Supplier File Naming Standards

Basis for Procedure

The Supplier File naming standards are the rules that all RF staff must follow when adding a new supplier. The standards are designed to minimize the risk of:

• creating duplicate suppliers.
• making duplicate payments.
• paying the wrong supplier.

  In addition, when the naming standards are uniformly used, end users can find the suppliers more easily in the database because suppliers have been uniformly created.

Procedure Summary

This document describes the naming standards that must be used when adding a new supplier to the Research Foundation (RF) Supplier File.

Procedure

RF Staff Responsibility

All RF staff must consistently adhere to the supplier file naming standards in order to maintain an accurate supplier file database and to avoid risk.

Required and Recommended Forms

Required Form

One of the following forms is required when creating a new supplier:

• IRS W-9 (for U.S. citizens, resident aliens, businesses, and organizations)
• W-8BEN (for non-U.S. citizens)

  Note: There are some exceptions to these requirements. Refer to the Supplier File Reference Guide for additional information.

Recommended Form

It is also strongly recommended that the RF Supplier File Request Form be used to help you gather supplier information.

Creating a Supplier Process Overview

The following sections outline the process for creating a new supplier.

Determine if the Supplier Already Exists

Search the Oracle system to see if the supplier already exists. Perform the search using the Supplier Search function. At a minimum you should query by both name and taxpayer ID number (TIN). Refer to Review a Supplier Record.

Gather Required Information

Gather all the required supplier information before attempting to add the supplier to the database. The RF Supplier File Request Form can be used to help you gather this information. Also ensure that you have the required tax forms (see the Required and Recommended Forms section of this document).

Perform Additional Research

The IRS W-9 Form may sometimes not reflect the legal name of the supplier, especially for a business or organization that may invoice using a shortened version of their name or an acronym. If an individual uses what appears to be a nickname, you should request clarification. In order to maintain accuracy and integrity in the database, users may need to take additional steps to ensure they are creating the supplier accurately. This may entail contacting the supplier for clarification, reviewing various vendor forms and/or performing an Internet search, etc. in order to verify the accurate supplier name. The naming standards must then be followed to create the new supplier.

Monitor New Suppliers

AP/PO staff at central office monitors the creation of newly created suppliers on a daily basis. The RF New Supplier/Supplier Site Listing report is run and reviewed for compliance with the naming standards. If errors are identified, campus users and their supervisors are notified of the errors. Campuses should also monitor the creation of new suppliers using the report. Refer to the Supplier File Reference Guide for more information.

Changing a Supplier Name

Review the naming standards carefully before you create a supplier to ensure that you are creating the supplier correctly. Once a supplier record has activity on it, such as a purchase order or a payment, it is not possible to make any changes to the name. If the name is determined to be incorrect after the record has activity on it, a new supplier will need to be created and a merge or inactivation must be requested. Refer to the Supplier File Reference Guide.

General Naming Standards Rules

In general, the naming standards do not allow for:

• Abbreviations: Words must be spelled out.
• Punctuation or symbols: The following characters must not be used: periods, commas, apostrophes, parentheses, colons, semi-colons,
  hyphens, slashes, ampersands, pound signs, etc..
• Extra spaces: Spaces must not be placed before a name or between letters within a name.
• Nicknames: Nicknames must not be used.
• Prefixes: Names must not be prefixed with Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., Sister, etc.
• Initials or Acronyms: Initials or acronyms must generally not be used.
  Note that there are exceptions to these general rules. Refer to the following detailed sections that follow for specific standards, exceptions, and complete examples for each:
• Supplier Names for Individuals
• Supplier Names for Businesses, Organizations, and Associations
• Supplier Names for RF employees - example Moran, Ms. Megan
  In addition, it is important to note that the Supplier File Name Field limit is 240 characters.

Section I: Supplier Names for Individuals

1. Names must be entered as first name, middle initial (when one exists) and last name. Do not insert a period
after the middle initial. If a person goes by the middle name instead of the first name, the supplier name can
be created as in the third example below.

2. Exceptions to the above include new RF employee suppliers 9entered in Oracle R12)

3. Names, in general, must be a combination of upper and lower case letters.

Note: In the case of a name of foreign origin where a specific naming standard does not exist, the name should
be entered as listed on the W-9 or W-8BEN form and/or other documentation.

4. Nicknames must not be used.

5. Abbreviations must not be used.

6. Punctuation and extra spaces must generally not be used.

7. Exceptions: Apostrophes and hyphens are allowed if used as part of an individual's proper name.

Note: In the case of a name of foreign origin where a specific naming standard does not exist, the name should be entered as
listed on the W-9 or W-8BEN form and/or other documentation.
If an individual has the same name as a supplier that already exists in the database and if it has been confirmed
to be a wholly different supplier, the only acceptable way to create the new supplier is to place a period after the
last name. If the name exists more than once in the database, more than one period must be used. Do not use
extra spaces to alter the name from the existing name in the database. Using middle initials will help minimize this situation.

8. Names must noe be prefixed with Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., Sister

9. Exceptions to the above include RF employee suppliers (entered in Oracle R12)

10. Names may be followed by abbreviated professional designations or to designate lineage.

i. Unusual names: For supplier names that are not addressed in these standards, the name should be entered as
listed on the W-9 or W-8BEN form and/or other documentation. When in doubt, contact central office AP/PO staff.

ii. RF Employees: When creating a supplier who is also an RF employee, the supplier record will need to be linked
to the employee’s HR record. The employee name can be found in
the List of Values (LOV) when linking the supplier record to the HR record.

Note - For RF employee suppliers, the name will flood in as follows: Last Name, Title First Name.

Section II: Supplier Names for Businesses/Organizations/Associations

Note:A W-9 form may reflect that a business name is being used that is different that the name as shown on the
supplier's income tax return (the first line of the W-9). This is known as a "DBA" (doing business as). In this situation,
the supplier name should be the DBA name, not the name on line 1 of the W-9.

1. Punctuation: Periods, commas, apostrophes, parentheses, colons, semi-colons, slashes, hyphens and extra
spaces between letters and words must generally not be used.

Exceptions:Some exceptions to this standard are dot com companies and names that are partially in a foreign language.

If an organization has the same name as a supplier that already exists in the database and if it has been confirmed to be
a wholly different supplier, the only acceptable way to create the new supplier is to place a period after the last word. If the
name exists more than once in the database, more than one period must be used. Do not use extra spaces to alter the
name from the existing name in the database.

2. Words/names must generally be spelled out in full, including company, corporation, incorporated and association.
An abbreviation must not be used except for the exceptions listed below when it designates a legal entity as listed on the W-9 form.

Exceptions: The following abbreviations are acceptable: LTD, LLP, LLC, and PC and other similar legal abbreviations.

3. Initials or acronyms must generally not be used.

Exceptions: In most cases, names should be spelled out, however, entities that are known to the general public by their
initials rather than the spelled-out version may be used. The Alternate Name field can be utilized to enter initials, an acronym
or to include a more commonly recognized name. It is also possible to do an inquiry using the Alternate Name field.
The use of this field is highly recommended.

4. Names should be entered using the same spacing and combination of upper and lower case letters as the
organization lists their name as shown on invoices, web sites, advertising, etc. However, the naming standards must
still be followed with respect to no punctuation and no extra spaces.

5. Names starting with a number or a symbol may be used if this is the way the organization officially lists their name
on their W-9 Form, however the naming standards must still be followed with respect to no punctuation and no extra
spaces.

6. Names starting with a year, for example for an annual conference, should generally not be used. For a new supplier,
a more generic supplier name should be used so that the supplier can be used again in the future. For an existing
supplier sponsoring an annual event/conference, a new site should be created rather than a new supplier.

7. An ampersand (&)must be used between initials only with no extra spaces. If a supplier uses the word "and" between
initials, it must be changed to an "&" to comply with this naming standard.

8. The word "and" must only be used between words. If a supplier uses an ampersand (&) between words, it must be
changed to the word "and" to comply with this naming standard.

9. Omit the word "The" at the beginning of a supplier name.

10. The word "A" or "An" may be used at the beginning of a supplier name.

11. U.S. businesses names that start with the foreign word for "the" may be used with a space after the word.

12. Foreign suppliers must be entered exactly as the organization lists the name, including spacing.

13. Enter state and local governmental taxing authorities as follows: State of______, (except for New York State) City
of_______(except for New York City), Village of_______, Town of________, etc. For counties, enter the name of the
county as the first word such as_______County. Departments within county government must be set up as sites within
the main county supplier record unless it has a separate tax identification number (TIN).

Exceptions: New York State and New York City agencies, departments, etc. should be set up as separate suppliers
(with New York being spelled out).

For states other than New York State, sub-divisions of the government should be set up as separate sites within the
overall governmental entity unless the entity has a separate tax identification number (TIN).

14. United States governments suppliers: All departments, agencies, offices, etc. should be set up as separate
suppliers, but the name must start with "United States" spelled out.

15. Generic Supplier Names: Many well known large businesses with operations all over the country, such as hotel/motel
chains may share the same name. Example, Holiday Inn, Hyatt Regency, etc. In general, most locations also have a
separate tax identification number (TIN). Each location must be set up with the city name as part of the supplier name
regardless of whether the city is listed on the W-9 form and regardless of whether it also has the same TIN.

Organizations/Associations with a national headquarters and local chapters: Must be set up as separate
suppliers if they have separate tax identification numbers. The chapter location must be part of the supplier name to
differentiate it from the national organization. For example, American Red Cross (for the national organization) and
American Red Cross of Northern New York (for the local chapter).

Section III: Supplier Names for SUNY Campuses and Other SUNY Organizations

1. SUNY Campus Names: All SUNY campuses are already set up as suppliers in the Supplier File. Refer to the
Supplier File Naming Standards Appendix for approved campus names and supplier numbers

2. Other Organizations at SUNY Campus Locations: The supplier naming standards for faculty-student associations,
bookstores, campus foundations, etc. will depend on whether or not these organizations operate under the SUNY
campus federal ID number (146013200). If it operates within SUNY, it should be set up as a site within the existing
campus supplier (for example 020-Bookstore). If the organization operates under its own federal tax ID number, it
must be set up as a separate supplier.

Section IV: Tax Reporting (1099) Supplier Names

A supplier may have a tax-reporting name that is different than the supplier name, such as a sole proprietor with a DBA
(doing business as). The W-9 will indicate if there is a separate tax-reporting name.
When the tax-reporting name is different from the supplier name, the tax-reporting name must be entered in the Tax
Reporting Name field located in the Tax Reporting tab. The tax identification number being used
and the tax-reporting name must match IRS records. The W-9 will indicate whether the supplier is using his Social
Security Number or an Employer Identification Number.
In accordance with IRS requirements, AP prints the tax-reporting name instead of the supplier name on the 1099-Misc
forms for year-end reporting.
Example 1: O’Donnell Consulting is owned and operated by a single individual, James D. O’Donnell. He completed
the W-9 indicating that his tax reporting name is James D O’Donnell and he uses his Social Security Number, but he
is doing business as O’Donnell Consulting. In this example, O’Donnell Consulting is the supplier name and James D
O’Donnell is the tax reporting name because he has used his Social Security Number.
Example 2: A firm called Williams Tutoring Services is owned by John Williams, a sole proprietor. He completed the
W-9 indicating that his tax reporting name is Williams Tutoring Services and he used his Employer Identification
Number instead of his Social Security Number. In this situation the supplier name and his tax reporting name are the
same, Williams Tutoring Services. If the tax reporting name is the same as supplier name, it is not necessary to enter
a tax reporting name.

Section V: Supplier File Site Naming Requirements

When a new supplier is created, a new address and site must also be created. An address name designates the city of the
address and the site name designates either a campus location code
or 1099 (if the supplier is tax reportable). For a list of campus location codes, refer to the Supplier File Naming
Standards Appendix. If a supplier has more than one address, it may be necessary to set up more than one Address.
For example, one address may be used for purchasing and another for payments. A supplier may have multiple addresses and
sites.

• Address Name Examples:
• Albany - city of the address
• Buffalo- City of the address
• Buffalo-Elm - for multiple city locations, place the street name within the Address name
  Note: A site name must never be changed from 1099 to a campus site or vice versa. A supplier record may only have one tax reporting site.
  Site Name Examples
• 020 – a Binghamton University site name
• HOME - site used in connection with HR record
• PROVISIONAL - site used in connection with HR record (used for other than HOME address)
• 1099 – for federally reportable suppliers – used by all campuses
• 020-NRA (or 020-1042) – a Binghamton University NRA site name
  A site name may be a maximum of 15 characters in length.
  If a supplier has multiple purchasing and payment addresses, a new site needs to be created for each address and a
  unique suffix such as the city name or other name may be added. For example, 160-ALB, 210-PO Box 2560,
  150-Lockbox, etc.
  For each campus location, a site has been created for Income Fund Reimbursable (IFR) accounts. They are named
  by the campus location code followed by the suffix IFR. For example, 050-IFR.
  *For all suppliers coded as Employee, a HOME site is required to be created with the supplier record. A supplier
  classified as employee is linked with their HR record. Once the record is linked, only the location designated on the
  HR record will be available to view the site record
  *For suppliers coded as SUNY Employee and are seeking reimbursement through iExpense, it is required that a
  HOME site be created.
  If paying a SUNY Employee for any other reimbursement than travel, it is recommended that a HOME site be
  created, however, there is no security surrounding a SUNY Employee HOME site if they're not set up in the HR record.

Section VI: Supplier Site Addresses

The United States Postal Service and the mailing industry have developed standardized address information that
enhances the processing and delivery of mail, reduces undeliverable-as-addressed mail, and provides mutual cost
reduction opportunities through improved efficiency.
The USPS standards are included in Publication 28. In the event that a supplier address must be abbreviated,
these standards should be referenced.

Definitions

None

Related Information

None

Forms

None

Change History

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