This guide details what blanket orders are, when to use them, and how to complete all aspects of the data entry and submission.
Blanket Order Requisition – Getting Started
What is a blanket requisition?
A type of requisition that is created to encumber 'up front' an estimated or actual amount for a service, agreement or contract to which payments are made on an ongoing basis. When an invoice is received, payments are authorized by receiving the amount of the invoice on the blanket requisition.
What rules apply to blankets?
- If $25,000 or more, requires a BD-1 (Bid Document) or SSJ-1 (Sole Source Justification).
- All blankets are routed to PPS (Procurement and Payment Services) for approval regardless of dollar amount.
- Changes to POs (Purchase Order) need to be requested using the Change Order Request Process or the Change Order Form (which will route to PPS for processing).
When should you create a blanket requisition?
Create a new blanket requisition at the beginning of each fiscal year.

When should a blanket not be created?
- Not to be used as an open line of credit to purchase non-specific goods or services in the absence of an agreement or contract.
- Not to be used for one-time service.
- Not to be used to facilitate the use of phone orders.
Step 1: Create a Blanket Requisition
Step 2: Enter Blanket Order Information Fields
Requisition Order Details
These fields provide information that NUFinancials includes in the purchase order after the requisition is approved. Required fields are denoted by the asterisk *.
Note: The University does not use the Due Date field.
- Enter *Item Description. The description you enter should match the source description of the product.
- Enter *Price. Enter an amount equal to the total known or estimated amount of the line.
- Enter *Quantity. For all blanket requisitions, ALWAYS enter 1.
- Enter *Unit of Measure. For all special requisitions, ALWAYS enter EA.
- Click on the magnifying glass
- Type the first two letters of the unit into the Unit of Measure field.
- Then, click Look Up.
Alternatively, you can scroll through the units of measure to search or just type it.
- Select the Unit of Measure for your desired measurement.
- Click the Category magnifying glass to look up the categories.
- Click the Category link that best describes the kind of non-catalog item you are requisitioning.
- You can either select from the list provided or search for a specific category
- To search specific category, type the name and then click “Find”
Note: To select the category of capital goods, select the appropriate asset category.
Supplier Information
- Click the Supplier Name magnifying glass to run a search for the supplier directly from this field.

- Enter the name of the Supplier in the Name field.
- Search results appear in Supplier Search. Click the Supplier ID link to select the Supplier.
Note: Select only the supplier with the address that matches your ordering form or source address:
- If the supplier is found but the address is wrong, update the address by creating a Supplier Change Request.
- If no results are found for your supplier, you can request to add the supplier to NUFinancials using the Supplier Registration.
- When you select the supplier name from your search results, this simultaneously populates both the Supplier ID and the Supplier Name fields.
- Although the Supplier ID and Supplier Name are not ‘Required’ fields, you must have Supplier information selected in order to successfully source the Requisition into a Purchase Order.
- In Supplier Item ID, type the supplier catalog identification, if applicable. This could be the catalog number, quote number, or other unique identifier provided by the supplier. Not all suppliers utilize a supplier catalog ID, so you may not need to enter it.

Manufacturer Section
NOT in Use.

Additional Information Section
- If needed, enter comments into Additional Information. Comments are applicable to the line item and not the entire requisition
- Click the Send to Supplier checkbox if the comments should be sent to the supplier on the purchase order.
- Show at Receipt box is not typically used or generally recommended.
- Show at Voucher is infrequently used.

- Click Add to Cart to add the item to your shopping cart.

- This will appear as 1 Line next to the shopping cart icon at the top.
- When you are finished adding line items, Click Checkout at the top of the page.

Step 3: Checkout/ Ship To/Chart String Fields
The Review and Submit step is where you enter ship to codes, chart strings, budget check, and save and submit the requisition.
- Enter Requisition Name, beginning with BLK or other naming convention as determined by your school/department so it is easily recognizable as a blanket when viewing your list of requisitions. Maximum number of characters is 30.

- Click on the Requisition Type magnifying glass. Select Blanket Order.

Note: All Blanket Order requisitions will automatically be placed on “Hold PO for Further Processing” for Procurement and Payment Services to review and release.
Requisition Lines Section
Option: Adding Attachments
- To add an Attachment, click Edit next to the comment bubble.
- Click Add Attachment. Choose and upload a file
- Once you’ve uploaded the attachment, click OK.
Ship To Codes
- To view the hidden section that contains the Ship To and Chart String fields for a line item, click the Triangle next to that line item in order to expand the section.
- Click the magnifying glass next to Ship To: to look up the ship to code. A Look Up window appears.
- In the Description field, type the first letters of the department name. If you know the location ID, you can also type in the “Ship To Location” box.
- Click Look Up.
- Click the Ship To Location code that matches your department. If there is more than one location for your department, select the one that designates the appropriate drop-off location / delivery point.
At this time, you can input the Attention To field, if it hasn’t already been populated with the correct name.

Step 4: Enter Chart String Fields
Accounting Lines Section (within Requisition Lines Section)
All chart strings utilize Fund, Dept, and Account codes, at minimum. If you do not know which chart string to use, see your manager.
- To view the hidden section that contains the chart string fields for a line item, click the triangle next to Accounting Lines.
- Then click Chartfields2.
- In Fund, enter the Fund code.
- In Dept., enter the Department code.
- Scroll right to view Account. In Account, enter the Account code.
- If you want to add another chart string, click on the "+" sign at the end of the chart string row. To delete click on "–"
Note:
- As an alternative to scrolling, press the key twice to move through each successive field.
- As an alternative to typing the chart string, you can utilize the magnifying glass to perform a look up.
- As needed, to enter Project and Activity for Funds 170-199 or 300-899, first confirm that PC Bus Unit contains NWUNV. If PC Bus Unit is blank, enter NWUNV.

Step 5: Mark Requisition as Amount Only
Important Note: You need to enter your chartstring information before you click on the ‘Line Details’ icon in order to check the Amount Only checkbox. If you fail to do this, you will not be able to save information entered on the Line Details page until you go back and add chartstring information.
For each line on Amount-Only Requisitions (Blankets, Grant Subcontracts, and Receive by Dollar Amount), you must select the
Amount Only checkbox in Line Details. Generally, a Blanket and Receive by Dollar Amount Requisition should only have a single Line. Many times, a Grant Subcontract will have to two Lines; One for a Grant Subcontract Line that is Greater Than $25k and one for a Grant Subcontract Line that is Less Than $25k.
- Click the Line Details icon . (Located at right for each requisition line).

- Select the Amount Only checkbox. By checking the Amount Only box, this will automatically update your quantity to 1. Make sure to enter the right type of Physical Nature

- Click OK.

Step 6: Adding Comments and Check Budget
- Requisition Comments: Enter a Comment to explain the reason you are creating a blanket requisition, the length of time the service covers, and any other information that will assist in getting the blanket approved. For example: Blanket for cell phone services for 24 months as requested by Professor Smith.
- Approval Justification. If you want your comments viewable on the Approval Pages for PPS and all other Approvers, you should enter Comments in the ‘Approval Justification’ section.
- Scroll down and Click Check Budget.
- The budget check ensures the chart string(s) is valid and has no spending controls against it that would prevent you from submitting the requisition.
- Successful budget checking pre-encumbers or earmarks the funds.

- A pop-up message appears regarding saving and budget checking the transaction. Click OK.
Note: A processing icon spins while NUFinancials performs a budget check.
- When finished budget checking, a Budget Checking Status will appear as Valid.
- Click Save & Submit
Note:
- Valid: All spending controls are successfully passed.
- Warning: Some spending controls are encountered, but you are OK to submit the requisition.
- Error: You cannot submit the requisition. Your chart string may not have been set up or budgeted.
- See Resolve Combination Budget Check Errors, if you encounter errors.
Step 7: Save & Submit
- After you save and submit your Requisition, a Confirmation page appears.
FAQs
What should I do if my ‘Ship To’ code keeps disappearing?
Go to Requisition Settings and enter the Ship To code from there. This will allow you apply the ‘Ship To' for each Line.
What happens if you click the backspace button multiple times while creating a Requisition?
If you click your backspace button multiple times to erase information while creating a requisition, you may get kicked out of the requisition and your requisition will not be saved. Please highlight the information that you wish to delete, and then click on ‘Delete’.
How do I go back to fix my line item information for a Non-Catalog Requisition?
To fix the Line information for a Non-Catalog requisition, click on the description of the line item and it will take you back to the Create Requisition page, make your changes to the line information, and then click ‘Apply’ to save the changes.
Why do I get the following message when I flag the Amount Only check box on the line details page?
This message is received when users flag the ‘Amount Only’ check box on the Line Details page
before adding the Chartstring information. In order to avoid this message, please add the line Chartstring information before flagging the Amount Only check box on the Line Details page.
What happens when I forget to enter a requisition name in the Requisition Name field?
If you do not enter the Requisition Name when on the Summary Requisition page, the Requisition ID generated by the system will automatically populate the Requisition Name field.
What should I do if the Budget check status is invalid or error?
If you get an error on the Budget Validation Status, review the following link for more information about the error:
http://www.it.northwestern.edu/admin-systems/nufinancials/Errors.html.