WELCOME
Welcome to the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) 2010-2011 Purchasing Manual webpage. Please find the following Instructions and associated program workbooks to inventory and order necessary supplies for your PLTW classes. The purchasing manual has been completely redesigned as of February 2010, so please take note of the changes. Whether you are a returning PLTW school or this is your first implementation, we strongly encourage you to read the entire set of instructions.

Please see the ADDITIONAL RESOURCES section at the end of this page for an explanation of our terminology and abbreviations.

NAVIGATING THE NEW PURCHASING MANUAL
The below is a summary of our instructions. We strongly recommend you read the full document.

• Before ordering anything, answer the following questions:
  • Which PLTW program is being implemented?
  • Which courses will be taught within the designated program?
  • How many sections will be offered per course?
  • What inventory is already on hand in the class/lab?
  • What is the maximum number of students per section?

• The 2010-2011 Purchasing Manual is a major redesign from those in the past:
  • There is one workbook for each of PLTW’s three programs: BMS, GTT and PTE.
  • In order to be prepared to teach PLTW courses/units, schools must have all items listed in the Core Class and Lab Inventory worksheet AND the items listed in the individual course worksheets – all of which are found in each program workbook.
  • There are three vendor workbooks, one for each of PLTW's three programs (BMS, GTT, and PTE).

• Allow at least 6 to 8 weeks for shipping, unless otherwise noted. PLTW is a not-for-profit, trying to identify the best possible prices for schools in our network, and therefore are unable to ship items on a “next-day delivery” format.

• ONLY items labeled “PLTW” in the column “Vend” can be ordered from us. All other items require separate purchase orders for each vendor. For your convenience, there are templates in the vendor workbooks to assist with these orders.

• Pay close attention to order times in the BMS workbook, and for BE. Some items are perishable and/or require culture growth.

• Schools are not required to purchase from the vendors suggested by PLTW,except where noted.

• Optional equipment is just that – optional.

2010-2011 PURCHASING MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS
We strongly recommend you review the new Instructions closely to guide you through the process.

2010 PURCHASING MANUAL WORKBOOKS
The Excel files below contain all items necessary for PLTW’s three programs. The difference between a Program Workbook and a Vendor Workbook is explained in the Instructions.

2010 KEY COURSE SPECIFIC UPDATES
The PLTW curricula for several courses/units has been revised. Also, the review and redesign of the entire purchasing manual has resulted in changes to materials for nearly every course/unit. Details for each can be found at the top of the course/unit specific worksheet; however, we encourage you to review all requirements closely.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
As resources are made available to assist schools in the purchasing process, they will be posted here.

This redesign is intended to make the inventory and ordering process faster and easier. We look forward to hearing from you as you use the new format. Please contact us with any thoughts, concerns, or questions by email at pmfeedback@pltw.org.