To: MOU Leads
University Business Managers
ConnectCarolina Finance Stakeholders
From: Martha Pendergrass, Director of Procurement Services
Date: October 30, 2014
As we approach the end of our first month operating within ConnectCarolina, I am writing to provide a Procurement update. Similar to the rest of campus community, we have been getting adjusted to operating with a new system; a new chart of accounts; and new reporting tools. We acknowledge that it has been a difficult adjustment for us, and we recognize that this adjustment has been very challenging for you as well in terms of decreased productivity, changes in processes, and uncertainty. We also recognize that we are still behind and that we have much work to do to catch up, but we are making steady progress and working hard on a daily basis to support the purchasing and payment activities of the University. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this transition. We understand this has been a challenging transition.
With respect to a general update on Procurement, the following are some highlights and considerations:
Stats
- Through Oct. 27, we have processed 1,981 Purchase Orders (outside of ePro Vendor Catalog). This number is consistent with the level of activity prior to the implementation of ConnectCarolina.
- Through Oct. 27, we have paid 15,400 vouchers, which compares to 33,987 paid vouchers in October 2013 and 38,662 paid vouchers in October 2012.
- The current backlog on vouchers stands at 2.5 times the pre-implementation level. Currently we have 44,035 vendors in the system, which is comparable to the number on the FRS platform.
Our Plan
- In terms of prioritization, we are addressing past-due vouchers first, and we are using the 30-day due date as the basis to prioritize the degree of the past-due status of vouchers.
- To address the backlog on vouchers, we are adding two temporary employees to process vouchers, and we are re-assigning two travel voucher processors to work on the backlog – which will double the number of employees whose sole role is processing vouchers.
- We’ve experienced some receiving issues due to multiple invoices being associated with a single receiver, but this issue has now been corrected.
- Foreign vendors had to be entered into the system manually. We are almost caught up on the entry of these vendors. We are now dealing with the banking element of foreign vendors.
- We have re-assigned an employee to assume responsibilities as vendor coordinator. There is currently a backlog of getting bank information into ConnectCarolina for vendors.
Business Process Changes
- When entering a voucher, please ensure the location and the selected address have the same number. For example, “Location = 1; Address = 1”. This measure will decrease processing time.
- When creating a voucher to pay an Independent Contractor, please enter into the comments appearing on the approval page the percentage of time that work was performed in North Carolina.
In closing, I hope you find the above information helpful. I plan to continue to provide a brief weekly Procurement update to the campus community to share progress and other important information as we discover issues and resolutions We realize that two-day turnaround service levels are unattainable in ConnectCarolina, but we believe that a four-day turnaround is realistic and achievable. As we strive to eliminate the backlog and improve turnaround time, thank you for your continued patience, assistance and understanding.