This content provides a helpful set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the Unimarket system, covering user management, roles, the approval process, accounting, and order receiving.
General Definitions and User Roles
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What is eProcurement?
Electronic procurement (eProcurement) is the automation and management of the procure-to-pay process. This includes creating and approving purchase requisitions, issuing purchase orders, receiving goods and services, and processing invoices electronically.
What is the difference between a Buyer and a Browser?
The Buyer role is assigned to users who have the authority to make purchases. The Browser role is assigned to users who create requisitions for goods and services, search for items, and then assign the requisition to a Buyer for purchasing. Browsers do not have purchase authority.
What determines a user's Buyer/Browser role?
Buyer and Browser roles are assigned by Community Administrators.
User Account Management
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How does a user update their email address or phone number?
Click on the User icon (silhouette of a person in the upper right corner) > select My Account > click Settings > and the user can make changes to their contact information.
How do I purchase from a new Vendor?
If you cannot find your supplier, use the supplier request function. This captures the required information and routes it to a Supplier Administrator for review and action to ensure the supplier is correctly loaded before purchasing can begin.
Approval and Workflow
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What do I do if my Approver is out of the office?
Approvers can designate a Proxy to approve requisitions in their absence. Additionally, you can set your “out of office” in the profile setting by clicking your silhouette > select Out of Office > check the box that shows you are unavailable and set your date and time. Approvals will also automatically escalate after a pre-set period.
What is the proxy time frame? Can it be indefinite?
The proxy period is meant to be temporary (e.g., a vacation) and is not meant to be ongoing. For permanent delegation, a new approver should be added to the approval queues.
How does approval escalation work?
If no action is taken within the set hours (e.g., 24 hours) of the approval task, the approval will be escalated to the next approver with authority to take the action. If the approver is the last in the chain, the requisition will wait for them to take action. For urgent items, you should contact the approver directly.
Which fields can approvers edit?
Approvers have the ability to edit the Justification notes and Attachments, Delivery Notes and Order Attachments, accounting, and the Ship To and Bill To fields, dependent on their Chart of Accounts access.
If accounting is edited by an approver, does the purchase requisition route back to the Buyer?
The purchase requisition will not route back to the Buyer, but it may follow a different approval path if the change in accounting codes triggers a new set of approval rules.
What happens to a disapproved/declined requisition?
Declined requisitions remain in the system perpetually, can be viewed using filters (e.g., "state: declined"), and can be copied and edited for re-submission by the original Buyer.
Can I resubmit a declined requisition?
Yes, you can search for the declined requisition, view it, and then Copy it. The copied requisition can then be edited and resubmitted for approval as a new request.
Cart, Budget, and Item Management
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Can I start creating an order and not finalize it until later?
Yes. You can leave items in your cart, or you can begin a requisition and save it at any time. You can access and complete the checkout process later via the Incomplete Requisition feature.
If I order the same items each time, is there a way to duplicate my order?
Yes, you can create Shopping Lists for regularly processed orders to expedite purchasing. Additionally, you can find previous orders, copy them, edit as needed, and submit them as a new requisition.
Can I charge a single item to 2 or more account codes?
Yes, you can use the ‘Split’ button next to individual line items to charge them to multiple account codes.
Can I use the solution for purchasing a service?
Yes, you should use the Non-Catalog Item option to enter the full description of the services to be provided.
Can the solution check my budget as part of the purchasing process?
Yes. When a buyer clicks checkout or an approver tries to approve a requisition, the system will: 1) Check that the account code is valid and active. 2) Check that you have purchasing authority for the selected account code. 3) Check the budget for the account code.
What should I do if I receive a message indicating insufficient funding?
The solution can be configured to either 'warn' users of insufficient funds or 'stop' users from making the purchase altogether.
Receiving and Issues
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Who is able to perform the Receiving function?
The Buyer of the order and/or another Buyers/Browsers in that organizational sharing unit can receive the item. Both Buyers and Browsers have the ability to complete receiving reports.
What if I receive a damaged/broken item?
This should be communicated through Order Receiving by selecting the ‘Return’ option, which notifies the supplier of the issue. Accounts Payable typically will not process the invoice until all items are marked as “Received.” Once the supplier has credited or reshipped a replacement, you then mark the item as received.