Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Where is the Procurement Department office?

The Procurement Department is located at:

For directions and the mailing address, please visit our Contact Us page.

Where is the Property Management office?

The Property Management Group is located at:

For additional contact information, please visit our Contact Us page.

What services do Procurement and Property provide?

We provide value-add services associated with the acquisition of goods and services, enabling the Berkeley Lab to fulfill its mission of scientific achievement. Services provided by our staff include:

• Helping you plan for a purchase
• Helping you buy what you need
• Supporting the use of small and disadvantaged businesses
• Enabling methods to buy green
• Managing property
• Managing supplier relationships

There are three main ways to make a purchase through Procurement: eBuy, ePro and PCard. Information and links to learn more about each are below.

eBuy

eBuy is the Laboratory’s online ordering solution for commonly used low-value office, lab and computer supplies. You can search or browse the catalog and place an online order for up to $25,000 in goods.

Where can I find information about the eBuy program?

Visit the eBuy main page to find basic information about online purchasing through eBuy or contact the Procurement Help Desk with specific questions.

Is there a dollar limit for orders placed through eBuy?

The maximum dollar limit for eBuy orders is $25,000.  The self-approval limit is $500. Users should follow their Department’s purchasing protocol.

Where can I get eBuy training?

Videos and guides are available to help you learn to use eBuy to make purchases for Laboratory business purposes. See our Tutorials page.

Where can I find information on reviewing, canceling or changing my order?

For detailed information on managing your eBuy orders, go to the  Manage My Orders page.

How can I return an item?

Returns are simple. Follow our step-by-step item return guide.

I am experiencing technical issues with the eBuy site. How can I get help?

Firefox is the recommended browser for using eBuy. If you need assistance, contact the Procurement Help Desk.

Division PCard

The Division Purchase Cardholder (PCard) Program allows authorized employees to make business-related purchases for low-value, standard off-the-shelf items and services not available in the eBuy online system. First, check the eBuy system to see if the item you need is in the catalog. Note that items on the Restricted Items list may not be purchased with a PCard and must be purchased with ePro.

Where can I find information on the Division PCard Program?

For information on program guidelines and managing your PCard orders, visit our Division PCard page.

Who can become a PCard cardholder?

To become a PCard cardholder, you must receive the appropriate approval from your Division Business Manager/Designated Division Contact, agree to the cardholder responsibilities, and receive approval from the Procurement Department. You must then complete an online training. For detailed information on obtaining a Division PCard, visit the Become a PCard Cardholder page.

What can I purchase with a PCard?

You can purchase common goods and services up to the transaction limit established for your account. Items on the Restricted Items List, Attractive Property List or Sensitive Property List may not be purchased with a PCard. For definitions of Attractive and Sensitive Property, please refer to the Property Management Resources page. For a complete list of unallowable items, see the Division Cardholder Policy & Guidelines.

In order to get a PCard, does the Lab perform a credit check on me personally?

No; the Laboratory secures credit. There is no individual credit check.

I need assistance on the program basic guidelines and how to manage my order. Where do I go?

For information on program guidelines and managing your PCard orders, visit our Division PCard page.

ePro

ePro is for purchasing items not available on eBuy or by using a PCard, such as items that require a Purchase Order, transactions of over $25,000 and purchases that require special approval. ePro lets you create an electronic purchase request and then automatically manages the online workflow approval process in order to streamline your purchase.

Where can I find information on ePro?

Visit our ePro page or contact the Procurement Help Desk.

Does ePro require competitive sourcing?

To get information about when competitive sourcing is required, visit our Purchase Limit Requirements guide.

How can I become an ePro Requisition Preparer?

To become a Requisition Preparer you must complete the ePro Requisition Preparer Training.

If I am not an authorized Requisition Preparer, how do I request a requisition?

You can complete and send the ePro Requisition Worksheet to an authorized Requisition Preparer. To see a complete list of authorized requisition preparers click here.

How can I check on the status of my order?

You can check on the status of your order through the Manage Requisitions page in the Financials Management System. You can also view the status of your order online using the BRS and IRIS systems. For direct questions associated with your order, please contact your Procurement Specialist.

What do I do if I need to return an item?

To return an item, follow our step-by-step item return guide.

My supplier has not been paid. What should I tell them?

To check on the status of invoices submitted, a supplier should contact the Accounts Payable Vendor Desk. Only the Vendor Desk can give the correct status on whether or not invoices have been received and when payments are due.

Vendor Desk phone: 510.486.6954

Email: vendordesk@lbl.gov

I need to close out a Purchase Order. How do I do this?

To obtain information and assistance in closing your purchase orders, visit the Purchase Order Closeout page.

How do I renew a contract that will expire?

To get information on how to renewal a contract, visit the Manage My Orders page.

Property Management

Property Management ensures effective and efficient management of government personal property at the Lab, from acquisition through disposition. An integral system comprised of people, policies and procedures, Property Management simultaneously supports the needs of Berkeley Lab and the requirements of the Department of Energy. Property Management oversees receiving, asset creation, tracking, fabrication field tagging, inventories, precious metals administration, storage, lending, borrowing, Government Furnished Property/Subcontractor Acquired Property (GFP/SAP), title transactions and asset retirement and disposition.

How do I order and/or dispose of precious metals?

Information about the Precious Metals Program can be found in the Precious Metals Administration section of the Property Management Services page, or by contacting Property Management.

What are our property-related responsibilities at Berkeley Lab?

View Section 11 of the Personal Property Policy Manual for descriptions of responsibilities relating to property for various positions at Berkeley Lab.

How can I look up the property that is assigned to me?

Go to the Property Lookup Report via LBNL BAR to look-up property by Custodian Employee ID, DOE Property #, Location, etc.

How can find out who my Area or Division’s Property Representative is and how to reach them?

View the current Property Representatives & Coordinators List.

What is the criteria for tagging property at Berkeley Lab?

For definitions of the three categories of accountable Government personal property, visit Property Management’s Resource page.

How do I report lost, damaged, destroyed or stolen property?

For reporting instructions and points of contact, please visit Reporting Lost, Damaged, Destroyed or Stolen Property.