Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of RealSource frequently asked questions (FAQs). The list will be expanded to include other topical areas of interest based on your input and feedback. To submit questions, comments or suggestions please email us at RealSource@vcu.edu.
General
From MyVCU or from the RealSource homepage. Central Authentication Service is required to access the system.
All VCU employees with an “eID” should be able to login to RealSource page. If you’re experiencing login problems, close all other applications, clear your browsing history and restart your computer. RealSource should work on any browser, however, trying another browser may also help. If you have not logged into your account in the past 6 months your access will be deactivated. To have access restored your department Approver will need to submit a RealSource user request form found on the Shopping Dashboard.
Exit the application as you would any other VCU app.
Review the Help Guide available from the Quick Links on the RealSource website. Or the RealSource training videos located on the Procurement Services website.
A person with RealSource approval authority, which is usually a fiscal manager, can send a “RealSource User Request Form” from the RealSource homepage to correct this.
Contact your fiscal manager/approver and ask them to submit a “RealSource User Request” form from the System Related Showcase on the RealSource homepage.
See the Help Guide for a more comprehensive explanation. The Help Guide is available in the Quick Links section of the RealSource website.
- All VCU employees and student workers with a VCU assigned eID are shoppers. A shopper is someone who can start a requisition (only). Shoppers must assign their shopping carts to a requester for review. Shoppers can also process a receiver in RealSource once their goods/services are received.
- Certain VCU employees approved by Fiscal Managers can serve as requesters. Requesters review shopping carts prior to advancing them to approvers for approval.
- An approver is a person who approves requisitions sent to them by requesters, and approve (or reject them). These approvals trigger the purchase order. Approvers also approve requests for one-time payments.
RealSource is real-time. Transactions will process in a split or within a few seconds.
Chrome River
Utilize the Student Request form found under the Vendor Showcase in Showcases on the Shopping homepage. Answer "Yes" to the Chrome River activation question in the form. Once the submitted request is approved, the student should appear in Chrome River the next business day.
No, these can only be viewed in Chrome River.
No, these continue to be processed in Chrome River.
Vendors
Utilize the Existing Vendor Request form found in the System Request showcase on Shopping homepage. You must provide the Vendor Name, Vendor Number, Vender email address and indicate if this is a Chrome River reimbursement request.
Select the Vendors icon to the left of the homepage, then “Search for a Vendor.”
The vendor was not migrated from Banner, has not registered in RealSource or has never done business with VCU.
See the Help Guide. Select the Vendors icon to the left of the homepage, then “Add Vendors.” There are 2 types of registration, one for individuals and one for all other vendors (full registration).
This depends on the quality of information provided in your request and the responsiveness of your vendor. Vendor registration invitations will be processed within 3 business days. Departments should alert vendors to register ASAP, otherwise purchases/payments will be needlessly delayed. The registration process is simple and takes only 10 minutes to complete.
Vendor Support can add vendors to RealSource by proxy, however, similar to the past, this will occur very sparingly. Registration is important to ensuring VCU has accurate vendor information and assists in precluding fraud.
They can access the Vendors Only tab on the RealSource website or call Procurement Services at (804) 828-1077.
Vendors can only register by invitation. For a vendor to “receive” an invitation, a VCU department must submit a Request New Vendor form, whether the vendor is a new or existing vendor.
No. However, RealSource vendors must also register in eVA and the state will continue to assess eVA fees. eVA registration is statutorily required of all state vendors, including those who do business with VCU.
The TIN is keyed with all 9s (hover over the field to display the correct number of 9s).
No, when a vendor is invited to register, they are required to attach their tax form. If the vendor happens to provide it, you can attach it to the Add Vendors request form if you choose, but it is not required.
Purchasing
Utilize the Cancel PO Request form towards the bottom of the RealSource home page. Note, if a PO has been partially received, it cannot be canceled. Instead a Change Order must be processed to adjust the remaining lines of the PO to zero. See the Help Guide.
See the Help Guide.
Yes, however, the declining balance PO is much easier to manage and includes 3 important distinctions.
First, under the old blanket PO, users placed the total dollars in the quantity line with a price of $1 (flipper). Under the declining balance PO, the dollars appear in the “dollars” field and the actual quantity in the “quantity” field (as they should).
Second, the limit of 999,999 simply no longer applies.
Third, under a declining balance PO you will now “receive” by dollars. This is called “cost” vs. quantity receiving. See the Help Guide for more information about declining balance purchase orders and cost (vs. quantity) receiving.
It will remain in the shopper’s queue until the shopper advances it to a requester and has no impact on Banner Finance.
Yes, both at the header and detail levels.
Yes, but not PO attachments. See the Departments Only tab of the RealSource website for information about finding/viewing eVA POs.
PCards
- Pcard users are no longer required to key Pcard transactions into the purchasing system (RealSource).
- There is “no place” in RealSource to place your Pcard information for eCatalog purchases or otherwise. Anything “Pcard” related must be managed in Bank of America’s “Works” system (not RealSource).
- If you put a Pcard order into RealSource, it will pass to Banner and your department will be required to liquidate it.
- “None” of the eCatalog vendors in RealSource, including The Supply Room Company, will accept Pcard orders for eCatalog purchases. Rather, these vendors will electronically bill VCU after (paperless invoicing). Upon your “receipt” of the goods in RealSource, these electronic invoices will be matched against your eCatalog order (and receiver) and paid. If they do not match, they will require reconciliation prior to payment.
Invoices / Payments
Certain services no longer require a purchase order. These can be conveniently paid instead using the One Time Payment form. The types of services include:
(a) awards and prizes,
(b) honoraria,
(c) immigration payments,
(d) postate,
(e) preceptors,
(f) research participants, and
(g) revenue refunds.
Note, if you process these as a purchase order, the recipient “will” be assessed eVA fees. So, it is important to pay these using the One Time Payment form instead.
The same way you do today to deptinvoices@vcu.edu. This will change to some degree, however, in the August 2019 timeframe – more to come.
VCU’s invoice (or Bill to) address has changed from the PO Box in Richmond to an address in Pennsylvania. This address belongs to a 3rd party contractor who has been hired to receive, scan, conduct a preliminary review of and upload the invoices (data and image) into RealSource. This firm has nothing to do with approving invoices, but merely provides administrative support. You are not required to “notify” your suppliers of this change, this will be generally communicated to vendors in a special campaign after the new fiscal year start.
Yes, however, VCU offers convenient ways for vendors to be paid faster via ACH and virtual card payments.
These are still processed as a PO.
RealSource does not impact wire transfers, the process remains the same.
No, they are still Net 30.
Not quite. Departments can still view historical invoices in ImageNow. Any new invoices will be processed and viewable in RealSource.
This process does not change with RealSource.
The requester will receive an alert.
No, a purchase order is required instead.
The process for matching invoices is unchanged. If the invoice doesn’t match within established university tolerances, it will be withheld from payment pending department review.
Yes.
Receiving
Receiving now occurs in RealSource. See the Help Guide. The same persons who receive today can receive in RealSource.
Yes
Other
Yes, using the search feature or reporting.
For More Information
For help, please submit an IT Support Service ticketVCU IT Self Service > Enter IT Portal > Submit a Request > Procurement Services
Under Procurement Services, select RealSource