Send every purchase request down the right approval path

Fields

• What the requester wants to buy, and why
• Supplier named by the requester (empty if none)

Questions

1. Does the purchase request say what is being bought and what it is for, clearly enough to route it? Yes / No

   Read the request and the supplier field. Enough means a reviewer can tell the kind of product or service and the business need without writing back. A price or a supplier is not needed. Yes: The request says what is wanted and why, clearly enough to pick a category and reviews. No: The request is too vague to tell what is being bought or what it is for, such as "need budget for the tool we discussed".

2. Which spend category does the purchase request belong to? Choice

   Read the request and the supplier field. Choose the category of the main thing being bought. If a request covers a product and the service to set it up, choose the product.

   • Software and SaaS Software licences, cloud services and online tools, including apps with a monthly or yearly subscription.
   • IT hardware Laptops, phones, screens, servers, network equipment and their accessories.
   • Laboratory and plant equipment Machines, tools, test and measurement equipment, and spare parts for our plants and laboratories.
   • Production materials Raw materials, components and packaging that go into the instruments we sell.
   • Professional services Consultants, agencies, auditors, lawyers and other firms paid for advice or a piece of work.
   • Temporary staff and contractors Individual contractors or agency staff who work under our direction, paid by time.
   • Marketing and events Advertising, trade fairs, sponsorship, promotional items and event venues.
   • Facilities and office Cleaning, maintenance, furniture, office supplies, catering and building works.
   • Travel Flights, trains, hotels and car hire bought as a purchase, not claimed as expenses.
   • Training Courses, certifications, conferences attended for learning, and e-learning.
   • Freight and logistics Transport, couriers, warehousing and customs services.

3. Will the supplier or product store, process or see personal data about customers, staff or applicants? Yes / No

   Read the request. Count recordings, contact lists, CRM data, HR or payroll data, and any product that holds names, emails, phone numbers or other details about people, even if the request does not say "personal data". Yes: The product or service will hold, process or see details about identifiable people. No: Nothing in the request suggests the supplier or product will handle details about people.

4. Will the product or supplier connect to company systems, need logins to them, or be installed on company devices? Yes / No

   Read the request. Count integrations with our systems, single sign-on, API access, software installed on laptops, phones or plant equipment, and supplier staff needing accounts on our systems. Yes: The request describes or clearly implies such a connection, login or installation. No: The request describes a product or service that stands alone from our systems.

5. Does the product or service use AI or machine learning on company data? Yes / No

   Read the request. Count features such as automatic transcription, summaries, scoring, chat assistants, generated text or predictions that run on data we give it. Yes: The request says or clearly implies the product uses AI or machine learning on our data. No: Nothing in the request suggests AI or machine learning features.

6. Will the supplier's people work at company sites or directly with company staff? Yes / No

   Read the request. Count installers, engineers, cleaners, trainers or consultants coming to our offices, plants or laboratories, and contractors working inside our teams. Yes: The supplier's people will be on our sites or work alongside our staff. No: The supplier works remotely or only delivers goods.

7. Is the purchase a subscription, retainer, rental or other commitment that runs beyond one order? Yes / No

   Read the request. Yes: The request describes a subscription, annual licence, retainer, rental, lease or framework that continues or renews. No: The request is a one-off purchase of goods or a single piece of work.

8. Is the purchase for a regulated use on our list: hazardous substances, product testing or release, or possibly export-controlled items? Yes / No

   Read the request and the regulated use rule in the context. Yes: The purchase is a hazardous substance, equipment or software used to test or release products we ship, or a technical item that may be export controlled. No: The purchase is for none of these uses.

9. Does the request say the purchase has already been ordered, agreed or started with the supplier? Yes / No

   Read the request. Count an order already placed, a contract or order form already signed, work already started, or goods already delivered. A quote, an order form received but not signed, or a free trial with no commitment does not count. Yes: The request says the purchase or the work has already been ordered, agreed or started. No: Nothing has been ordered, signed or started yet.

Lens columns

enough_detail, enough_detail_probability, spend_category, spend_category_probability, handles_personal_data, handles_personal_data_probability, system_access_or_integration, system_access_or_integration_probability, uses_ai, uses_ai_probability, onsite_or_people, onsite_or_people_probability, ongoing_commitment, ongoing_commitment_probability, regulated_use, regulated_use_probability, already_bought, already_bought_probability