The Board of Management, through its Finance Sub-Committee, is advised to establish a set of procedures governing purchasing and should set out the arrangements for buying, receipt of goods and accounting for same.
A purchasing policy needs to strike a balance between quality and cost, (as the cheapest is not necessarily the best) and between cost-effective bulk purchasing and inefficient overstocking. Registers of known suppliers may be built up for frequently required items but occasional comparative checks should be made with prices of other suppliers.
For further support and advice on procurement contact the Schools Procurement Unit (SPU).