Accounts Payable Imaging and Workflow Automation (IWA) Process Improvement

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Alexander Gilbert
8 years ago
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1 Accounts Payable Imaging and Workflow Automation (IWA) Process Improvement Miami-Dade County Finance Department Presented by: Sandra Bridgeman, CPA, Controller Connie White, Business Solutions Director Arlin Montero, ERP Business Analyst

Presented by: Sandra Bridgeman, CPA, Controller Connie

2 Imaging and Workflow Automation (IWA) Outline Purpose of the IWA project Process prior to IWA IWA implementation benefits Vendor and department outreach effort Other Technology, Challenges & Lessons learned Attachments / Charts 2

benefits Vendor and department outreach effort Other

3 Purpose of the IWA Project Streamline the accounts payable invoice process via: Centralization of invoices Adequate segregation of duties Visibility through scanning Electronic workflow for review and approval Electronic invoicing Indexed Filing Scope: phased approach 50% volume in first 2 years 51% 65% in 3 rd year 66% 100% in the 4 th year 3

Electronic workflow for review and approval Electronic invoicing Indexed Filing Scope:

4 Process Prior to IWA AP Invoice Process A semi-centralized accounts payable system Vendor invoice is mailed to the individual department Department staff does the review, matching and approval of the invoice; enters information into FAMIS and forwards original documentation to Finance Central Office Finance AP staff reviews documentation, approves for payment and issues check or ACH/EFT Documents are stored for required retention periods Inefficiencies Manual process Processes by initiating departments and Finance dept. Potential abuse or fraud Paper routed for approval Lack of segregation of duties 4

Office Finance AP staff reviews documentation, approves for payment and issues check or ACH/EFT Documents are stored for required retention periods

5 IWA Implementation Benefits Streamline the County s Accounts Payable process Significantly improved and simplified the retrieval/sharing process of an invoice Eliminated paper handling during invoice processing Eliminated the need for routing physical paper for approvals throughout various County locations Eliminated much of the manual input of invoice information via smart look-ups Expedited the release of payments to vendors Eliminated the need for multiple copies of the paper invoice, various departments storage, and time for managing Reduced the number of invoices not meeting the prompt payment Florida Statute and County Ordinance Provided capability to handle an increased volume of invoices without additional staffing Introduce a shared services concept with all invoices received and payments issued at a central location 5

release of payments to vendors Eliminated the need for multiple copies of the paper invoice, various departments storage, and time for managing Reduced the number of invoices not meeting the prompt

6 IWA Implementation Benefits (Cont d) Lower invoice processing costs result from Lowering administrative costs Eliminating paper handling during invoice processing and retrieval Print and copy savings Eliminating of multiple departmental storage Increased worker productivity by Eliminating the time required to copy/file invoices Reducing the time needed for search and retrieval Reduced invoice receipt-to-payment cycle time by Centralizing invoice processing Automating routing of tasks to individuals Improved invoice visibility and control by Imaging the invoice as soon as received Producing a document in electronic format Eventually to be reflected in the Transparency website 6

the time needed for search and retrieval Reduced invoice receipt-to-payment cycle time by Centralizing invoice processing Automating routing of tasks to individuals

7 Vendor and Department Outreach Effort Meeting with departmental sponsor Assessment of current processes Team visit and discussion Table of organization Assessment of existing process whether documented or not Observation Establish the idea of roles Recommendation for new processes including IWA Deployment schedule Training of managers and users Vendor notification/communication 7

whether documented or not Observation Establish the idea of roles Recommendation for new

8 Other Implementation Challenges Business process redesign Introduction of new technology that requires new skillset Technology platform and software EMC Documentum 6.7 platform and xcp User bundles Retention Management Captiva and Advanced Recognition Brava for Docs and Redact-IT (2) Canon ImageFormula DR-G1130 high speed scanners Legacy financial systems: ADPICS and FAMIS Lessons learned 8

7 platform and xcp User bundles Retention Management Captiva and Advanced Recognition Brava for

9 Q&A 9

10 Defining Processes at a High Level 10

11 Process Before IWA Implementation Paper Invoice Process Phase Fire Departm ent Dvisions Start Receives invoice from Vendor via Paper FR D epartm ent D ivisions FR Shop Scans Packing Slips Fire Finance Bureau FR Supervisor Verifies invoice & approves in ADPICS FR Finance B ureau D epartm ent Account Clerk Scan/Index Invoice and Packing Slip into Application Xtender. Enter the Invoice in ADPICS Finance AP Section Perform Finance Com pliance Review and Approve or Reject Finance AP D elegates for Trust Fund & Reso Review and Approval or Rejection Perform Threshold Review Release or Cancel Check (if necessary ) In FAMIS/ADPICS: Enter paym ent inform ation, voucher generated. Paym ent generated, audited and released End 11

12 Process After IWA Implementation Documents 12

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