Northern Illinois University
Procurement Services and Contract Management
Division of Administration and Finance

Requisition Workflow supports the following purchase requisition scenarios:

• Split-funded requisitions. Different approval chains created for multiple funding sources.
• Multi-year requisitions, open orders, and change orders.
• Grant-funded (Fund 44) requisitions. Grant-funded requisitions route to the Principal Investigator for approval then to Sponsored Programs Administration.
• Student-funded (Fund 04) requisitions will route through the Provost’s Office for approval.

Cost Center Approval Thresholds

The business area internal approval thresholds are as follows:

• Up to $24,999 - Approval by cost center owner plus business manager.
• $25,000 to $99,999 - Approval by chair, director, or associate dean.*
• $100,000 to $249,999 - Approval by dean or associate vice president.*
• $250,000 and greater - Approval by vice president.*

* Approvals required from previous threshold level approvers.

Internally approved requisitions route to Accounts Payable for account code verification. Procurement Services only receives fully approved requisitions.

Approval Assistance

The Approver Training Guide and Reference Manual covers:

• Approving a Requisition
• Searching for a Requisition and Checking the Status
• Delegation of Approvals During an Absence
• Queries

If you still have issues or questions, please contact your area business manager.

Budget Checking

The identified funds will be pre-encumbered and reserved for processing the purchase order

Requisitions may be:

• Put on hold by approvers.
• Delegated to an alternate approver.
• Sent to others on an ad hoc basis for:
  • Review only.
  • Review and approval.
• Approved/Denied.
• Printed.
• Created/Copied from other requisitions.
• Retrieved and reviewed by requesters and approvers.
• Approved from the web, mobile devices, and both on and off campus.
• Modified once in pending status. Changes in dollar amounts, funding sources, and quantities, will re-submit the requisition for re-approval.

Change Orders

Changes to existing purchase orders are handled by modifying the original requisition and resubmitting through the workflow for approvals and processing.

Requisition Assistance

The Requester Training Guide and Reference Manual covers:

• Requisition Entry
• Printing a Requisition
• Searching for a Requisition and Checking the Status
• Cancelling a Requisition
• Copying a Requisition
• Change Orders
• Requests for More Information
• Delegation of Approvals During an Absence
• Queries

If you still have issues or questions, please contact your area business manager.

The guidelines for workflow roles are as follows:

• Requesters are the only individuals who can enter requisitions into FMS. To receive system access, Requesters are required to attend training. Online training will be available for post-rollout requester access.
• Approvers can approve, deny, and request more information on requisition. Training is not required for approver access. Help on approver tasks can be found in the Approver Training Guide and Reference Manual.
• Requester/Approvers have access to create and approve requisitions and typically hold the business manager role in their areas. Requester/Approvers are encouraged to take approver training along with the required Requester training.

Modifying Approvers

• The Office of Budget and Financial Planning maintains the table of requisition workflow approvers. To request changes to a cost center approver, please reference instructions for cost center maintenance and hierarchy.
• Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) maintains the list of Principal Investigators with their associated grants. Please contact your grants and contracts associate in SPA.

System Access

• Approver access: to add or modify requisition approvers, please email your request to the administrator at reqadmin@niu.edu.
• Requester access: to gain requester access, please email your request to the requisition administrator at reqadmin@niu.edu. Training is required for new requesters and will be coordinated by the requisition administrator.