Maintain Compliance and Prepare Yourself for Audits

Whether you're managing procurement for a large school district or a small town, your role plays a critical part in ensuring your organization meets federal, state, and local purchasing requirements. And in the event of an audit, having the right documentation matters and makes a difference. 

The Importance of Closing the Compliance Loop

BuyBoard assists with simplifying purchasing while helping members comply with procurement requirements. A purchase through BuyBoard means a district is leveraging competitively solicited contracts that have already undertaken a competitive procurement process. 

However, a purchase isn’t considered a BuyBoard Cooperative purchase unless the purchase order (PO) is submitted to BuyBoard. 

That final step — reporting or submitting the PO — is what officially ties your purchase to the BuyBoard Purchasing Cooperative. Without it, your organization could be at risk if there is an audit or review,” said Arturo Salinas, division director of TASB Cooperative Purchasing.

Here’s Why POs Matter

• Transparency and Accountability: Reporting POs creates a documented trail of your purchase through BuyBoard, demonstrating how and where public funds are spent, fostering transparency and protecting against potential scrutiny. 
• Audit Readiness: In the event of an audit, having complete and accurate PO records of your cooperative purchases is essential. Missing or incomplete records can slow down the process and potentially raise red flags. 
• Contract Compliance: Reporting POs helps everyone to verify that your purchases align with the terms and conditions of BuyBoard contracts. 
• Data Accuracy and Insights: PO reporting helps BuyBoard maintain accurate purchasing data. This allows BuyBoard to improve vendor performance monitoring, contract management, and reporting — benefits that ultimately help members. 

How To Audit Your POs in the BuyBoard System  

Regularly auditing POs ensures that your records are accurate and up to date, making future audits less stressful. 

Here’s how BuyBoard members can audit their POs: 

1. Log in at app.buyboard.com and navigate to Purchase > Purchase Orders. 
2. Use the search function to find specific transactions by PO number, date, vendor, or status. 
3. Verify that your reported POs match your internal records. 
4. If a PO is missing, report it by selecting "Add Purchase Order" and entering the required details. 

"Even if your organization has been using BuyBoard for years, regularly reviewing and submitting POs is key to keeping your records current and audit ready,” said Brian Bolinger, associate executive director for TASB Business Services. “It’s a simple task that reinforces your commitment to compliance.”

Being a BuyBoard Member has Advantages 

Don’t miss out on a powerful tool for streamlined purchasing. BuyBoard helps lessen the burden of government for its members, saving valuable time and resources. 

By becoming a member, you’ll benefit from: 

• Millions of products and services from more than 2,000 awarded vendors 
• Competitive pricing that the Cooperative has obtained from vendors using the combined purchasing power of local governments 
• Simplified purchasing that saves you time and resources
• Compliance peace of mind through a documented audit trail for all awarded vendors 

Join BuyBoard today and take the hassle out of cooperative purchasing. Become a Member Today!