Public Works: Accounts Payable Invoice Processing
Problem Statement: The process for creating payments in the Department of Public Works is different in each division. Also, the time spent tracking down correct information for invoice processing or explaining the procedure to other employees is an inefficient use of valuable staff time. The problem has developed over the years as our department has grown. Several departments have merged over the years adding divisions withing the department, yet geographically separated. Each division has brought with it a unique way of handling the financial process. As new employees have been added to the staff, each has been trained in a different procedure to process payments. Because of the physical nature of the department, invoices are sometimes sent to the wrong division and time is spent researching the correct location for the invoice and mailing it to the appropriate staff person.
Results: Better cross -training of division processes and increased communication between invoice processors will help us continue to identify best practices and greatly increase our capacity to efficiently cover for coworkers when the need arises. For example: Airport- Condensed 13 invoices into one batch invoice, which saves over 60 minutes per month. Facilities- Consolidated group invoices and utilized FMIS templates for consolidated invoices to save 90 minutes of payment entry per month.
