eVA Basics Manual | Fiscal Services

eVA Basics Manual

Prepared by Fiscal Learning & Engagement

May 2023      2 
 
Table of Contents 
Purchasing Policy Overview .................................................................................................................................................... 3 
What is eVA? ........................................................................................................................................................................... 3 
eVA Access and Required Training ...................................................................................................................................... 3 
Purchases Exempt from eVA ............................................................................................................................................... 4 
Banner Finance Integration ................................................................................................................................................ 4 
Commonly Referenced eVA Terms ......................................................................................................................................... 5 
Doing Business with Mason .................................................................................................................................................... 5 
eVA User Account Overview ................................................................................................................................................... 6 
Homepage – Welcome to eVA ............................................................................................................................................ 7 
Add a Mason Purchase Card (P-Card) ................................................................................................................................. 8 
Add Deliver to Name ........................................................................................................................................................... 9 
 ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 9 
Favorite a Supplier .............................................................................................................................................................. 9 
eVA Requisition Requirements ............................................................................................................................................... 9 
PO Category ...................................................................................................................................................................... 10 
Procurement Transaction Type ......................................................................................................................................... 10 
Commodity Code .............................................................................................................................................................. 11 
Allocations ......................................................................................................................................................................... 11 
Orders Over $5,000 ........................................................................................................................................................... 11 
Approval Process ............................................................................................................................................................... 12 
Change or Cancel, Receive or Return Process .................................................................................................................. 12 
Rejected Orders & Banner Integration Errors ................................................................................................................... 13 
eVA Exemption Guide ........................................................................................................................................................... 14 
Create a Catalog Order in eVA .............................................................................................................................................. 15 
Create a Non-Catalog Order in eVA ...................................................................................................................................... 18 
eVA Approver Guide ............................................................................................................................................................. 22 
eVA Search, Duplicate, and Change Order Guide ................................................................................................................. 23 
eVA Error Resolution Guide .................................................................................................................................................. 25 
 
 
 
 
 

May 2023 3

Purchasing Policy Overview

All faculty and staff must remain responsible stewards of state and university assets by complying with the established

policies and procedures outlines in University Policy 2106 – Purchasing Goods and Services. This includes to:

• Obtain high quality goods and services at a reasonable cost

• Seek competition to the maximum extent possible

• Provide all qualified vendors access to public business

• Conduct procurement procedures in a fair and impartial manner

• Encourage participation of small, women, and minority owned businesses

• Utilize existing institution-wide contracts, where available

Purchases of $5,000 or less are delegated to employees at the Unit level. The Mason Contract Addendum should be

attached to contracts to override unallowable vendor terms and mandatory sources must be used. Employees should

use a P-Card whenever possible.

Purchases over $5,000 up to $200,000 must be entered into eVA by the Unit and approved by a Purchasing Office Buyer.

Purchasing authority at this level requires a letter of Delegation of Signature Authority before making any contractual

commitments. Purchase requests must include at least three vendor quotes, two of which must be Micro/SWaM (when

available), unless an existing contract is used. The process requires a 5 –10 day lead time. The $5,000 threshold applies

to the total cost of the purchase, regardless of the number of payments made to the vendor or service provider.

No Split Orders

Any purchase that is expected to exceed $5,000 must be processed through eVA and the Purchasing Office. The $5,000

threshold specified in University Policy 2106 must not be circumvented by “splitting orders”. A split purchase is the

breaking down of a single purchase into two or more separate transactions that appear to evade the single transaction

limit. An example of a split order would be a purchase of a conference table and matching chairs for a total of $5,200

that is placed in two transaction back-to-back on the same P-card or multiple P-cards in the same unit resulting in a

$2,500 order for the conference table that is followed by a $2,700 order for the matching chairs.

What is eVA?

The Department of General Services (DGS) and the Division of Purchases and Supply (DPS) has established eVA to ensure

Virginia's leaders, suppliers, and citizens achieve maximum visibility and access to every Commonwealth procurement

opportunity. All orders over $5,000 must be initiated in eVA. Contracts and payments to individuals at any dollar amount

must be initiated in eVA.

Purchasers at Mason use the eVA e-Mall application which allows items to be purchased through an integrated web-

based “Punch-Out” catalog or ordered as “Non-Catalog items” identified by sources such as the vendor’s independent

catalog, proposal or quote. Purchase Order information integrates with Banner Finance making it easy for reconciliation

and payment processing.

eVA Access and Required Training

New users must complete the on-demand access based training in MasonLEAPS and then submit an eVA Access Form.

May 2023 4

The eVA Login Request Form, also located at Forms and Instructions, must be completed and include signatures of the

applicant’s supervisor, as well as their Banner liaison. Applicants will receive a notice when access has been granted.

Users should login to eVA using their Mason Net ID and password (used for PatriotWeb).

This state-issued form has been modified for Mason users purchasing items of $5,000 or less. The applicant should list a

current “Ship to” address that includes the building name, room number, and mail stop number. Only those fields listed

as mandatory and in bold are required to be completed.

Purchases Exempt from eVA

Most goods and services must be purchased utilizing eVA, however, some exceptions are allowed. If a purchase meets

one of the exemption criteria established by the state (listed below) then the purchase does not have to be completed

through eVA procurement.

Purchases that are exempt from eVA procurement:

1. Individual travel and lodging.

2. Registration fees for conferences.

3. Small over-the-counter purchases made with the P-Card. Purchases must be made at the site of the sale and

picked up by the cardholder. This DOES NOT include orders places on the vendor’s website or by telephone.

4. Reimbursements (limited, see Reimbursement Guidelines).

5. Honorarium payments (see, Honorarium Payment Guidelines).

6. Payments to the Department of Homeland Security.

7. Postage (this includes mailing services such as FedEx and UPS).

8. Business Cards - may be purchased on-campus through Canon Solutions or online through Worth Higgins using

the Mason P-Card. (See, Business Card Guidelines).

9. Sodexo Catering – should be ordered through the online Catertrax application. Sodexo provides Mason’s on-

campus dining and is the preferred caterer.

10. Interdepartmental charges (See, Recharge process).

There are additional categories of purchases that are exempt from the eVA assessed fees, but still require purchase

through eVA. Please review the eVA Exemption Guide available in the Appendix of this manual.

Banner Finance Integration

Banner Finance is a comprehensive information system comprised of finance, human resources and student modules.

The finance module of this administrative software is used to record financial transactions resulting from activity at the

university. All direct bill purchases made through eVA (not using a P-Card), for which Accounts Payable will issue

payment, will integrate with Banner Finance and appear as an encumbrance on the fund/org being charged once

approved by the fund/org approver for the unit. User should perform a G# lookup if the order will be directly billed to

Accounts Payable to ensure the vendor has a Mason G#.

Purchases made in eVA with a registered P-Card will be recorded in Banner Finance when the transaction is approved by

the supervisor in the Bank of America Works system. Approval by the fund/org approver is not required in eVA for

transactions paid for with a P-Card.

Processing Requisitions in eVA

Routine purchases of goods and services, payments for dues, subscriptions and services previously provided are

processed in eVA. In these situations, the department may have received an invoice directly from the vendor that is to

be processed for payment. When required, enter the payment in eVA following the appropriate process listed under

“Create a Requisition” below. The invoice, with the PO number (purchase order) noted, must be sent to Accounts

Payable at acctpa[email protected] in order to be processed and paid. The Prompt Payment Act requires agencies to pay a

vendor within 30-days of receiving the goods/services or an invoice (whichever is later).

May 2023 5

Shipping and Delivery Charges

If an eVA order includes a charge for shipping/freight or if there is a delivery fee associated with the order, each of these

items should be entered as an individual line item and not simply combined with the price of the ordered item.

Additionally, shipping/freight and delivery fees have unique commodity codes. In eVA the NIGP commodity code for

shipping or freight charges is 96286 and delivery fee is 96750. Shipping and freight charges are not subject to eVA fees

and must be on an individual line item with NIGP commodity code 96286 so these fees are not assessed.

Commonly Referenced eVA Terms

Commodity Code

A numeric code from the numbering system used by the Commonwealth of Virginia

to categorize the products and services purchased and is a required element.

Non-Catalog Items

Any item/order that is not submitted through a vendor’s Punchout Catalog is

considered a Non-Catalog order. The user must enter all item details including

description, price, commodity code, and quantity.

PO Category

This is a reference to the type of eVA order and is a required element.

Procurement Transaction Type

This defines the type of procurement that a requisition is addressing and is a

required element.

Punchout Catalog

A Punchout catalog is a vendor catalog embedded in eVA. It allows purchasers to

“Punchout” items from a vendor’s on-line catalog. All item and vendor information

is returned in eVA format.

Purchase Requisition (REQ)

A requisition is the starting point of an order. It is an internal document and should

not be sent to the vendor or Accounts Payable. It is identified by the prefix REQ.

Purchase Order (PO)

A purchase order is issued when the purchaser does not have a P-Card or does not

use his/her P-Card for the purchase. A direct order is also issued when the vendor

does not accept P-Cards and an invoice will be submitted to Accounts Payable for

payment.

Purchase Card Order (PCO)

A purchase card order is indicated by the prefix “PCO” in eVA. These are orders

placed in eVA with a P-Card. Charges are billed immediately to the purchaser’s P-

card account.

Doing Business with Mason

Vendor G Number

A Vendor G Number (G#) is required in order to process a payment for a direct order. Use the Vendor G Number lookup

available on the Fiscal Services website to search for the proposed vendor (be aware of spaces, punctuation and “doing

business as”, etc.) If the Vendor is not listed in the G# database a Substitute W-9 form, W-8BEN, or W-8BEN-E form must

be submitted through the Vendor registration portal located, here: https://fiscal.gmu.edu/purchasing/do-business-with-

mason/.

eVA Vendor Accounts

Vendors interested in conducting business with George Mason University and other state agencies must have an active

eVA account before a purchase requests can be made, and an invoice can be processed. If a vendor chooses to join eVA

at the purchaser’s request, they may visit the eVA homepage and select I Sell to Virginia button for registration

information. The eVA Customer Care Team is available at evacustomercare@dgs.virginia.gov or 1-866-289-7367 to assist

vendors with the self-registration process.

Benefits for Vendors

A self-registered eVA account provides vendors with the benefit of being able to publish a “Punchout” catalog, which

provides eVA users an opportunity to view the vendor’s available goods and services while remaining in the eVA system.

May 2023 6

Self-registration also provides vendors a number of other tools and resources such as receiving electronic orders,

accepting P-Card payments, in addition to automated placement on bidders list, and notifications for business

opportunities with Virginia State Agencies, Colleges and Universities. If the vendor is unwilling to self-register they can

be state entered by submitting a Substitute W-9 form, W-8BEN, or W-8BEN-E form through the Vendor registration

portal located, here: https://fiscal.gmu.edu/purchasing/do-business-with-mason/.

Vendor Search

Users should access the eVA Vendor List prior to initiating a

purchase requisition in eVA. In addition to verifying that the

vendor is registered with eVA (self-registered) or has been paid by

the state in the past (state-entered), the user may determine if a

vendor is Micro/SWAM certified, accepts P-Card payments, and/or

accepts orders electronically. The user may search the listing by

entering any portion of the vendor’s name.

For example, if a user types the word “pizza” in the search field this will populate the search results with all related

vendor names, locations, etc.

The far-left column, marked Status, will identify vendors as Self (for self-registered vendors) or State (indicating state-

entered vendors). The search also specifies the vendor’s acceptance of credit cards (Y/N) or electronic orders (Y/N).

Selecting the Vendor ID will give additional details on the vendor including a contact phone number and name for the

vendor.

eVA User Account Overview

To login to eVA procurement, go to https://eva.virginia.gov/ and select

Buyer Login. Then Login with you Agency account and select GMU. This

will bring you to the Mason single sign on/2FA. Please note that first time

users will be prompted to electronically sign the eVA Acceptable Use

Acknowledgement.

Please review the document in

full and then complete the

acknowledgment to continue.

May 2023 7

Homepage – Welcome to eVA

The Welcome to eVA homepage provides an overview of the current to-do list and order status’ for the user. To navigate

back to the homepage at any point during an eVA session, simply click on the eVA log in the upper left corner. The top-

level tab details and use cases are discussed below.

The key element under the Suppliers

tab is “Browse Suppliers.” For Non-

Catalog orders users should ensure

the vendor is registered in eVA prior

to beginning the order. USERS

SHOULD NEVER ATTEMPT TO

“CREATE” A SUPPLIER. Please refer

to the Doing Business with Mason

section above for guidance.

For users that are also Contract

Administrators, the Contracts tab

may be used to review their

contract status by selecting My

Contracts. Please note: Users

should refer to Mason’s

Commonly Used Contracts

webpage to browse current

contracts for goods and services.

To begin a Catalog order, open the

Filter panel and then “pin” it to the

page. This will ensure it appears on

the page each time.

Check the box for Punchout Only

and enter a Supplier name. Then

select the correct supplier punchout

by clicking on the icon

To begin a Non-Catalog order, click the “Add

Non-Catalog Item” button. Then enter the

details of each item based on the vendors quote

or other details. Users will add the Supplier

information before completing the order.

Users may begin an order by going to Search Products.

From the Procurement tab users

may Create Requisitions, Browse

Orders, Create Receipts and View

Pending Receipts.

USERS SHOULD NEVER “CREATE

CONFIRMING ORDERS.” Mason

communicates these orders to eVA

directly and no user entry is

required.

Users with a Reporting role may login to eVA

to Access Report Center or use the Reporting

tool available on the eVA webpage.

May 2023 8

eVA Dashboard

Add a Mason Purchase Card (P-Card)

Users who have a Small Purchase Charge Card (P-Card) issued by Mason may add the card to their eVA profile. Once

added, the P-Card may be used as the payment method on orders of $5,000 or less when the chosen vendor accepts the

P-Card. Typically, vendors with Punchout Catalogs also accept the P-Card and this provides a convenient way to quickly

place orders. Please note the users must choose to add the P-Card to each order AND a complete allocation is still

required. The P-Card will not become the default payment method.

To add a P-Card, go to your profile by clicking on your name in the upper right-hand corner and then selecting My

Profile. On the Profile Management page, navigate to the Pcard Info section and then select Add Pcard.

Search for Products: to

initiate a new Purchase

Requisition (REQ)

My to-do list: contains

items that require

action from you

What’s my order

status?: contains

orders status’,

assigned PO#, etc.

Pcard Label: should be

labeled so you can

identify as your P-Card.

For example –

“Heather’s P-Card”

Required Information:

complete all required

card information and

then choose Save &

Close to complete

Please note it may take

24 hours for your P-

Card to be ready to use

in eVA. Please plan

purchases accordingly

May 2023 9

Add Deliver to Name

Users must enter a “Deliver to Name” under their Profile in order for this required field to populate on submitted

requisitions. If the Deliver to Name is left blank the Requisition will fail integration with Banner Finance and the user will

have to recreate the order and add the Deliver to Name.

To add a Deliver to name, go to your profile by clicking on your name in the upper right-hand corner and then select My

Profile. On the Profile Management page, navigate to the Deliver To (text field) and enter your name, then click Save.

Favorite a Supplier

Users can “favorite” suppliers in order to quickly locate them

in eVA. After logging into eVA, go to the Suppliers tab and

select Browse Suppliers. Enter terms into the Keywords

search box.

Once the correct supplier is located, click the “star” to

favorite the supplier. The supplier will now be listed under

Favorite Suppliers and can be selected when completing a

vendor search or purchase requisition.

eVA Requisition Requirements

The purchasing process at Mason depends upon two criteria: method of payment (is the purchaser using a P-Card or is

Accounts Payable going to issue a direct payment to the vendor) and the vendor’s eVA Account Type (is the vendor self-

registered in eVA or state-entered). Users should only select vendors with an “Active Supplier” status. eVA offers two

types of shopping experiences; (1) the purchaser can select items from a "Punchout“ catalog on a supplier-maintained

site that integrates with eVA, or (2) by entering items as a Non-Catalog order based on a vendors quote or other

documentation.

Before beginning an eVA order, the purchaser determines what vendor is to be used and obtains the following

information about that vendor:

• Is the vendor self-registered with eVA? If so, does the vendor:

o Accept the P-Card?

o Accept electronic orders?

o Have a Punchout catalog in eVA?

• Vendors who are “state-entered” are unable to provide the services listed above and all orders to state-entered

vendors will be Non-Catalog Orders and require a vendor quote or other details.

May 2023 10

PO Category

eVA fees are assessed based on the PO

Category. All routine purchases and all

Punch-Out catalog orders should be

assigned PO Category R01 - These

purchases will incur eVA fees. Examples

include: Office, lab, and other supplies,

goods such as T-shirts, promotional items,

software, subscriptions (up to 1 year), and

other tangible items.

Specific purchases have been determined

by the Commonwealth to be exempt from

eVA fees and should be assigned PO

Category X02 – These purchases will not

incur eVA fees. Examples include:

Professional membership dues,

entertainment (speakers, lecturers, musicians, performers), advertising and other categories. The complete list is

available in the eVA Exemption Guide (Appendix).

DO NOT check the box for “Create Blanket Purchase Order” or “Bypass Integration”

Procurement Transaction Type

For Non-Catalog orders, the user will select the Procurement Transactions type for the order. The categories most

frequently selected will be Supplies-Non-Technology (most book, office, lab and student event supply purchases such as

pizza for student events and similar items, as well as all purchases from The Supply Room Companies, including

purchases of printer cartridges and batteries) and Non-Professional Services – Non-Technology (consultants, guest

speakers, entertainers, membership dues, subscriptions, hotels, bus transportation, catering, advertising and similar

type transactions). When an eVA order consists of more than one procurement type, purchasers should select the type

that represents the largest dollar amount of the order.

Procurement Transaction Types to Use

Examples

Equipment Non-Technology

Furniture, telescopes, athletic and aquatic equipment

Equipment Technology

Computers, servers, monitors

Supplies Non-Technology

Books, office/lab supplies, student event supplies

Supplies Technology

Computers, computer components, software

Non-professional Services Non-Technology

Consultants, guest speakers, entertainers, security guards,

subscriptions, dues, library, banking, hotels, bus transportation,

catering, advertising

Non-professional Services Technology

Cable/satellite TV services, cell service

Printing

Printing of brochures, posters, newsletters

ALL OTHER TYPES LISTED

Please do not use without permission from the Purchasing Office

directly at purch1@gmu.edu.

50505050

May 2023 11

Commodity Code

For Non-Catalog orders, the user will add a Commodity Code to

each line item. The Commodity Code is a numeric code from the

numbering system used by the Commonwealth of Virginia to

categorize the products and services purchased. Purchasers can

type a product term into the search field and choose the one that

most closely matches the purchase.

Allocations

Accounting details, including Fund OR Org number AND Account code, are required elements in the eVA order process.

The eVA system will not finalize the purchase requisition without the appropriate accounting information. The

organization or fund code indicates the department, organizational unit or project that will be charged for the purchase.

The purchaser should enter only an Org or Fund code that they are authorized to charge. The account code is a 5-digit

code used to classify the purchase by expenditure type. For example, the account code for office supplies is 74120. A list

of commonly used expenditure account codes is available on the Fiscal Services website at Expenditure Account Codes.

The activity code is an optional element used by cost-sharing units. Each section is alpha numeric and searchable. To add

more than one accounting line click the + Allocation button.

Orders Over $5,000

Purchases exceeding the $5,000 departmental limitation are processed through the Purchasing Office. The purchaser

will enter the order in eVA as a catalog or non-catalog order. Once the order has been approved by the unit approver, it

is transmitted electronically to the Purchasing Office where it will be assigned to a Purchasing Office Buyer. The

Purchasing Office Buyer will then place the order. Once the Purchasing Office Buyer becomes involved, the

departmental purchaser may view, but not change, the order.

When placing orders over $5,000, it is

important to add comments in the

Internal Comment field that may assist the

Purchasing Office Buyer to complete the

purchase. Quotes, drawings or pictures of

the desired items should be attached to

the requisition by clicking on Attachments,

selecting New Document and then

determining if the new attachment will be

an Internal Attachment or a Supplier

Document (visible to the supplier). All

information for the Purchasing Office

Buyer should be marked as an Internal Attachment.

May 2023 12

Receiving an Order over $5,000: When an invoice is received* in Accounts Payable for a Purchase Order that is more

than $5,000, Accounts Payable staff will email the eVA order initiator to confirm that the goods or services have been

received or provided. This email certification of receipt is required before payment is made. The unit purchaser will not

be able to Create a Receipt for orders over $5,000. *If the department receives an invoice from the vendor, the invoice

should immediately be sent to Accounts Payable, MSN 3C1 or [email protected]. The department must note the

Purchase Order number on the invoice.

Purchase Amount

Purchasing Office Requirements and Lead Times

Over $5,000 - up to -

$200,000

For purchases where the one time or cumulative estimated cost of the materials, supplies or

services is greater than $5,000, at least three written quotations should be obtained. At least

two quotes must be from Micro/SWaM vendors. In cases where two certified Micro/SWaM

vendors are solicited and the price is determined to be fair and reasonable the third

competitive quote is not required. Administrative lead-time is approximately 5 to 10 days.

Over $200,000 -

Invitation for Bids

(IFB)

For purchases where the one time or cumulative estimated cost is expected to be more than

$200,000, competitive sealed bidding is required. Bids should be solicited from at least six

sources. Solicitations are to include a minimum of four Micro/SWaM vendors. IFB’s are

advertised in eVA and on the Purchasing Web Page. Sealed bids are opened and read aloud

at a public bid opening. When appropriate, a Notice of Award or Notice of Intent to Award is

publicly posted for 10 days after the applicable decision has been made. Administrative lead-

time is approximately 21 days, but may be as long as 60 days. .

Over $200,000 –

Request for Proposal

(RFP)

For purchases expected to exceed $200,000, competitive sealed proposals, resulting in

competitive negotiations is required. Proposals should be solicited from at least six sources.

Solicitations are to include a minimum of four Micro/SWaM vendors. RFP’s are advertised in,

eVA and the Purchasing Web Page. Sealed proposals are not opened in public. When

appropriate, a Notice of Award or Notice of Intent to Award is publicly posted for 10 days

after the applicable decision has been made. Administrative lead-time is typically 60-180

days depending on complexity. There is no mechanism for an expedited RFP

Approval Process

All non-P-Card orders are approved electronically by the purchaser’s supervisor or designated approver before they are

submitted to the vendor or returned to the purchaser to approve, print/fax. The Approver should review the order for

policy compliance, budget availability, completeness and accuracy. All orders must have a legitimate business purpose

and adhere to Mason’s purchasing policies. Questionable or unallowable requests should be rejected and returned to

the submitter for review and/or additional comment.

eVA approvers who will be away from the office for an extended period should delegate their approval authority to

another eVA user in their absence. The step-by-step process for Approvers is outlined in the eVA Approvers Guide

(Appendix).

Change or Cancel, Receive or Return Process

If a departmental purchaser changes or cancels an order, or returns some or all of the ordered items, in most cases,

those changes should also be recorded in eVA to ensure accurate reporting and fee assessment. When the change

represents less than 10% of the order amount up to $199.99, the purchaser is NOT required to enter the changed

information in eVA.

A purchaser may change or cancel any part of an order by adding or deleting items, or changing the quantity or price of

items after submitting the order in eVA. The purchaser should initiate the Change or Cancel process in eVA and call the

vendor immediately to verify the change/cancellation, referencing the order number. Please refer to the eVA Search,

Copy, and Change Order Guide (Appendix).

May 2023 13

Receive or Return an Order

Non-P-Card orders should be received in eVA. The purchaser will Create a Receipt for the order and verify that the items

have been received. If a purchaser wishes to return items after an order is received, they should contact the vendor to

determine the process for the return. The vendor will provide instructions on the proper procedure for returning the

items. If a purchaser is unsuccessful in negotiating a return with a vendor, he/she may contact the Purchasing Office at

3-2580.

After the merchandise has been returned, the purchaser should follow up to ensure that a credit has been issued by the

vendor to the appropriate P-Card account, a correct invoice received or a refund check processed. A Return should be

processed in eVA following the guidelines in the eVA Order Receive or Return Guide (Appendix).

Rejected Orders & Banner Integration Errors

A purchaser will occasionally receive a message from indicating that his/her order has been rejected or denied.

• The purchaser’s approver may reject the purchase. If this occurs, the approver should write a comment in the

appropriate field to inform the initiator of their reason(s) for rejection.

• The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) may reject the purchase. A representative from OSP should write a

comment in the appropriate field to inform the initiator of their reason(s) for rejection.

• The International Tax Office may delay approval for foreign vendors if required information is missing.

In other cases, the order may fail to integrate with Banner Finance, the repository for financial transactions at the

University. When this occurs, the order will show as “Request Rejected” under the “What’s my order status” menu box.

Please refer to the eVA to Banner Integration Error Resolution Guide for instructions on how to resolve these errors

(Appendix).

May 2023 14

eVA Exemption Guide

Most goods and services must be purchased utilizing eVA, Virginia’s electronic procurement system, however, some

exceptions are allowed. If a purchase meets one of the exemption criteria established by the state (listed below) then

the purchase does not have to be completed through eVA procurement.

Purchases that are exempt from eVA procurement:

1. Individual travel and lodging.

2. Registration fees for conferences.

3. Small over-the-counter purchases made with the P-Card. Purchases must be made at the site of the sale and

picked up by the cardholder. This DOES NOT include orders places on the vendor’s website or by telephone.

4. Reimbursements (limited, see Reimbursement Guidelines).

5. Honorarium payments (see, Honorarium Payment Guidelines).

6. Payments to the Department of Homeland Security.

7. Postage (this includes mailing services such as FedEx and UPS).

8. Business Cards - may be purchased on-campus through Canon Solutions or online through Worth Higgins using

the Mason P-Card. (See, Business Card Guidelines).

9. Sodexo Catering – should be ordered through the online Catertrax application. Sodexo provides Mason’s on-

campus dining and is the preferred caterer.

10. Interdepartmental charges (See, Recharge process).

Routine Purchases (R01)

The items listed below are examples of items that are subject to eVA fees (charged to Mason). These are items that may

be purchased in eVA or directly with a vendor using a P-Card and must be classified as an “R01” in eVA and/or during the

Bank of America allocation process.

1. Food purchases placed on the phone or online.

2. Purchases made for supplies, etc. over the phone through an online portal (i.e. Purchases made on Amazon)

3. Purchases for T-shirts, promotional items, software, lab supplies

4. Tangible items not otherwise classified.

5. Subscriptions (periodicals, services, software, etc. for bona fide business purposes, NOT TO EXCEED ONE YEAR)

Purchases exempt from eVA fees (X02)

The items listed below are exempt from eVA fees (charged to Mason). These are items that may be purchased in eVA or

directly with a vendor using a P-Card, however, the PO Category field should be changed to “X02” (instead of R01) in

eVA and/or during the Bank of America allocation process. This way eVA will not charge Mason a transaction fee for the

purchase.

1. Professional organization membership dues.

2. Entertainment payments to: speakers, lecturers, musicians and performing artists. This DOES NOT include

consultants, seminar facilitators or contracted workshop instructors.

3. Accreditation fees and academic testing services.

4. Advertisements in newspapers, magazines, journals, radio or television.

5. Real estate leases.

6. Exhibition rental fees for exhibitions of historical artifacts or works of art.

7. Public utility payments (electric, natural gas, water sewer).

8. Purchases from public auction (non-electronic).

9. State Agency to State Agency payments.

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Create a Catalog Order in eVA

A Punchout Catalog is a vendors’ goods or services catalog that is embedded in eVA. It allows purchasers to “punchout”

items from a vendor’s on-line catalog that integrates with the eVA platform. Selected items and the vendor information

is used to create a purchase requisition automatically in the eVA format.

Verify the Vendor

1. Access the eVA Vendor List and perform a search.

Verify that the vendor is listed as “active” and review

their ability to accept electronic orders and/or P-Card

payments. (See the Doing Business with Mason section

of the eVA Manual for additional guidance)

2. Access the Mason Vendor G# Lookup and perform a

search. Verify that the vendor is listed. If the vendor is not listed, direct them to the Doing Business with Mason

webpage to submit their W-9/W-8 through the Mason vendor portal. A G# is required before payment can be

issued. (See the Doing Business with Mason section of the eVA Manual for additional guidance)

Create the Requisition

1. Go to https://eva.virginia.gov/ and select

Buyer Login. Then Login with you Agency

account and select GMU. This will bring

you to the Mason single sign on/2FA.

2. On the homepage select Shop from the menu bar and then click

on Search Products.

3. Open the Filter panel from the left side of the screen. We

recommend you “pin” the panel to this page. Check the box next to “Punchout Only” and then type in the name

of the Supplier whose punchout Catalog you would like to view in the “Search Products” field.

4. Click on the Cart icon next to the correct supplier to view their Catalog and place an order.

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5. The suppliers Punchout Catalog will open. You can browse products and add them to your cart within the

Catalog. Note: The Supply Room Catalog has created GMU specific lists under Favorites for easy ordering.

6. After all products have been added to the Catalog cart, click the “Submit Cart” or “Checkout” button (depending

on the vendors terminology) to return to eVA and complete the Catalog Order.

7. In the Header section, enter the required

information as follows:

a. Name: Title for the purchase

(example, “TSRC Order 10/15

M19678”).

b. Organization: Do not change. Will

default as assigned.

c. Type: Will default to Purchase

d. PO Category: Select “RO1” for

routine purchases or “XO2” for

specific purchases exempt from

fees. (See, eVA Exemptions Guide)

e. Requester: Will default to user.

f. Reference Number: Optional field.

g. Procurement Transaction Type:

Select as appropriate. (See, eVA Manual)

h. Header Field 1, Header Field 2: Optional fields.

i. DO NOT check the box for Create Blanket Purchase Order or Bypass Integration.

8. In the Items & Services section, verify the products and quantities are correct.

9. To add an Allocation to the entire

purchase order, select all items and

then click “Set Allocation.”

10. Enter “100” in the % field, select “2023”

as the Fiscal Year, select the Fund or

Org, and Account code. Then click Apply

and Close. The allocation will be

recorded for all lines. To split the allocation, click the +Allocation button and repeat the steps.

11. To add an Allocation to each line item, click the pencil icon next to the item to open the Item Details. Scroll

down to the Allocation section. Select “2023” as the Fiscal Year, select the Fund or Org, and Account code. To

split the allocation, click the +Allocation button and repeat the steps. Then click Save and Close.

May 2023 17

12. To use the P-Card for the order, click the card icon on the left side of

the REQ. Choose the P-Card and then Save. The P-Card does not

automatically default as the payment method.

13. In the Attachments section add the required documents, such as the

vendor quote, contract, or other supplemental material. Click the +

New Document button and select Internal Attachment – this will only

be visible to Mason OR Supplier Document – this will be visible to the supplier and Mason.

14. In the Document window, enter a Title for the

Documentation and optional Summary. Then

Click or Drag to add files.

15. Click Save to add the file. Continue to add Files

for the selection or click Close to exit the

Document window.

16. The file will now be listed as an attachment on

the Purchase Req. (REQ)

17. In the Internal Comments section, add any additional information for the

REQ Approvers and/or the Mason Purchasing Office Buyer. This

information will only be visible to Mason and the Supplier will not see

this section.

18. To add a Comment visible to the Supplier,

scroll to the top of the REQ and click into the

Comment field. Located beneath the Ship

to/Bill to section. Enter relevant comments for

the Supplier. These comments will also be

visible to Mason. Click Save.

19. When all information is complete click Submit

for Approval.

20. The system may alert you to “non-blocking” alerts. These alerts do not stop you

from submitting the order. Users must resolve any “blocking” alerts in order to

complete the submission. Follow the instructions presenting the

Alerts/Messages section to resolve “blocking” alerts.

21. Users may check the status of REQs by viewing the What’s my order status? section on the eVA Homepage.

May 2023 18

Create a Non-Catalog Order in eVA

A Non-Catalog order is any order for goods/services that is not made through a vendor’s Punchout Catalog in eVA. The

user must enter all item details including description, price, commodity code, and quantity. Users should obtain the item

details from the vendor on a quote or other documentation.

Verify the Vendor

1. Access the eVA Vendor List and perform a search. Verify

that the vendor is listed as “active” and review their

ability to accept electronic orders and/or P-Card

payments. (See the Doing Business with Mason section of

the eVA Manual for additional guidance)

2. Access the Mason Vendor G# Lookup and perform a search. Verify that the vendor is listed. If the vendor is not

listed, direct them to the Doing Business with Mason webpage to submit their W-9/W-8 through the Mason

vendor portal. A G# is required before payment can be issued. (See the Doing Business with Mason section of

the eVA Manual for additional guidance)

Create the Requisition

3. Go to https://eva.virginia.gov/ and select

Buyer Login. Then Login with you Agency

account and select GMU. This will bring you to the Mason single sign on/2FA.

4. On the homepage select Shop from the menu bar and then click

on Search Products.

5. Select Add Non-Catalog Item. A new window will open for the

REQ details. Complete these steps for each item on the order.

6. Under Item Description, Product Type will default to “product”

use the dropdown to make changes if required.

7. Enter the Detailed Description of the product, from a vendor

quote or catalog outside of eVA. Then enter Order Quantity.

8. Under Commodity, enter a search term or choose Select All to

search by

keyword. Enter

the numerical

Commodity

(NIGP) code if

know.

9. Under

Estimated

Costs, enter the

Unit Price and

the Deliver to

information.

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10. Under Suggested Supplier, enter the Vendor’s name and then select from the drop down OR click on Select All to

open the Search tool.

11. The Ship To address will automatically populate based on the user’s profile in eVA.

12. Enter any Internal

Additional Details

as necessary.

13. Enter any

comments to the

vendor under

Supplier Visible

Additional

Comments.

14. Enter any other

information in the

Additional Details

field.

15. In the Attachments section add the required documents, such as the vendor quote, contract, or other

supplemental material. Click the + New Document button and select Internal Attachment – this will only be

visible to Mason OR Supplier Document – this will be visible to the supplier and Mason.

16. In the Document window, enter a Title for the

Documentation and optional Summary. Then

Click or Drag to add files.

17. Click Save to add the file. Continue to add Files

for the selection or click Close to exit the

Document window.

18. The file will now be listed as an attachment on

the Purchase Req. (REQ)

19. Once these sections are complete click on Save

& Close button. This will bring you back to the

Search Products page. Continue to add additional non-catalog items to the order as needed, by clicking on the

Add Non-Catalog Item button (follow steps 7 – 21). Once all items have been added click on the shopping cart

icon in the top right of the screen to view your cart and checkout.

May 2023 20

20. In the Header section, enter the required

information as follows:

a. Name: Title for the purchase

(example, “TSRC Order 10/15

M19678”).

b. Organization: Do not change. Will

default as assigned.

c. Type: Will default to Purchase

d. PO Category: Select “RO1” for

routine purchases or “XO2” for

specific purchases exempt from

fees. (See, eVA Exemptions Guide)

e. Requester: Will default to user.

f. Reference Number: Optional field.

g. Procurement Transaction Type:

Select as appropriate. (See, eVA Manual)

h. Header Field 1, Header Field 2: Optional fields.

i. DO NOT check the box for Create Blanket Purchase Order or Bypass Integration.

21. In the Items & Services section, verify the products and quantities are correct.

22. To add an Allocation to the entire

purchase order, select all items and

then click “Set Allocation.”

23. Enter “100” in the % field, select “2023”

as the Fiscal Year, select the Fund or

Org, and Account code. Then click Apply

and Close. The allocation will be

recorded for all lines. To split the allocation, click the +Allocation button and repeat the steps.

24. To add an Allocation to each line item, click the pencil icon next to the item to open the Item Details. Scroll

down to the Allocation section. Select “2023” as the Fiscal Year, select the Fund or Org, and Account code. To

split the allocation, click the +Allocation button and repeat the steps. Then click Save and Close.

May 2023 21

25. To use the P-Card for the order, click the card icon on the left side of

the REQ. Choose the P-Card and then Save. The P-Card does not

automatically default as the payment method.

26. When all information is complete click Submit for Approval.

27. The system may alert you to “non-blocking” alerts. These alerts do not stop you

from submitting the order.

28. Users must resolve any “blocking” alerts in order to complete the submission.

Follow the instructions presenting the Alerts/Messages section to resolve

“blocking” alerts.

29. Users may check the status of REQs by viewing the What’s my order status?

section on the eVA Homepage.

May 2023 22

eVA Approver Guide

Designated Approvers are required to login to eVA, review submitted orders for policy compliance, ensure that all

information is correct, budget is available and appropriate documentation is included, and then sign off or reject the

submitted REQ. Approvers will receive an email from eVA when documents require their review; however, Approvers

should periodically check their eVA Homepage and the “My To Do List” menu to confirm order completion.

Review Orders

1. Go to https://eva.virginia.gov/ and select Buyer

select GMU. This will bring you to the Mason

single sign on/2FA.

2. Alternatively, approvers may click on the access link in the email from “Virginia noreply@cgieva.com” with

subject line “eVA Purchase Requisition / Your action is expected for: eVA Approvals”. The access link will open

the eVA login prompt. Follow the instructions to “Login with your Agency account” as noted above.

3. Documents requiring your approval will be listed under

the “My To Do List” menu with the Task “eVA

Approvals.” Click on the REQ title to open the document

and perform your duties as an approver (ensure policy

compliance, available budget, and completeness of

request).

4. In the document window, scroll through the document to examine the allocation, attachments, and other

information. Review the Alerts/Messages. Note: A Non-blocking alerts will be present for all Non-Catalog orders

and does not prevent submission or approval.

5. An Approver may only change the Allocation for a submitted order. If other changes are needed, the Approver

should Reject the submission and communicate changes to the purchaser.

6. After review, select the Approve or Reject button and follow prompts. Comments must be entered for Rejected

orders.

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May 2023 23

eVA Search, Duplicate, and Change Order Guide

The eVA interface allows users to search Requisitions (REQs) and Purchase Orders (POs). In some cases, users will be

able to duplicate a previously ordered REQ to create a new order when all/most of the information will remain the

same. When a REQ is denied, users will need to create a change order to correct the information and resubmit the REQ.

Users may also create a Change Order to a PO, for example: when additional funding (more than 10% of the total order)

is necessary.

Search Requisitions (REQs)

1. Go to https://eva.virginia.gov/ and select Buyer

select GMU. This will bring you to the Mason

single sign on/2FA.

2. From the Header menu select

Procurement > Browse Requisitions.

3. To search an order that you created,

check the box next to My Requests and

then click Search. Or, enter a REQ number

into the Reference Number field or enter a

Keyword to search for the REQ title.

4. Once the REQ is located, click on the Code or Name to open the document and review the information.

Duplicate Requisitions (REQs)

1. Complete the steps above to locate the desired REQ.

2. Under the Other Actions button, select Duplicate. This will create a new REQ

number will the same information.

3. Update the REQ Header to be current and thoroughly review

the copied information.

4. Update the Fund/Org and Fiscal year as required. The new REQ

will fail integration with Banner if the Fund/Org or Fiscal year is incorrect. Under Items & Services click the

pencil icon to open product information and allocation. Make necessary changes and Save & Close.

5. Once reviewed for errors, click Submit for Approval to begin the workflow process.

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Search and Change Purchase Orders

1. From the Header menu select Procurement > Browse Orders. Enter

the PO number or other search term into the Keyword field.

2. Once the PO is located, click on the Purchase Order # to open the

document and review the information. Click on the Change Order

button to initiate a change to the selected Purchase Order.

3. Select the “Change Type” from the drop-down

menu and enter a Description of Changes.

4. To change the Allocation or Existing items

(quantity/price), scroll to the Items & Services

sections and locate the item to change.

5. Click the pencil icon to open product information.

Update the quantity, price and/or allocation for the

item and then Save & Close. Continue to edit items

as necessary.

6. When changes are complete, click Submit for Approval to begin the workflow process. A new REQ number is

created each time a change is submitted for the Purchase Order. The Title will default to “Amendment request

{date} {PO number}.” Approvers will be notified of the request and must take action in order for the amended

purchase order to be completed.

May 2023 25

eVA Error Resolution Guide

Occasionally, integration errors occur when eVA transmits data to Banner. When this happens, an email is sent to

[email protected] and the unit purchaser identifying the error. The unit purchaser should follow the guidance

below. The Mason eVA Customer Support team will research and advise the unit on how to correct the error, within

24 hours.

Error Processing – Workflow Codes

Four of the most common errors occur as a result of

data entry errors. Each error is specifically defined and

identified by the eVA error codes and descriptions

detailed in the examples below.

101001 – No Vendor Match. Order Denied

The reason for this error is usually: 1) the vendor is inactive or not set up in Banner, 2) the vendor is in Banner but the

tax identification number (TIN) or eVA Vendor Location ID (VLIN) number is incorrect.

1. Log into eVA and locate the purchase requisition (REQ) in the What’s my Order Status? menu box on the

homepage. Click on the REQ name to open the document.

2. Check to be sure the vendor has a G-number with the university. To check if the vendor has a G-number consult

the Banner Vendor G# Lookup link on the Fiscal services website. If the vendor does not exist in Banner or have

an active G#, then an account must be registered. Refer the vendor to the Do Business with Mason webpage

where they can submit their W-9/W-8 form electronically. Vendors should list you as their “Mason contact” so

that you will receive the confirmation email once the vendor has successfully registered with Mason.

101003 – Unauthorized FOAPAL. Order Denied

This error is received when the purchaser is not authorized to process transactions against a particular Fund or

Organization number in Banner.

1. Log into eVA and locate the purchase requisition (REQ) in the What’s my Order Status? menu box on the

homepage. Click on the REQ name to open the document, duplicate the order, make corrections and submit.

2. On the duplicated order, the purchasers should correct the Fund or Org number and submit the new requisition.

If the purchaser should need authorization to process transactions against the denied Fund or Org, they should

submit a Banner Finance Modification Request Form to [email protected] asking for the authorization to place

orders for this Fund or Org number.

101009 – Fiscal Period is Closed. Order Denied

This error is received when orders are copied from a prior fiscal year and submitted without updating the fiscal year field

to the current fiscal year.

1. Log into eVA and locate the purchase requisition (REQ) in the What’s my Order Status? menu box on the

homepage. Click on the REQ name to open the document, duplicate the order, make corrections and submit.

2. On the duplicated order, the purchaser should correct the fiscal year. As a reminder, orders submitted at the

end of the fiscal year (prior to June 30) need to be posted to the next fiscal year, the purchaser should not

submit the order until the future fiscal year is open in Banner.

ERROR

DESCRIPTION

101001

No Vendor Match. Order Denied.

101003

Unauthorized FOAPAL. Order Denied.

101009

Fiscal Period Is Closed. Order Denied.

101010

Document Contains Errors, Order Denied.

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101010 – Document Contains Errors. Order Denied

This error is designed as a “catch all” error code to note errors that are not identified by the prior errors. This error may

be received in the following instances:

1. If purchaser enters both a Fund AND an Org number in eVA. Only one value is valid. A Fund number should be

entered for sponsored projects. Missing any allocation element could also result in the same error.

2. If a purchaser adds a line item and fails to enter a Fund or an Org, this error will occur.

3. If a purchaser enters a future fiscal year, that is not yet open in Banner, this error will occur.

4. If the vendor is inactive in Banner or eVA, this error will occur. Log into eVA and locate the purchase requisition

(REQ) in the What’s my Order Status? menu box on the homepage. Click on the REQ name to open the

document.

5. Review for anything out of the ordinary. If none of the above problems seem to fit, or you cannot readily find

the cause of the problem, contact a Mason eVA Customer Support Team at 3-2580 or evaadmin@gmu.edu for

assistance.

Search Requisitions (REQs)

1. Go to https://eva.virginia.gov/ and select Buyer

select GMU. This will bring you to the Mason

single sign on/2FA.

2. From the Header menu select

Procurement > Browse Requisitions.

3. To search an order that you created,

check the box next to My Requests and

then click Search. Or, enter a REQ number

or part of the REQ title into the Keyword

field and click Search. Note: The

Reference number field will only return results when entering a PR number (FY22 – prior) that was generated

from the previous eVA system.

4. Once the REQ is located, click on the Code or Name to open the document and review the information.

Duplicate Requisitions (REQs)

1. Complete the steps above to locate the desired REQ.

2. Under the Other Actions button, select Duplicate. This will create a new REQ

number will the same information.

3. Update the REQ Header to be current and thoroughly review

the copied information.

4. Update the Fund/Org and Fiscal year as required. The new REQ

will fail integration with Banner if the Fund/Org or Fiscal year is incorrect. Under Items & Services click the

pencil icon to open product information and allocation. Make necessary changes and Save & Close.

5. Once reviewed for errors, click Submit for Approval to begin the

workflow process.