How to Place an Order

How to Order Furniture

Step 1: Needs Assessment

Determine the furniture needed for the space. Check out the Product Library and Measuring Tips for quick references.

**If requested item(s) is found in Furniture Price Catalog, proceed to step 2. Remember that Furniture Price Catalog is the estimated cost per item and does not include sales tax, delivery and installation costs.

**If the requested item(s) is not found in the Furniture Price Catalog, fill out a Furniture Request Form and send to purchasing@usfca.edu. Include as much information as possible. A purchasing agent will make initial contact regarding your request within 48 hours.

Purchasing and Ancillary Services (PAAS) utilizes standardized products (as seen in the Product Library) when evaluating furniture needs. If non-standard item(s) is being requested, research the item and include results in the form. All products must meet University Furniture Standards. 

Note: For requests that involve changing room/space functionality, headcount capacity, or public area furniture, contact Facilities Project Management for approval prior to moving forward.

Step 2: Formal Quotation

While each request is different, below is an approximate timeline for 2 common types of requests.

For Small-Scale Orders and Projects…

If department knows product(s) and quantity to order, email all details to purchasing@usfca.edu and expect 5-7 business days for a formal quotation. If ordering single items at bulk quantities, allow additional days for price negotiation.

If assistance is needed for product specification, room measurements, space planning and layout generation, a purchasing agent will schedule an initial walk through with you and provide an estimated timeline based on the need post-meeting.

For Large-Scale Orders and Projects…

1-3 days:  A Purchasing agent will schedule an initial walk-through with you and discuss the next steps (i.e. if an electrician or data/telcom rep is needed).  At this time, department will provide who the department's decision makers are such as the supervisor and budget manager. 
 

1-2 weeks: A more in depth Needs Assessment will be scheduled.  Depending on the scope of the project, additional walk-through’s may be scheduled with a furniture designer, USF department (such as Facilities and ITS), and/or third-party contractor (such as electrician or data/telcom company).

1-3 weeks:  Partnered furniture vendor will create a 2-dimensional layout for review.  3-dimensional layout available upon request.  If there is an AutoCAD (.dwg) file, please send to the assigned Purchasing agent.

Department to sign off on chosen drawing before proceeding to the next phase.

5-7 business days: Vendor to generate formal quotation that will include product price, tax, and delivery/installation cost.  For larger projects, allow additional days for price negotiation.

Note: When reviewing quotes, keep in mind that delivery location, product placement, ease of travel to building, path of delivery (i.e. stair-carry) are factors that effect delivery/installation cost for all requests

Step 3: Order Placement

Fill out a pReq, attach all back up documents and submit a signed copy to PAAS.  Using university-issued credit cards (P-Cards) for furniture purchases is not allowed.

For orders with individual items less than $1K AND total order amount under $5K, use account code 711810 in your FOAP. For orders with individual items $1K & over AND total order amount of $5K++, use account code 796410 in your FOAP.

If additional information is needed on determining FOAP or funding source, please work with your Budget Manger as his/her signature is required prior to submittal.

Note to Budget Managers: Please ensure funds are available in the submitted FOAP.

An electronic copy of the Purchase Order will be emailed to you. If a hard copy is preferred, please indicate it in the Requisition Form.

Furniture Lead Time

From the date of order placement, estimated lead time for standard office furniture is 6-8 weeks, while lounge furniture and custom products take approximately 8-10 weeks. All lead times exclude holidays, factory closures, and other uncontrollable circumstances (i.e. factory closures, shipment delays due to road closures and weather conditions, etc.).

Delivery / Installation Preparation

A purchasing agent will inform the department of the proposed delivery and installation (D/I) schedule as soon as it is finalized with the vendor. Unless specified in the purchase order’s scope of work, furniture installers are not responsible for moving/removing existing furniture. Place a work order with Facilities Management if assistance is needed to prepare the room/space. Under no circumstances should an employee attempt to move heavy furniture. It would be best to inform them of the D/I date to better schedule timeline of work.

Temporary / Surplus Furniture

USF keeps surplus furniture that can be reused by the community. For a complete list of inventory, contact Susan Davison of Facilities Management.

Important Note

PAAS reserves the right to source your request from a preferred supplier that (1) meets University Furniture Standards and (2) provides discounted pricing.