Procurement Procedure for Copiers

Procurement Guidelines and Procedures

Here is the Copier Selection Summary Form

General Guidelines

For the procurement of copiers with an initial purchase price of less than $10,000, departments are authorized to use the process outlined below to make a selection based on both long-term (life cycle) cost and an evaluation of features. If the initial purchase price of a copier is greater than $10,000, the department should consult first with the Purchasing Office since a formal competitive bid is required.

1. At the current time, the University supports the following copier brands from which departments may select:

	Canon	Colony Products 799 Flory Mill Road Lancaster, PA 17601 (717) 569-5900 Attn: Malcolm Jones
	Imagistics	Imagistics International Inc. 855 Berkshire Blvd. Ste 105 Wyomissing, PA 19610 1-800-728-7706 Attn: Diane Hill
	Mita	Quality Copy Products of Lancaster 1301 Harrisburg Pike Lancaster, PA 17603 (717) 293-1950 Attn: Joe McMonagle
	Sharp	Phillips Office Products 1630 Manheim Pike Lancaster, PA 17601 (717) 560-9999 Attn: Michael Krause
	Savin	G. E. Richards Inc. W. Walnut & Mary Streets Lancaster, PA 17603 (717) 392-2178 Attn: Nicole Hatt

By limiting the pool of copier brands to a manageable number, the University is better able to administer service contracts, monitor the quality of maintenance service, and achieve potential cost savings since vendors can more efficiently maintain multiple copiers on campus. Copier vendors/dealerships may be removed from this list if the University experiences a pattern of inadequate service or other problems.

1. The Purchasing Office has developed a checklist of specifications and features which departments should utilize when evaluating their copier needs. This will assist departments in determining their specific needs, and ensure that they don't overlook an important feature. Departments should use this checklist subsequently to compare and evaluate vendors.
2. The Purchasing Office has also developed a cost analysis worksheet for use by departments in making cost comparisons. This includes the original purchase price, annual maintenance costs, toner costs, and replacement of drums. This will allow for a cost comparison on a life-cycle basis, rather than simply the initial purchase price. For this purpose the University assumes an average useful life for a copier of five years.

Procedures

1. A department wishing to procure a copier should initially contact the Purchasing Office for the current list of vendors/dealerships, the specifications' checklist, and the cost-analysis worksheet.
2. The department should complete the specifications' checklist, being careful to identify necessary features which will increase productivity and meet specific departmental needs. Of critical importance is estimating the number of copies produced per month, since it is a major determinant of appropriate copier size. It should be kept in mind that the inclusion of seldom used features, or the significant overestimating of monthly volume, may result in needless cost to the department.
3. The department should contact at least three of the local dealers to obtain recommendations regarding models that would meet their needs. The department may visit dealerships for demonstrations, request that models be demonstrated on campus, or observe similar copiers already on campus. The specifications and features checklist should be used to make evaluative comparisons between models. Price information should be obtained from the sales representative and utilized to complete the cost-analysis worksheet. If a current copier is being disposed of the trade-in value should also be obtained from the dealer and factored into the overall cost comparison. It should be noted that in most cases the trade-in of a used copier is the most cost effective method of disposal.
4. The department should then make a selection of a particular brand and model based on an overall comparison of features, life cycle costs, and any other relevant factors. The department should complete a Selection Summary form provided by the Purchasing Office justifying their selection. If the lowest cost copier is selected, the Selection Summary should be sent to the Purchasing Office, which will proceed to make the procurement. If the department selects a copier that is not the least expensive, it should submit the Selection Summary to its Vice President, who will approve or disapprove the purchase based on the justification. Based on the specific need, such justification may include factors such as copier speed, physical size, noise level, ease of use, productivity-enhancing features, etc. If approved, the selection should then be submitted to the Purchasing Office for review. If the Purchasing office has any concerns about the selection process or compliance with prudent business practices, it will advise the Vice President accordingly. In all cases, only the Purchasing Office is authorized to issue a purchase order and make a final commitment on behalf of the University.
5. For any copier with a purchase price of greater than $10,000, the Purchasing Office will proceed with obtaining competitive bids utilizing specifications provided by the department. In such cases, the award will be made to the lowest bidder based on a life-cycle cost analysis, unless the department can document other cost/productivity factors.