Electronic Commerce Policy

 

3.25 Electronic Commerce

DGS/DPS has established an Electronic Mall (e-Mall) to facilitate the ordering of goods and services by agencies and institutions. The goal of the e-Mall is to leverage the Commonwealth’s buying power, and to allow agencies and institutions the ability to place orders using either the Small Purchase Charge Card (SPCC) or an electronic purchase order (Agency or Vendor). The e-Mall is located on the DGS/DPS website, www.dgs.state.va.us/dps/, it includes, but will not be limited to, state contracts, electronic catalogs, SPCC vendors, mandatory sources, and surplus property. In addition, agencies and institutions are authorized to do on-line buying of goods and services through the Internet. Agencies and institutions are encouraged to develop policies, procedures, and internal controls to manage this process and perform audits/reviews for those employees who have been given the authority to place orders electronically. Some areas to consider when revising or developing internal policies and procedures are: purchase request approval process, how to incorporate terms and conditions, interface with finance and accounting, encumbrance process, receiving reports, and automated system interface. The following DGS/DPS policies and procedures have been developed to assist agencies and institutions when ordering through the e-Mall or on-line buying through the Internet:

a. e- Mall.

(1) SPCC - Agencies and institutions may purchase goods or services through the e-Mall, up to $5,000.00 if purchased from state contracts or from another source. Contract terms and conditions govern purchases made from state contracts.

(2) Electronic Purchase Orders - Agencies and institutions may purchase goods or services in unlimited dollar amounts, unless dollar amounts are specified in the contract, when placing an electronic purchase order from state contracts or mandatory sources. For all other purchases, agencies and institutions may purchase up to their delegated procurement authority after complying with all competitive requirements and file documentation per the VPPA and APSPM.

(3) Vendor Participation/Registration - A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) shall govern vendors participating in the DGS/DPS e-Mall. The purpose of the MOU is to verify the vendor’s acceptance of the Commonwealth’s terms and conditions and validate that controls are in place to accept the SPCC and electronic purchase orders. DGS/DPS will establish and manage the MOU. (at a future date)

b. On-Line Buying. Agencies and institutions may purchase goods and services through the Internet by using the SPCC and transmitting the card number or by Electronic Purchase Order up to $5,000.00.

Security Requirements - In order to procure goods or services through the Internet, the vendor must have a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Version 2.0 or greater. It is the agency’s responsibility to ensure the vendor meets the SSL 2.0 requirement before placing an order and using the SPCC as a method of payment. To ensure the vendor has a SSL, the Address Window must start with https://. This may not occur until the payment information is requested. For information about the vendor’s security certification, check under Help on your browser’s tool bar. Buying through the Internet might subject an agency or institution to the vendor’s terms and conditions if no MOU exists. Agencies are encouraged to establish a MOU with vendors whom they conduct business with on a regular basis. See DGS/DPS website for sample MOUs. (at a future date)
3-14