays if the request meets certain standards.
Changes can include:
- Updating speedtype/account codes
- Increasing or decreasing amount/quantity
- Adding new lines
To ensure your change request meets the criteria, please review the following:
Please review the approved categories for the use of the Direct Payment Form: Direct Payment Categories
- A Direct Payment is an unencumbered payment.
- Direct Payment cannot be used to circumvent the procurement of goods or services that should have been ordered in BuyWays using a Purchase Order.
- Since the Direct Payment is not encumbered, the responsibility is placed upon the department placing the order to ensure sufficient funds are available for the payment of the invoice.
- The Direct Payment form uses the same rules for workflow as a requisition.
- When the Direct Payment form is fully approved, it creates a Purchase Order that automatically “flips” to become an invoice.
- The Direct Payment Form can only be used to pay one invoice. Multiple invoices cannot be listed on the same form. However, there can be multiple lines listed for the same invoice.
Before you place an order/create a purchase order (PO) for a foreign sourced good /import, contact the UMass Customs Broker, Redge Suller of Air Imports-Highland Forwarding USA (import1@highlandforwarding.com) to ensure that appropriate documentations and full costs are factored in before the order is placed
Ensure that UMass Export Controls department within the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is notified to for securing appropriate permits
Job Aids & Resources
Creating a Change Request Job Aid
Demonstrates how to properly submit a change request for an existing purchase order (PO). Changes include: updating accounting codes, updating amounts and quantities, and updating quantity orders that have been vouchered.
Create a Catalog Order Job Aid
Demonstrates the process of making a purchase through one of BuyWays online vendor catalogs (also called punchout sites)
Create a Blanket Order Job Aid
Demonstrates the process to create a blanket order. Blanket orders are used for services where multiple invoices of varying amounts are expected against the PO
| Job Aid/Resource | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| Requisition to Purchase Order (Req2PO) Reference Guide | Overall reference guide for the Req2PO process | |
| Non-Catalog Purchase: Goods Only Purchases | Demonstrates the process of purchasing goods only through BuyWays | |
| Non-Catalog Purchase: Services & Services + Goods Purchases | Demonstrates the process of purchasing services (or services and goods) through BuyWays | |
| Creating a Change Request - VIDEO | Provides a visual example of how to properly submit a change request for a PO | |
| Change Request - Adding a New Line to a PO | Demonstrates how to add a new line to a PO | |
| Change Request - Entering Chartfield Information at the Line Level | Demonstrates how to change the chartfield information for single lines. This is usually done when the speedtype/account code will be different from all other lines of the purchase order | |
| Change Request - Relinking a Contract | Demonstrates how to update/relink a contract. Relinking a contract is required when a PO change request involves an increase or extension to a contract | |
| Change Request - Send an Updated PO to a Vendor | Demonstrates how to change your PO to send an updated copy to the vendor | |
| Change Request - Updating a Line That Contains a Form | Demonstrates how to update lines within a form. Once in the form you can update price, quantity, description, and dates | |
| Change Request - Updating Chartfield Information on a Line That Has Been Vouchered | Demonstrates how to update the chartfield information on a PO that has been vouchered |
Search Requisitions FAQs
Enter terms to filter the Requisitions FAQs. Or go directly to the UPST Knowledge Base to search other topics.
Get Support
Please fill out the case form in order to start a support case with our team.