Ordering

Important

Check with Katie which cost object to use if you are unsure. Too many changes can trigger an audit unnecessarily.

There are several ways to order/request new lab reagents. For all lab reagents, materials, etc., be sure to enter the information in Quartzy so that inventory can be tracked. (This excludes oligos, Addgene plasmids, and most Amazon items for the office.) See the receiving instructions for proper tracking and storage of delivered items.

For a more comprehensive introduction to ordering in Coupa (buy-to-pay, or B2P), see this training series from MIT Office of the Vice President for Finance. The finance office also has prepared a quick-guide document that you can reference.

Direct ordering through Coupa

MIT’s ordering system is accessible at https://mit.coupahost.com. After logging in, there is a large list of suppliers on the right that are available for “punchout”, i.e. you can just add to cart and checkout inside Coupa.

On the Coupa checkout screen, fill out the following information:

  • Address: Under the 'Ship To' tab, click the magnifying glass. Search for Building 66 by typing '66' and select the standard delivery option. This is 32 Vassar St, the main receiving area for MIT deliveries.

    ../_images/ordering-address.png

  • In the 'Attention' box, add lab address and your name, i.e., '66-219 – Your Name'.

    Important

    Be sure to write the lab address first! Occasionally, Amazon deliveries will truncate this field.

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  • Billing: For each item, choose the correct item type (e.g., General Lab Supplies) and click the magnifying glass to choose the PO to charge.

    ../_images/ordering-account-1.png

    Tip

    Almost all materials should be categorized as 'Laboratory Supplies', including office supplies (pens, notebooks, etc. — do NOT use the ‘Office Supplies’ category)

  • The PO can be found by searching 'Galloway' and selecting an option from the list (e.g., 'Start-Up Funds').

    ../_images/ordering-account-2.png

    Important

    Be sure to double-check with Katie if you don’t know which account to use.

  • Double check that the Approver workflow is accurate (i.e., through ChemE) and submit the order.

    ../_images/ordering-approvers.png

After placing the order through Coupa, be sure to add the items to Quartzy (see below). This helps organize the lab inventory and facilitates re-ordering.

Attaching a quote to a Coupa order

  1. Navigate to the cart

  2. Click Add file under Attachments

  3. Drag the quote there

  4. Add a buyer note to Notes to buyer: “Please use attached quote”

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  1. Manually add the item into the cart. Scroll down, click Add line, put in the info for your item and save

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Requests through Quartzy

There are three scenarios for adding requests to Quartzy: re-ordering an item in the inventory, making a new request for an item to be ordered, and adding an item already ordered through Coupa.

Tip

To check the current item price, search for the item from the relevant supplier in Coupa. Be sure to log in to see the discounted MIT prices!

Re-Ordering

To request an item already in the inventory, select the item and click on the 'Request' button. Double check that the catalog number, price, and quantity are correct, then click 'Request' to submit the request for Tseganesh to order.

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New Requests

To request a new item, select the 'Requests' tab and click the 'Request' button in the top left corner of the page. Search for the item by Manufacturer and Catalog Number, and enter the correct price and quantity. There are two suppliers to choose from: the 'Quartzy Shop', in which Quartzy fulfills the order (can be cheaper but may experience delays), or the manufacturer directly. Then click 'Request' to submit the request for Tseganesh to order.

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Important

In most cases, we order materials directly from manufacturers/suppliers, NOT through the Quartzy Shop.

Adding Ordered Items

To add an item ordered directly through Coupa, follow the same process as for a new request. The item will appear in the 'New' section under the 'Requests' tab. Then, select the 'Mark Ordered' button to move the item to the 'Ordered' tab.

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Then, add the PO and/or requisition numbers to the order to facilitate tracking.

Bulk Plastics Order

The following items are ordered in bulk from Genesee Scientific several times per year:

  • Serological pipettes

  • Cell culture plates, flasks, and dishes

  • Syringe filters

  • Barrier tips and reach tip reloads

  • Reagent reservoirs

  • Tubes (0.6mL 1.7mL, 15mL, 50mL, cyrovials, culture, PCR)

  • Petri dishes

  • Gloves

Information for the bulk order can be found in the lab_jobs folder in the Sharepoint. To coordinate a bulk order:

  1. Calculate the number of units needed for each item based on the previous bulk order, any extra items ordered on Quartzy, and expected usage (e.g., a busy upcoming summer).

  2. Input this information into a new spreadsheet with the prices from the previous bulk order. Prices tend to increase annually, but this will be a good starting point.

  3. Directly email this spreadsheet to the Genesee Scientific representative (Brad Sloan, as of January 2025) and request a quote; copy Tseganesh on this email so she can arrange the PO(s).

  4. Once the order is placed, print the order spreadsheet and post it on the door to the atrium to track the plastics as they are delivered. Be sure to inform the lab so they can help track items.