Shipping & Receiving

University Departments have a number of responsibilities related to receiving goods and services.

Shipping to a non-university address

Departments are responsible for making sure that suppliers send their orders to the proper location. Suppliers may only direct shipments to either a university address or other university-approved location.

All end users are assigned a Ship To value based on Department ID as part of M-Pathways security set up. The Ship To value is the delivery address and includes the room number. This information resides in a database of all university-owned or occupied space and will automatically populate the ePro requisitions that are created via M-Pathways and Marketsite+. M-Pathways and Marketsite+ users should set up their profiles using this Ship To value. The purchase order sent to the supplier will then include the proper address including room number to ensure proper delivery of goods.

Effective August 30, 2022, the temporary unit-level approval of shipping exceptions—resulting from the impact of COVID-19—for delivery of items to non-UM addresses has been updated. Download the latest version of the shipping to non-university addresses exception memo.

Receiving goods

Upon receipt, the Department should immediately inspect the shipment to be sure that it is correct, complete, and not damaged. If the damage is visible, the delivery personnel should note it on the paperwork at the time of delivery and leave a signed copy with you. If there are any order-related problems, including discrepancies in pricing or amount, incorrect or missing items, etc. the supplier should be contacted immediately.

It is also critical that Departments have processes in place to identify if goods or services that were paid for have NOT been received by the University. For Department units in the scope of the Shared Services Center’s (SSC) Statement of Activity (SOA) Reconciliation service, this process is already in place. For more information about how to submit documentation for received goods/services, see the SSC website.

Returns and damaged goods
Departments are responsible for processing returns and reporting damaged goods to the supplier.  If there is a problem with goods or services received and they were purchased through a University-wide Agreement, then Procurement Services can assist in resolving disputes with suppliers.

Maintain records
The Department is responsible for verifying that proper credit, if needed, is made to the affected chartfield combination.  Maintain clear and concise records for all of your Department unit’s transactions. All procurement transactions are audited regularly.