Supply Services has a receiving section tasked to receive materials delivered to PWCPS via the warehouse. This section handles shipments from UPS and other overnight mailers as well as truck freight. Approximately 4,500 orders are received annually with many of them having multiple and partial deliveries. About 50% of the orders have problems that require time consuming special attention from the staff. In addition to the receiving of materials, the section is responsible for packing and shipping materials for departments at Independent Hill.

During busy times it is not unusual to see two or three semi-trucks waiting to be off-loaded at the docks.

If a principal or a department head would prefer to have a shipment delivered through the warehouse instead of having it shipped directly to their buildings, it is easy to arrange. All that is required is to put the appropriate address in the "Delivery Address" of the purchase order (Type "042" for the agency designator);

Supply Services
Prince William County Schools
Central Receiving Warehouse
14800 Joplin Road
Manassas Va. 20112

and send a copy of the purchase order to Supply Services. The receiving staff will work with the school or department representatives to ensure that the items are complete and meet the specifications of the purchase order before forwarding the item to the final destination.

Supply Services operates a "store" stocked with supplies to support the administration, custodial, maintenance, food service, and instructional needs of the division. The department personnel process over 25,000 supply requests annually for approximately $3 million. These "sales" are at cost with no mark-up for handling or delivery.

The criteria to stock an item in the warehouses is fairly stringent because there are no funds available to add items that have a risk of not selling. Therefore, to be stocked, an item must pass the following minimal tests:

• Must be a division wide requirement.  (For example: all schools or all elementary schools, etc.)
• Potential usage rate per year warrants buying in large (bulk) quantities.
• The discount obtained by buying in bulk quantities is sufficient to warrant the expense of stocking in the warehouse.

Supplies are ordered from the warehouse via the AMS AFIN computer software which may be accessed at every school and department. "Stock requisitions" are electronically transmitted to Supply Services where the requests are processed and the supplies delivered to the requesters, often the next working day.

Instructions for ordering supplies via an electronic stock requisition are available at every user location or can be obtained from Supply Services.

In addition to the electronic ordering process, an order for supplies may be hand carried to the warehouse where it will be filled while you wait. We try to reserve these "over the counter" transactions for emergencies because they are time consuming.

We encourage personnel in the schools and departments to let us know about the quality of the products we stock through the use of an evaluation form or just a note. Also, if you know of a new product that you think may meet the above criteria for becoming a stock item, let us know and we will research the item and the requirement.