Information Technology / Computer Hardware Purchasing Guidelines

Overview

  • Before a Workday Requisition / Expense Report is started, any unit needing to purchase technology or hardware covered in the categories listed below needs to initiate consultation with ASCTech.
    • This will determine if the planned purchase is compatible with ASCTech systems and if there are existing services that would satisfy the needs of the request.
    • The consultation is not meant to be a burdensome process; it can be as simple as the Support Manager for the unit talking/emailing with the appropriate person.  It can also involve the faculty/staff in the unit as needed.
  • These guidelines apply regardless of the funding source (general funds, research funds, startup funds), usage (daily machine, lab, kiosk, instrument, etc.), and apply to reimbursements.  All equipment must follow the ASC Non-Capitalized Equipment Tagging and Tracking Guidelines.

Reimbursements

  • Please work with local unit fiscal / IT support to purchase via eStores instead, if at all possible.
  • Reimbursements are a unit fiscal decision and require pre-approval by unit fiscal and ASCTech.
  • All the ASCTech purchasing guidelines apply to reimbursement machines, as well as compliance requirements as they are OSU owned computers.
  • Reimbursement will not be made until the equipment is brought to ASCTech to apply the OSU asset tag and enroll the device in our device management tools.

Software

  • This article is primarily about hardware approvals and certain risk approvals.
  • There is a new process for preapproving software in Workday. This is primarily a fiscal, not an IT process.
    • A workflow will kick off with certain Commodity Codes.
    • The workflow kicks off it will automatically route where it needs to for approvals.
    • Here is the Administrative Resource Center (ARC) article on the Workday process.
  • ASCTech Support Services has limited responsibility in the OSU Software Preapproval process:
    • We can point to and encourage already approved software on https://softwaredirectory.osu.edu/
    • We can answer questions about the form with the purchaser.
    • We can assist if you're unfamiliar with the Institutional Data Policy (IDP) Calculator.
    • We can assist people with hardware/operating system requirements:
      • For example, 'will this software work on a certain version of Windows and is a graphics card powerful enough'.
    • We can assist customers if they are considering competing/different software to find the best fit for their needs.
      • This includes pointing to Research Consulting, Risk, App Dev, ODE, or other divisions when appropriate.
    • We cannot do in-line approval or pre-pre-preapproval. The Workday process will route where needed.
    • We cannot comment on what risk, accessibility, or terms and conditions assessments will be required.
    • We cannot submit software orders for the unit, continue with who normally submitted the software order in the past.

Contents

Infrastructure Devices

  • Service Area Approver: Dave Alden (alden.1@osu.edu)
  • Examples of Infrastructure Items
    • Servers
    • Storage – SAN, JBOD, NAS but excluding desktop level storage – flash drives and portable hard drives
    • Networking Equipment - Switches, Routers, Wireless Access Points, Firewalls

Audio Visual / Conference Room technology / Teaching Spaces technology
Desktop/Laptop Repair

  • Service Area Approver: Ian Anderson (anderson.1234@osu.edu)
  • Examples of AV/Conference Room/Teaching Technology
    • Video conference equipment
    • Digital signage
    • Conference room A/V equipment
    • Classroom technology (projectors, smart boards, AppleTV, etc.)

Desktops/Laptops/Workstation Devices

Third Party Services / Security Risks / Software

  • Service Area Approver: David Sweasey (sweasey.1@osu.edu) or Brady Schrickel (schrickel.17@osu.edu)
  • If Risk approval is needed Workday will route to Risk for approval.
    • This is done as part of the new 2025 Software Preapproval Workflow in Workday.
  • Examples of Third Party Services
    • Cloud Services
    • Application Development contracts
    • Web Hosting contracts
  • Examples of Security Risks
    • External hard drives / USB thumb drives
    • Software.

Change Log

09/14/2025 - added information on the new Workday software approval process, added table of contents, reformatted
03/15/2022 - added repair services
12/15/2020 - added security risks section
12/10/2017 - link to non-standard computer KB
11/29/2017 - initial revision

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