The purchasing department handles purchase requests from other departments in the company. People in the company who initiate the original purchase request are the $$customers$$ of the purchasing department. A case worker within the purchasing department receives the request and monitors it until it is ordered and received. Case workers process requests for the purchase of products under $$1,500,$ write a purchase order, and then send it to the approved vendor. Purchase requests over $$1,500$ must first be sent out for bid from the vendor that supplies the product. When the bids return, the case worker selects one bid and then writes a purchase order and sends it to the vendor