VCU Procurement Services

A 2026 Quick Reference Guide for RealSource is now available to help users quickly navigate common tasks and processes. You can access the guide directly in RealSource through the Quick Links section. What’s Inside the Guide The guide covers key RealSource functions, including: Access the Guide Find the Quick Reference (2026) Guide in the Quick […]

As we prepare to close for winter break, we invite you to join us for the final Procurement Virtual Office Hour of the year. This session is a great opportunity to: Join Us Every Tuesday | 1:00–2:00 p.m. | via ZoomOur Virtual Office Hour connects you directly with Procurement Services specialists for real-time support and guidance. […]

As the winter break quickly approaches, the university will begin its annual holiday closing period. To help you plan ahead and avoid last-minute surprises, we’ve prepared our Winter Closing Schedule, outlining when offices and services will be unavailable. Why This Matters Understanding the winter closing schedule allows you to plan your work, purchases, and communications […]

As the holiday season approaches, the university will have a winter break closing period. To help you plan ahead, we’ve prepared our Winter Closing Schedule so you know when offices and services will be unavailable. Why This Matters Knowing the winter closing schedule helps you plan work, purchases, and other activities around the break. It […]

VCU Procurement Services is updating the way credits are handled in RealSource to improve transparency, compliance, and communication with departments. What’s changing? In the past, some credits were applied informally to offset the invoice. Moving forward, all credits will be  entered into RealSource to offset invoiced items. Most importantly, when a department returns an item […]

We’ve heard you—and we’ve made a change. Historically, Amazon’s e-catalog in RealSource has not allowed departments to create non-catalog orders, making it difficult to pay valid invoices when a PO is closed or otherwise unavailable. That’s now changed. 💡 VCU departments can now create a non-catalog order to pay a valid Amazon invoice—but only in […]

Procurement Services has received multiple reports from departments experiencing serious issues with one of the bottled water delivery vendors currently in use across campus. These issues include: One department shared that they haven’t received water since June, while another reported unreturned calls and broken equipment that has gone unserviced for months. 🔍 What’s the situation? […]

Procurement Services is simplifying your financial cleanup process. Each quarter, we’ll automatically remove remaining encumbrances on purchase orders with balances of $5.00 or less. What This Means for You No action is needed on your part. These low-dollar encumbrances will be cleared automatically—as long as there are no underlying issues, such as closed index or […]

Virginia Commonwealth University is exploring a new catering solution to streamline the ordering process, ensure compliance with procurement policies, and offer departments more flexibility with a wider range of vendors—including local favorites. Why This Matters Catering is essential for university events, but managing orders, invoices, and compliance can be complex. We’re evaluating potential solutions to: […]

Heads up, VCU community! You may have heard about increased tariffs on goods coming from Mexico, Canada, and China. These changes could lead to cost increases on some products commonly used across campus. We understand that budget management is crucial, and we want to help you navigate any potential price fluctuations. Your partnered supplier catalogs […]