Purchasing Files - What's Required.

Contractors should organize and administer the purchasing department to ensure the effective and efficient procurement of required quality materials and parts at the most economical cost from responsible and reliable sources.

To this end, contractors prepare and maintain what is typically referred to as "purchasing files". The purchasing files should contain appropriate information to support the vendor selected and the price paid. Over the years, Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) who jointly participate in reviewing purchasing systems, have developed a checklist of data that should be contained in a purchasing file, when applicable. These include:

1. The purchase order
2. The purchase requisition
3. The request for quotation
4. Copies of the vendors' quotes
5. A bid tabulation sheet that summarizes and compares vendor quotations
6. Certificates for the rent-free use of Government facilities
7. Vendor surveys or facilities capability reports
8. Source selection explanation
9. Price or cost analysis data
10. Negotiation summary
11. Basis for selection of contract type
12. Copies of technical data
13. Price re determination or termination data
14. Correspondence between the purchasing department and the bidders
15. Evidence of Small and Disadvantaged Business enterprise consideration
16. Information concerning the use of special terms and conditions and approve thereof
17. Departmental and management approvals, if required
18. Administrative Contracting Officer notification and consent
19. Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data if procurement meets the requirements.

Where these items are applicable but not found in the purchasing files, the Government will certainly make inquiries. Significant omissions could lead to disapproved systems and possible withholds. It would be useful to compare your files against this list to see how well you match up.