Software Procurement - New or Renewal

An IT Help Desk ticket is the first step for any software purchase, whether it is a new software purchase or renewal of existing software licensing or support. This ticket contains elements that address the infrastructure and security that make up the IT side and elements to meet the requirements of the purchasing rules and regulations for the State of Wisconsin (the campus Purchasing side). Since many factors come into play, this is the most streamlined way to engage the subject matter experts within a centralized space.

What to include:

Identify product: Include a quote from the vendor outlining the software product you wish to purchase so IT is informed of the exact item being requested. In the event of a software or licensing renewal, please include the renewal quote you received from the vendor as well. By taking this approach, it is clear upfront what product/licensing tier is being requested and mitigates discrepancies throughout the process.
Provide scope: Include a brief explanation (in your own words) of what type of software this is, what it does and how it will be used at the university. This information is helpful in the event the re-sellers under the State of Wisconsin’s mandatory software procurement contract are unable to quote the requested software and your request is transitioned from a Software Quote Request into a Software Review.

Any Other Valuable Information: Include anything else the IT department needs to know about the specifics of your request. For example, in a software licensing renewal situation, if you are in a multi-year agreement with the vendor, let us know you are looking to renew year 2 of 3 and attach the signed agreement between the university and the vendor which outlines this information.
Procurement Method: Software procurements should be placed via a Purchase Order; this process begins with Requisition entry, via the Requisition Wizard, within the ShopUW+ platform and takes places only after a successful IT Software Quoting process or a successful Software Review process.
Procurement Authority: Every purchase requires something called “Procurement Authority,” and different types of procurement authorities have different dollar value thresholds. Please see the Procurement Cost Tiers listed on the Office of Finance and Administration website, for guidance.

Please note each software request is unique and may require additional information than outlined above. Due to the various teams who need to be engaged during the process, please allow a 6 – 8 week turnaround for these requests. If the software request requires IT project work, additional time and resources may factor in as well. The purpose of this Knowledgebase article is to serve as a general guide which would cover most of the software and software renewal situations for campus.

See the following Knowledgebase articles for specific information regarding software quoting and software review processes: