Ordering Guide

All items requested for purchase must be entered in the OPEnS Shopping List (in main shared Google Drive folder) on the tab for the appropriate month (month the order is being placed during, current month).

When adding an item to the shopping list:

• All columns must be filled out. Purpose: needs to be sufficient for Cara to understand why you need the item. Note that the purpose column is your justification for purchase.
• If purchases need to be made ASAP, ping Cara after you have entered the item on the sheet.
• Preferred vendors are listed on the “Vendors” tab. Please look for items at the Benny Buy vendors (top section) first. Prioritize using the vendors on this list.
• Searching the entire spreadsheet for your part number or keywords is a great way to find out what the lab has bought before from where, and who has used it.
• For PCBs, please also send Cara and Chet an email requesting the purchase with the brd (OSHPark) or Gerber (PCBway) file attached. All new PCB designs will need to be approved by Chet before they can be ordered.

Note that the weekly orders will be made by Cara based upon the shopping list on Wednesdays. If you have your order on the shopping list by 3 pm on Wednesday, it will get ordered as soon as it is approved. If you need an order more urgently than that, please send Cara a ping with details. This is noted at the top of the spreadsheet in the monthly order tabs.

If your PI is outside of the OPEnS Lab, please coordinate with Cara on sending emails to get purchase approval. All emails to the PI for purchases need to contain: 1) Items requested for purchase (column D-I in shopping list); 2) Purpose of purchases (column J in shopping list); 3) Total purchase cost; 4) Index and activity code. E.g. "Do you approve the purchase of the following parts on index for $__ for ___?"

When you receive a package, put the packing slip in Cara’s box or send Cara a photo of the packing slip. If there is no packing slip, let Cara know that you received the items. Check to ensure that you have received all items that you requested and that are on the packing slip. If the package is for multiple people/projects, put the other items in the Lab receiving area and ensure that the other people know their items have arrived.