# Write purchasing rules for when quotes, bids, and POs are required

A practical buying policy setting competition rules by spend level, PO and purchasing card rules, and controls against maverick and split buying.

- Topic: Projects & Operations
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Advanced
- Tags: Legal, Write, Analyze, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/write-purchasing-rules-for-when-quotes-bids-and-pos-are-required

## Prompt

```text
Help me write purchasing rules for my organization: when people need quotes, a formal bid, or a purchase order.

**Organization size and structure:** [EMPLOYEES, LOCATIONS, DEPARTMENTS]
**Annual spend and typical purchase sizes:** [TOTAL, AND A ROUGH SPREAD]
**Current state:** [e.g. "anyone with a card buys anything", "every purchase goes out to bid"]
**Problems to solve:** [MAVERICK SPEND, SLOW BUYING, DUPLICATE SUPPLIERS, AUDIT FINDINGS]
**Approval limits we already have:** [PASTE OUR DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY - or "none"]
**Systems:** [P2P TOOL, ERP, PURCHASING CARDS, PREFERRED SUPPLIER CATALOGS]
**Regulatory or funding rules:** [e.g. public sector rules, grant conditions - or "none"]

Include:
1. Competition rules by value band: buy from catalog or contract, 1 quote, 3 written quotes, formal RFP. Say what counts as a valid quote and how to document it.
2. Allowed exceptions (sole source, emergency, existing contract, cooperative agreement) and the evidence each needs.
3. When a PO is required before ordering, and whether a "no PO, no pay" rule fits us.
4. Purchasing card limits, blocked categories, and receipt and reconciliation rules.
5. Rules against splitting orders to stay under a threshold, measured on total value for the same need, plus how to detect splitting in spend data.
6. Separation between requester, buyer, receiver, and payer where practical.
7. Conflict of interest and gift rules for anyone involved in choosing suppliers.
8. An emergency purchase process with after-the-fact documentation.

Align approval steps to my existing approval limits rather than creating new ones; if I have none, mark them [SET APPROVER]. Mark thresholds I haven't given [SET AMOUNT]. Keep it short enough that people will follow it. Check public sector or grant requirements with legal or finance.

Return: the policy text, a table (Value band | Competition required | Documentation | PO required?), a one-page cheat sheet for requesters, and 5 metrics to monitor compliance.
```

## What to fill in

- EMPLOYEES, LOCATIONS, DEPARTMENTS
- TOTAL, AND A ROUGH SPREAD
- PASTE OUR DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY - or "none"
- P2P TOOL, ERP, PURCHASING CARDS, PREFERRED SUPPLIER CATALOGS
- e.g. public sector rules, grant conditions - or "none"
- SET APPROVER
- SET AMOUNT

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.