Strategic Sourcing & Procurement

Purchasing and Procurement Training

Step 1 - Choose Training Path

Procurement Basics

Advanced Procurement

Provides overview of the procurement process and details on how to use iO to procure supplies and services. Designed for faculty, students and staff who will primarily “shop and receive” without having responsibility for overall financial management.

Designed for staff members who manage the procurement process for their departments and might have other financial responsibilities. Provides an in-depth look at the procurement process along with details on how to use iO to procure supplies and services. Includes additional more advanced procurement topics including using the procurement dashboard.

  • Procure to Pay Overview (optional)​
  • Procurement Preparer eLearning (Basic)​*
  • In-Person Workshop within 3 months
  • Procure to Pay Overview (eLearning) ​
  • Procurement Preparer eLearning (Advanced)​*
  • P&P Dashboard (Monitoring Procurement and Expenses)*​
  • In-Person Workshop within 3 months

Step 2 - Complete Procurement Preparer Training in iO

  1. Select Navigator (three bars at the top left of the screen) and then select "Me"
  2. Select "Learning" to open the Learning Management System.
  3. At the bottom of the page, select "Search".
  4. Enter "Procurement" and the select the magnifying glass icon to search.
  5. Select the appropriate Learning Community - Procurement Basics or Advanced Procurement - then select Join.
  6. The recommended and required courses for your community are listed. Select each course to Enroll.
  7. Complete the training(s) - each course takes roughly 2 hours to complete. Progress can be saved, and you can return to the training until it is complete.
  8. Download the completion certificate using View Transcript on the top right of the Learning page (see 1 above). You will attach this to your help ticket requesting access to Procurement in iO (Step 3 below).
  9. Return to the Learning Community to register for the Procurement In-Person Training within 3 months of completing the course. (Rebecca, this might go under step 4 - or you could have it in both places

Step 3 - Request iO Procurement Requester Access

  1. Contact your Division Approver or Cost Center Manager for approval for Procurement Requester role.
  2. The Division Approver or Cost Center Manager will submit a Service Request in iO to request role access.
    1. Select Navigator (three bars at the top left of the screen), and select “HR/Finance Help Desk” and then “HR/Finance Service Requests”
    2. On the right side of the screen, select “Create Service Request”.
    3. Select the Category “Access Permissions”
    4. Complete the required fields:
      • Summary (of Request)
      • Primary Contact Organization
      • Person Category
      • Access Recipient (Person who needs new role)
      • Access Recipient Net ID
      • Access Request Type (Additional Access - Finance)
      • Attachments - Attach Procurement Preparer Training Certificate
      • Add any additional details of the request in the “Service Request Details” section.
  3. Select “Save and Close” in the top right corner of the page.
  4. You will receive a Service Request number for tracking purposes.
  5. The Finance Security team will review your request, and update the role accordingly.
  6. Once the role has been added to the Access Recipient and the ticket will be closed.

Step 4 - Attend In-Person Procurement Training

  1. Sign up for an In-Person Procurement Training
  2. Attend one In-Person Training, hosted every second Wednesday of the month.

Step 5 - Next Steps and Procurement Assistance

  1. Sign up for notifications from the Procurement Blog: https://procurement.blogs.rice.edu/
  2. View Oracle Guided Learning (OGL) within iO:
    1. Oracle Guided Learning
    2. Oracle Online Guided Learning Help
  3. For assistance in the following categories, submit a Service Request in iO and select the correct category:
    • Procurement
      • Contracts and Agreements
      • New Quotes, Bids, and RFPs
      • Creating a Requisition
      • Purchase Orders
      • Procurement Policy Questions
      • Sole/Single Source Justification (SSJ)
  4. For additional assistance, please email the appropriate Procurement or Payment team:
    • Invoice Submission: payment@rice.edu
    • Payment Status Inquiries: paymentinquiries@rice.edu
    • Supplier Profile Management Inquiries: suppliers@rice.edu
    • Purchasing Cards: pcards@rice.edu
    • Expenses and Expense Reports: expenses@rice.edu
    • Procurement Questions: procurement@rice.edu

The Controller's Office is located in the Cambridge Office Building, also known as COB, at the intersection of S. Main street and Cambridge street.


In this building you will find the the following Departments:

The Cashier's Office is a division of the Controllers Office, however, it is located in the Allen Center, directly behind the Cambridge Office building.

Our Location:

Cambridge Office Building
6100 Main Street MS 70
Houston, Texas 77005-1827