Surplus Procedures

Originally, surplus property was identified for surplus status by the Property Custodian and Property Manager of the Department that no longer needed an item. After it was approved, it showed up on a "pick-up listing" in the Surplus Property office.  There were two Surplus Property USPS workers who then surveyed the property to make sure it matched the listing.  If everything matched, they accepted the items into a holding account and physically moved the items to Physical Plant.  The physical move often took several weeks and sometimes up to two months due to the volume of items being surplussed.  Departments had the opportunity to "adopt" items that had been collected and transferred the items from our holding account to their property account.  The items were collected for an entire year and then a listing of all remaining items was sent to the Property Board for permission to dispose of the property.  In March each year an auction was held.  This auction required the services of several Physical Plant shops and a professional auction service.   Approximately 15,000 square feet of storage space, a 1.5 ton truck, one forklift, one golf cart and two full time USPS employees (as well as periodic temporary hire laborers to clear backlogs of 400 - 500 items that routinely built up) were required to make the program work.  The cost to the University was over $100,000 per year.  In July 1999 a decision was made to out source the program.  All but 500 square feet of storage space was made available for other more critical storage needs and all vehicles (except two golf carts) were transferred to other shops.  The items are now  removed by a vendor after a very brief opportunity for other department to "adopt" the items and Property Board permission is obtained to dispose of the items.  There is no auction and no temporary help has been needed as there are no backlogs.  The estimated savings to the University are between $50,000 and $80,000 per year and service is significantly improved.

1.  Property is identified to the Property Custodian as no longer needed by the owning Department.  The Property Custodian obtains the written permission of his/her Property Manager to surplus the item.  Departments are free to create their own internal documentation system but the records will be subject to audit.

2.  The Property Custodian then creates an entry in the Finance & Accounting's  database.  The basic data entry page is displayed below.  The date is "captured" from the system date and may not be changed.

SURPLUS DATA ENTRY

3.  On Monday of the following week (this will include all items that have been submitted, Monday through Friday of the previous week) a listing is printed by the Surplus Property Manager.  The Surplus Property Manager uses this listing and compares the items on the list to the property in each department.  If an item description or "CF" number does not match, the items is rejected and the Property Custodian creates a corrected entry.  If they match the item is allowed to proceed through the system.  During this same week the property is available to all Departments for "adoption."
    a.  A link to a complete listing of property that is available for adoption can be found on this same web site.  If a department wishes to "adopt" an item, they contact the Property Custodian of the owning Department and arrange for a Department-to-Department transfer of property and the Surplus Property Manager rejects the item from the surplus process.
    b.  If, at the end of the one week period, no one wants to "adopt" an item and it has been allowed to proceed through the system; it appears on a report  that is taken to the Property Board for permission to dispose of the item.

4.  The Surplus Property Manager e mails the list for removal to the Property Board president for authorization to dispose of the items.

5.  On Thursday of the same week the Property Board approved the item for removal, a vendor goes to each Department and removes the items the Property Board approved.

6.  The Surplus Property Manager takes the listing of all items that have been removed to the Property Office.  The Property Office deletes the records from each Department's accounts and People Soft.

Monday 1 Oct through Friday 5 Oct:  Items are identified to Property Custodians who written permission from the Property Manager to surplus the items.

Monday 8 Oct through Friday 12 Oct:  Items show up on pick-up listing and are reviewed to make sure they match.  Items are available for "adoption" during this week.

Monday 15 Oct:  Items are on listing taken to Property Board for disposal permission.

Thursday 18 Oct: Vendor removes item.

Procedures for "adoptions" or inter-departmental transfers of property are essentially unchanged.  If you see an item on the listing of available items that your department needs; contact the property custodian listed and make arrangements to go see the item or items to make sure they will meet your needs.  If it's what you need, ask the owning property custodian to contact the surplus property manager and reject the item.  Once the item is rejected from the surplus process you can arrange a department to department transfer of the property.  If the item is not  decaled  (original cost less than $1,000), the owning department may simply ask you to sign a receipt for the item.  If the item is decaled (initial cost over $1,000), the the owning property custodian would request the Property Office to transfer the item to your department's account.  Once that's done and verified, you may take the item.  Questions about transfers may be directed to Jim Bray at 3-5418.

As with any program, there will be occasions when normal procedures aren't enough.  For just such (hopefully rare) occasions, an emergency storage area has been set aside.  If for some unforeseen reason, you find yourself not having 9 to 13 business days to let the system flow, complete the database transactions (it only takes a couple of minutes) and contact Purchasing.  Purchasing has blanket purchase orders set up with local moving companies who will actually move the items from your Department to the emergency storage area (there is no labor pool) (same day or next day moving services are available but may cost more).  Purchasing will need an account number to charge the transaction to.  Attach a printout of the database transactions to the property (before it is taken from your Department by the movers) so that it is readily identifiable when the vendor comes to the emergency storage area to take the items away.  Then phone Physical Plant Work Management at 407-823-5223.  Explain the circumstances and they will contact the Property Manager.  The Property Manager will coordinate a time with you and the moving service to make the emergency storage area available.

Cannibalization is now a sub category of surplus and is a one step process.  If you want to cannibalize an item, you must get your Property Custodian to submit the item for surplus status.  The condition code is "cannibalized."   Then you get your Property Manager to approve the item for surplus status and listings are generated. The Property Board approves the item for cannibalization and the parts may be removed and used for legitimate University purposes only (Parts may not be given to students, faculty or staff for personal use).  After the item has been cannibalized the surplus vendor will remove the unwanted remains.

That's it in a nutshell.  We need everyone's help to make sure the emergency procedures aren't abused.  Our space is only 500 square feet and has been maxed out on several occasions.  It just takes 9 to 13 business days pre-planning to let the normal procedures work.  Please help us out.