Accounts Payable

1. Accounts Payable March 4, 2013

2. Agenda AP Introductions How a check is produced at UGA Vendor Registration System Unified Vendor Database Demo UGAMart System Demo (Receiving, Comments) Electronic Check Request System Demo Q&A’s submitted prior to session Q&A with session participants (time permitting)

3. Introductions Jennifer Collins, Manager Andre Simmons, Assistant Manager Patricia Sims, Senior Operations Supervisor David Manley, Senior Operations Supervisor Elena Williams, Senior Accountant

4. Fiscal Year 2012 Accounts Payable disbursed $635,222,995 in expenditures. AP paid 254,731 invoices AP issued 120,915 checks AP processed 98,662 check requests Initiated 1018 wires Processed 633 ACH transfers

5. Processing Sections within Accounts Payable Travel & Encumbrances (2nd floor Business Services) Purchase Order Payment Processing (3rd floor Business Services) Check Request Payment Processing (3rd floor Business Services)

6. Life Cycle of a Check Request Payment Check request flows along approval path established for account or dept Campus user initiates check request in eCheck system Restricted accounts Contracts & Grants International Tax Coordinator Review Foreign Payee Travel & Encumbrances Item > $99.99 CR > $10,000 Procurement Payments to Individuals Payments to Companies Procurement Individuals Instate Travel Out-of-State Travel Vendors A-L Vendors M-Z Petty Cash & Registrations Batch Entry

7. Life Cycle of a Purchase Order Payment Purchase requisition is initiated in UGAMart Purchase requisition flows along the approval path established for department Travel & Encumbrances Procurement Review/Action Funds are encumbered in Financial Accounting System AP receives invoice & enters in UGAMart Contracts & Grants Review (only certain object codes) PO Isssued Matching Exceptions (no three-way match, quantities/amounts outside of tolerances. UGAMart checks for three-way match Payment flows into Batch Entry

8. Check Writing Process Check Request Batches from Batch Entry Purchase Order Payments from Batch Entry Batch Jobs Process Check File Produced (combining same vendor remit to addresses) AP prints checks

9. Travel & Encumbrances Elena Williams, Supervisor Administrative Functions Printing Checks Daily Approving & Encumbering Travel Authorizations Account number changes on PO’s and TA’s (if restricted account, contact C&G for approval prior to AP) Vendor Creations in the Unified Vendor Database Review and assign appropriate object codes to UGAMart requisitions and check requests

10. Vendor Creation/Additions/Revisions Accounts Payable and Procurement now function from one unified vendor database. Vendor creation requires approval from both Accounts Payable and Procurement Vendors now have the option to register online at: http://vendors.uga.edu Original Vendor Profile form can still be submitted: http://www.busfin.uga.edu/forms/vendor_profile.pdf

11. Vendor Registration Systemhttp://vendors.uga.edu VN Creation

12. Unified Vendor Database • How to search: • Companies: Search company name or D/B/A name • Employees: Search last name, first name (with a comma to separate) • Non-employees: First name last name format with no comma • Petty cash: Custodian name followed by Petty Cash

13. Unified Vendor Database Demo https://webapps.ais.uga.edu/UVDB/home.seam Demo is available on the Accounts Payable website

14. Purchase Order Payment SectionDavid Manley, Supervisor Once a purchase order is issued, the next phase will be to issue payment to the vendor once the goods/services have been received. PO Payment Section Responsibilities: Match/Review/Approve invoices for payment within UGAMart. Review outstanding encumbrances and initiate inquiries to determine if purchase order should remain open or be closed.

15. How to Create a Receiving Report & add Comments in UGAMart Demo is available on the Accounts Payable website and UGAMart site

16. Check Request Processing SectionPatricia Sims, Supervisor Review/Audit check requests payable to individuals, research participants, travelers, petty cash custodians, and companies. Verifies correct approvals obtained, proper invoices and other documents are attached. Handle canceling and reissuing checks. Processes ACH and Wire Transfers

17. Electronic Check Request System Demohttps://webapps.ais.uga.edu/PCFA/index.jsp Demo available on the Accounts Payable website

18. Questions submitted by Campus

19. Question 1 When a check request is rejected or no longer valid, there is currently no way to remove it from the originators pending list. Can we not delete these records or move them to a separate file? Trying to repurpose a check request that may be 2-3 weeks old causes issues with dates and is not always an option. Response: In the eCheck system, there is a limited number of request numbers that we can use with an increasing volume each year. If a CR number has already been assigned, it is best to go ahead and use it. If it is not reused, the information is still stored in databases, which takes up space. Reusing the request overrides this information. In addition, when you re-use a request, when you un-reject it to begin the approval process again, the date of the check request automatically changes to the current date.

20. Question 2 With the new group travel policy changes, is a honoraria form still required to process payment to a vendor on behalf of a visitor? Response: No, the honoraria form is no longer required. Required documentation for this check request would be an invoice from the vendor and a direct billing authorization form. In the description field of the check request you should include information on who the expenses are for and what the purpose is for the travel. o

21. Question 3 What should a department do if a vendor makes an error in posting a payment(s) to an account and continues billing the incorrect amount although the department has contacted them? Especially when it involves AT&T and UPS. Response: Many vendors use lock boxes for payment processing. AP sends remittance info (top portion of our check) with every check. If a vendor does not use that information to apply the payment and contacts you regarding a past due balance, you can contact Accounts Payable for a copy of the canceled check and remittance information for the check that you can provide to the vendor. In February, Accounts Payable started sending remittance stubs to AT&T and UPS representatives (we scan these each morning and email to an actual representative) rather than relying on the remittance information included with the check to make it to an AR representative and to be applied correctly.

22. Question 4 In the event that you forget to attach the necessary paperwork to a check request, why isn’t it possible to attach it at anytime instead of having A/P send it back and it going through all the channels again? Response: A check request can have attachments added before it comes in to AP. The initiator can contact the approver and route the document via email for the approver to attach. If the request comes to AP without the supporting documentation, AP will reject it back to the initiator. The documentation should be added and the request should be forwarded back through the approval process allowing the approvers to view the documentation.

23. Websites AP Website: http://www.busfin.uga.edu/accounts_payable/ Travel Website: http://www.busfin.uga.edu/accounts_payable/travel.html Vendor Registration: http://vendors.uga.edu Unified Vendor Database: https://webapps.ais.uga.edu/UVDB/home.seam Electronic Check Request System: https://webapps.ais.uga.edu/PCFA/index.jsp UGAMart: https://webapps.ais.uga.edu/UGAmart

24. Contact Us! • Contact list with job responsibilities: http://www.busfin.uga.edu/accounts_payable/apstaff.htm • Accounts Payable Office: • Phone: 706-542-2786