Accounts Payable Best Practices Michael Casuccio, ITS

Accounts Payable Best Practices Michael Casuccio, ITS Michelle McGinty, Kennesaw State University 1

Agenda Best Business Practices – Approvals – Internal Controls – Invoices – Stipends – Petty Cash – Vendors 2

Agenda GeorgiaFIRST Financials – PeopleSoft – Vendor settings – Invoices and Voucher processing – Payments and Paycycles 3

Approvals Accountability, Authorization and Approval Department Table is used to determine who has authority to approve expenditures for the department. Project Table is used to determine who has authority to approve expenditures for the project. Other approvals include: » » » » » ITS for computer purchases Asset Management Audio Visual Equipment Hazardous Materials Human Resources (on-payroll, qualified Independent Contractor status) 4

Controls in Place? The Controller approves payments over 5,000 and payments to individuals. Consultant, Lecturer (Speaker) and Performance Agreements have standard templates which are approved by Legal. The routing form allows all departments to view the agreements before they are paid. 5

Other Controls Employees are never paid as a consultant, speaker or for services through AP. This must be reviewed by HR and the payment must go through Payroll. Anyone, who was on payroll, needs to be paid consistently on payroll. This includes student assistants who are paid a stipend for additional work on campus. 6

Stipends/Sponsored Funds Stipends should include timesheets for dates worked. Consultant or Contractors on Sponsored Fund agreements must include a statement of work and resume of the consultant/contractor. Stipends for work performed are taxable. 7

Valid Invoice? Best Practice: valid invoice (not a quote) Duplicate Invoice Checking – Set up Financial/Supply Chain – Business Unit Related – Payable/Payable Options – Vouchering Options 2 – Duplicate Invoice Checking Invoice Number, Business Unit, Vendor ID 8

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No Invoice Number? Establish procedures for recording invoice numbers. No invoice number? – Identify a method that will allow the ERP system to capture duplicate payments. – Travel: first day of travel letter for multiples MMDDYY or MMDDYYA or MMDDYY-1 – Utility/Cell Phone Invoices: account number date – Service Contracts: date of service MMDDYY. 10

Where Do Your Invoices Go? Best practice: have all invoices directed to Accounts Payable. Purchase Order should specify remit address for invoices. Statements should come to Accounts Payable to verify there are no outstanding invoices. 11

Petty Cash No Student payments from petty cash. No independent contractor for services. Receipts must be attached. Sales Tax is not reimbursed. Flyers and list of attendees are required. Compliance with food policy. 12

Vendor Maintenance Separation of Duties. The employee who maintains the vendor files should not be able to process vouchers or issue purchase orders. W-9 should be required. Only one vendor per W-9/FEI number. Use remit to address to handle different payment addresses. 13

Vendor – Legal Status Corporate Vendors: Verify legal status at: http://www.coordinatedlegal.com/SecretaryOfState.html If status is Active/Compliant or Active/Noncompliant - continue processing If Admin. Dissolved, follow up with campus contact. 14

International Vendors W-9 - applies to US Citizens/Permanent Resident only. W8BEN and Foreign National Information Form with copies of requested immigration documents. KSU uses the name “*****” five stars in the name2 field on the vendor master page. Query: 430 AP VERIFY INTL VENDOR 15

Vendor Location From PeopleBooks: It is Not a physical address. It is a default set of rules, or attributes. Defines how you conduct business with a particular vendor. There can be multiple ‘locations’ for each vendor. 16

Peoplesoft Vendor Options Vendor/Location/Options “Payables” Payment Control Matching/Approval Options EFT Options Fund Transfer Details Vendor Banking Account Options Vendor Type Options – EMP for Employee? Location Main? Your remit to address? 17

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Payables Default Hierarchy Bu si ne ss U nit O ri gi n Co nt rol Gr ou p V e n d or V o uc h er 20

Peoplesoft Vendor – Cont. Identifying Information Duplicate Invoice Indicator. KSU uses “Default” Withholding Vendor? Persistence – Regular – One Time – Only one payment is generated and then the system will “I” inactivate the vendor ID. Good for International Vendors and one-time payments. – Single Pay – Good for refunds where AP has the control to add the vendor’s address/name. Strong Internal Controls should be used with this option. No 1099 reportable payments. Contacts Description ACH/EFT. Use Email ID for Remit to information. 21

1099 Reportable 1099 reportable activity accounts: 7278%, 719xxx, 7481xx, 751xxx – – – – Royalties Rental of Non-Real Estate Real Estate Rental Per Diem & Fees – Expense (not reimbursed expenses) » Architect, Attorney, Consultant, Engineer, Physician, Interpreters, Veterinarian, Speaker, IT Consultant, » 752100 for Reimbursed Expenses to Consultants should be used or Non-Employee expense account 65XXXX. International Vendors 1042s 22

Internal Control Practices Separation of Duties (should not be performed by Accounts Payable) Approve purchase (Budget Manager) Receive ordered materials Approve invoice for payment Review and reconcile financial records. This means that the person who can print the check should not be the one reconciling the bank account. 23

Match receipts to Invoices All PO invoices must have some sort of receiving notification. – This may be as simple as an email from the end user who says the product was received. Issue Payment/Check Request is based on an assumption that the product was received by the end user. 24

Automatic Three Way Matching Purchase Order must be set to Receiving Required. Match the invoice by copying in the purchase order. Match exceptions will occur when there is no open receiver for the purchaser order. Assets must be copied in from a receipt. 25

Matching Process Setting Matching PO: Do Not Receive or Optional 2-way matching Compares voucher to PO 3-way matching Compares voucher - PO - Receipt PO: Receiving Required 26

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Matching Exceptions PeopleBooks Note: – Organizations typically correct a problem instead of overriding it. In general, it is best to rectify and reprocess incorrect associations and vendor differences rather than override them. 28

Match Exceptions Query to identify Match Exceptions – BOR AP UNPOSTED VCHR – Matching Workbench What are common Match Exceptions – Missing Receiving – PO set at “Receiving Required” in error. – Receiving not equal to PO amount/Qty. 29

Document Tolerance Allowable difference between a PO and Voucher Percentage or Amount Default setting by business unit – The lesser of 500 or 10% Can be changed on the PO distrib lines 30

To Finalize or Not 31

To Finalize or Not What does it do? – Finalizes the predecessor PO line – Final liquidation of the KK distribution line Advantages: – Eliminates the need to run PO reconciliation process to determine the closing of a PO or PO line – Quickly frees up funds. 32

To Finalize or Not When to use it: – Vouchering the last invoice for a PO or PO line but the amount or quantity is less than the original When not to use it: – If you are fully vouchering a PO or PO line PO Close process will finalize the PO or PO line 33

To Finalize or Not Example: PO Prior Invoices Final Invoice Finalize ? 100 0 90 Yes 100 No* 20 No* 100 100 80 * Not necessary if you run PO close. 34

Distribution Lines PO vs Voucher Changes: – Do NOT Change PO lines that that have been vouchered. – Changing Distribution lines – If receipts exits, the receipt must be changed, too. 35

Voucher Post Can not post vouchers – Verify Control Group settings – Verify Voucher Attributes Tab on the voucher 36

Voucher Upload Process Voucher Upload Spreadsheet – Large volume, low dollar payments to multiple vendors. – One-to-one distributions such as stipends, board checks or UPS. 37

Payment Method Payment Method linked with Banking Information and Pay Cycles. – MAN - Manual payments keyed such as wires, direct debits from the bank are keyed using the “Manual” payment process. – ACH (Commercial / Business) – EFT (Personal) – CHK 38

ACH / EFT New to ACH/EFT? – Contact ITS for instructions to get started See Job Aid: RUNNING EFT/ACH PAY CYCLES Payment Advices 39

ACH / EFT PRENOTING – What is it? – Changing the default # of wait days – Run an ACH / EFT pay cycle to trigger the prenotes – Or Manually Confirm 40

Pay Cycle Monitoring Trial Register – Vendor Name/Address matches invoice. – Dollar amount matches invoice. – Invoice number keyed correctly. Trial Register verified to Detailed Check Register – Performed by individual who does not have vouchering/payment security (outside AP area). 41

Check the Pay Cycle Exceptions 42

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Payment Selection Criteria Credit Vouchers – Example: voucher 80 and credit vchr 100 – Option: Process When DRs CRs Nothing happens because debits are not greater than credits – Option: Process Credit Vouchers Voucher paid / zero payment row / accounting entries Credit / payment row 80 / remaining 20 44

Positive Payment Notifies bank of checks that will be presented for payment. Contact ITS for assistance in getting started Review Wimba presentation. 45

Positive Payment Note the pay cycle ID you are using: POSPY1-9 Verify that you POSPY# runs to completion 46

Positive Payment GeorgiaFIRST Training Archives Wimba Session: Using Positive Payment, August 31 2010 – Archive: http://gbor.wimba.com/launcher.cgi?room PSFIN TRNG 2010 0831 1430 53 – Slides and Handout 47

Month End Close Run Query: BOR AP UNPOSTED VCHR Run Query: BOR AP UNPOSTED PYMNTS Reconciling the Open Payables to the General Ledger. – Aging Payables Report vs. 211000 GL Account – Reconciling Items Match Exceptions Un-posted Voucher Budget Exceptions 48

Training Resource GeorgiaFIRST Training Archives – http://www.usg.edu/gafirst-fin/training/archives/ Wimba Session: Using the PO Workbench and Monthly PO Cleanup Processes, March 23 2010 – Archive: http://67.202.210.69/launcher.cgi?room PSFIN TRNG 2010 0323 1430 53 – Slides and Handouts 49

Training Resource GeorgiaFIRST Training Archives – http://www.usg.edu/gafirst-fin/training/archives/ Wimba Session: Using Positive Payment, August 31 2010 – Archive: http://gbor.wimba.com/launcher.cgi?room PSFIN TRNG 2010 0831 1430 53 – Slides and Handout 50

Documentation http://www.usg.edu/gafirst-fin/documentation/job aids/category/accounts payable/ 51