First, the agency must submit a written request to the State Program Administrator, requesting to participate in the program. This letter should be requested by the Department head or their designee.

Begin by forming a Purchasing Card Team — a cross-functional team that will work together to plan the design of your program internally. Implementing a Purchasing Card Program is essentially a reengineering effort and requires planning and change. Team members should be representatives from purchasing, finance/ accounting, technology/information systems, auditing and a representative for the typical user/department. Some things for the Team to consider:

• Set program goals - What types of requisitions and purchase orders are you looking to eliminate? Where can you save time and expense by reengineering the process? What dollar volume and number of transactions does this represent?

• Select an Agency Program Administrator - The Department Head will be responsible for designating the Agency Purchasing Card Program Administrator. The Agency Program Administrator will be responsible for keeping abreast of program updates as they are posted on the Office of State Purchasing, 'LaCarte' Procurement Card Program website and disseminating this information to the Department Heads, cardholders, and any other agency personnel as deemed appropriate.

• Evaluate your vendor environment - do your vendors already accept Visa®? Is vendor recruitment necessary for the types of purchases targeted?

• Begin to think about which employees should receive cards — cardholders should be those people who regularly submit requisitions and purchase orders, or make frequent small dollar purchases, such as on a blanket, field or local purchase order.

Political Subdivisions and local governments, please contact:

Bank of America Sales Manager
Erin Davis
901 Main Street, 7th Floor
Dallas, Tx 75202-3714
Tel:  (214) 209-0860
Fax: (214) 672-8727
E-mail: erin.davis@bankofamerica.com

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